World champ Chepng'etich eyes Sh28million purse in the streets of Japan

World Marathon champion Ruth Chepng'etich will be hoping to kick start her season with victory in the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday.

The winner of the race will take home Sh28,550,000 (250,000 dollars).

The women's only race, which is part of the World Athletics Platinum Label races, has attracted some of the best athletes.

The race is happening a week after Kenya's world marathon record holders Brigid Kosgei and Eliud Kipchoge won the Tokyo Marathon in new course records.

Kosgei timed two hours 16 minutes and 02 seconds while her compatriot Kipchoge clocked a new course record of 2:02:48 in the men's race.

Chepng’etich will be hoping she has fully recovered from the injury that forced her out to drop out of the 2020 Olympic Games marathon race in Sapporo last year.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the Olympics gold, with Brigid Kosgei taking the silver.

Chepng’etich will be up against seasoned runners such as Israel’s Lorna Chemtai Salpeter, Australia’s Sinead Diver, and Japanese athletes led by Yuko Ando, Rie Kawauchi and Hane Tanaka..

Last season, Chepng'etich she started by running a world record time during the Istanbul Half Marathon where she timed 64:02 (mixed gender) which was later broken by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw who timed 63:44. The record is currently held by another Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey (62:52).

Chepng'etich later won the 2021 Chicago Marathon race clocking 2:22:31, a month after dropping out at the Olympics.

Salpeter, who has been training in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet, told Nation Sport she has prepared well for the race.

"I have done good training and will be looking forward to a good race. Of course it will be a battle between the world marathon champion Chepng'etich and other top athletes," said Salpeter.