Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich ran the second ever fastest marathon time to defeat hard fighting Kenya-Isreal runner Chemtai Salpeter to win the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in a new race-record time on Sunday, thereby pushing Japan’s Yuka Ando to third place.
The prize money for first place at the 2022 race was increased to $250,000, making it one of the biggest marathon purses in the world. In addition to elite competitors, it also admitted general-entry runners residing in Japan.
Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion and 2021 Chicago Marathon winner, crossed the line at Vantelin Dome Nagoya in 2 hours, 17 minutes, 18 seconds, more than a minute ahead of Salpeter, winner of the 2020 Tokyo Marathon. Ando clocked 2:22:22.
Ando, who competed in the 10,000 meters event at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, met the qualifying time of sub-2:23:18 to be granted entry into the world athletics championships to be held in Oregon in July.
The race became a two-woman battle between Chepngetich and Salpeter after the 30-kilometer mark, but Chepngetich made a decisive uphill surge with around 8 km remaining, running strongly all the way to the finish line.
Results:
1. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) – 2:17:18
2. Lonah Chemptai Salpeter (ISR) – 2:18:45
3. Yuka Ando (JPN) – 2:22:22
4. Ai Hosoda (JPN) – 2:24:26
5. Yuka Suzuki (JPN) – 2:25:02
6. Eloise Wellings (AUS) – 2:25:10
7. Ikumi Fukura (JPN) – 2:25:15
DiscernSport 