Kenyan Grace Loibach Nawowuna will be making her marathon debut when she takes on the reigning Berlin marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru Monica and former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will be facing off with Ethiopia’ pair of Sutume Asefa Kebede at the Tokyo Marathon, the World Athletics Platinum Label event set for March 1st in the Japanese Capital.
Coming from a running family of former world cross country champion Joseph Ebuya and sister Alice Aprot Nawowuna, Loibach will be making her debut on the big stage against the odds at the platinum event.
The Kenyan trio will be chasing Kebede as she will be on the course to defend her title she won last year at 2:15:55 as she chases a hat-trick.
Kosgei, who enjoys a 2:14:04 she set in Chicago in 2019 will pair with Wanjiru, the 2023 winner as well as Megertu Alemu, Bertukan Welde, American Sara Hall and Japan’s Ai Hosoda and Yumi Yoshikawa
Women line up (best time)
- Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04
- Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:57
- Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55
- Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14
- Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:34
- Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:17:56
- Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48
- Mekides Shimeles (ETH) 2:19:56
- Aberu Ayana (ETH) 2:20:20
- Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:20:26
- Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32
- Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:20:48
- Violah Cheptoo (KEN) 2:21:40
- Pascalia Jepkogei (KEN) 2:22:47
- Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31
- Sinead Diver (AUS) 2:21:34
- Malindi Elmore (CAN) 2:23:30
- Yumi Yoshikawa (JPN) 2:25:20
- Xia Yuyu (CHN) 2:25:45
- Mirai Waku (JPN) 2:25:58
- Ayano Ikemitsu (JPN) 2:26:07
- Li Zhixuan (CHN) 2:26:15
- Bai Li (CHN) 2:26:33
- Xu Bingjie (CHN) 2:27:11
- Aleksandra Brzezinska (POL) 2:27:20
- Yuri Karasawa (JPN) 2:27:27
- Lu Ying (CHN) 2:27:30
- Vanessa Wilson (AUS) 2:28:34
- Grace Loibach Nawowuna (KEN) debut