Ethiopian Ruti Aga wants to win the title at the Tokyo Marathon

The women’s field at the Tokyo Marathon is led by Ethiopian Ruti Aga.  She has a personal best of 2:18:34 and is joined by three other female athletes who have run better than 2:20.

Aga ran her 2:18:34 PR when finishing second behind Kenya’s Gladys Cherono in Berlin last year and she’ll be joined in Tokyo by Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat (2:19:44 PR) and Ethiopians Boru Feyse Tadese (2:19:30 PR) and Yebrgual Melese (2:19:36 PR), plus world champion Rose Chelimo (2:22:51 PR) and Mimi Belete (2:22:29 PR) of Bahrain.

Kenya’s Joan Chelimo (65:04 half-marathon PR) makes her marathon debut.

Among the Japanese entries is Honami Maeda (2:23:48 PR), who was second in the Osaka Women’s Marathon last year and seventh in Berlin.

posted Wednesday January 23rd