Sheila Chepkirui at the 2025 New York City Marathon/ HANDOUT Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui, the 2024 Nagoya Women’s Marathon champion, will return to the streets of Japan on March 8 to defend her crown in the world’s largest women-only marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Road Race.
Chepkirui announced herself in Nagoya last year with a commanding 2:20:40, outkicking Japan’s Sayaka Sato (2:20:59), while Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba (2:21:35) completed the podium.
That victory cemented her reputation as one of Kenya’s most formidable long-distance runners.
The 35-year-old comes into this year’s race after a mixed but instructive 2025 season.
Following her Nagoya triumph, she returned to the track at the Kenya Defence Forces Championships, finishing seventh over 5,000m in 15:57.5, behind Joyciline Jepkosgei, Daisilah Jerono, and Esther Chemtai.
Chepkirui bounced back later in the same championships to claim a 10,000m victory in 33:34.14, narrowly ahead of Jepkosgei and Cintia Chepng’eno, showcasing her resilience and adaptability.
On the road, Chepkirui placed seventh at the Boston 10K (32:17), trailing compatriots Sharon Lokedi and Gladys Kwamboka, but quickly regained form at the Great North Run in Britain, powering to a half marathon victory in 1:09:32, just ahead of Vivian Cheruiyot and Eilish McColgan.
She closed 2025 with a third-place finish at the New York City Marathon, where Kenyan women executed a podium sweep with Hellen Obiri (2:19:51) and Sharon Lokedi (2:20:07) leading the way.
Nagoya 2026 promises a fierce field. Chepkirui will face Ethiopia’s Aynalem Desta, who arrives fresh from her Amsterdam Marathon triumph, and Bahrain’s Chumba, last year’s third-place finisher. Kenya’s charge is further strengthened by Selly Kaptich, the 2022 Frankfurt Marathon champion.
For Chepkirui, Nagoya is more than a race; it is a stage where her tactical strength and finishing kick have earned her international acclaim. With a mix of experience, endurance, and proven finishing speed, she will be aiming not just to defend her title, but also to continue Kenya’s dominance in Japanese women-only marathons.
As the race approaches, all eyes will be on whether Chepkirui can rekindle the form that propelled her to victory in 2024, negotiate a loaded field, and write another chapter in her distinguished long-distance career.
Nagoya may once again be the proving ground where she reminds the world why she is one of Kenya’s most formidable marathoners.
