The Nagoya Marathon is the largest women only marathon in the world and attracts a strong elite field, particularly as this year it served as the:
– Japan National Team Selection Race for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026
– Japan National Team Selection Race for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
If you are wondering why there is a need for a women’s only marathon, then look no further than the Tokyo Marathon race statistics where women participants are regularly only around 25%.
In a marathon world often dominated by major European and American cities, Nagoya offers something different: a stadium filled with marathon-running women, thousands of female striding feet echoing through the streets, and a tradition that continues to grow. I first heard about this race after I ran the Tokyo Marathon in 2025, from a Japanese runner living in the UK who ran the inaugural race in Nagoya in 1982. Originally, the race was for elite runners only with around 1,500 runners. In 2012 the race was opened up to mass participation so by this year there were over 17,000 runners.
There are various entry methods for elite runners and those aspiring for team selection but there were also 3,500 bibs available for overseas runners on a first come first served basis. I have entered most of the Abbott World Marathon Majors through Good for Age qualifying times, so applying early was important to access those oversea runners’ bibs. Two weeks after registration opened, by sheer luck I got a place in the Tokyo Marathon again, this time through the One Tokyo Global Club. So, I immediately signed up for Nagoya as it happened to be one week later. Great! A fabulous opportunity for my 4th back-to-back marathons!
The 2026 Marathon fell on International Women’s Day, Sunday 8th March. So, what better way to celebrate the occasion than running with over 17,000 like-minded women, including some that I met the day before at Meijo Park parkrun and others just on race morning outside the Vantelin Dome Stadium, waiting for the start.
I woke up to a very crisp morning of 3 degrees which, with a biting wind, had a feel like factor of minus 2. But I had plenty of discard clothes, including old pyjamas and jacket, to keep me warm until the race started. Compared to the Tokyo Marathon the previous Sunday, where the temperature was around 20 degrees but felt like 24, it turned out to be perfect weather on race day. Except for some strong headwinds to battle for a few miles, the temperature was about 10 degrees cooler than Tokyo and the course had plenty of shade from high rise buildings on what was another very sunny race day.
The Nagoya Marathon started at 9:10 am under clear skies but tricky conditions. Temperatures hovered around 6°C, with a persistent north wind and gusts capable of disrupting even the most carefully planned pacing strategies. Just like Tokyo, the race had 9 time cut offs where, if you weren’t at the check point on time, you were swept up and your race was over. Also, like Tokyo, there were various culinary delights on offer at aid stations, but this time I only sampled a few things because my race went well and wasn’t scuppered by the heat.
Volunteers along the route wore different colour coded jackets, depending on their support role – handing out drinks / food at aid stations, providing medical assistance, sweeping cups from the road, holding out bags so we could deposit gel wrappers etc. Whatever colour their jacket, all had GO WOMEN emblazoned on the back. Other noticeable supporters along the way were men dressed in black tuxedoes and wearing white gloves and trainers. You might well ask “why” but I already knew the reason – very apparent at the finish!
Between 10 km and 20 km, the marathon turned into a battle of endurance, with strong headwinds slowing my pace and rhythm. I had no expectations for this marathon; the goal was to beat my Tokyo time, if at all possible, and to just enjoy the experience of running with like-minded women and take in the atmosphere. What a difference the weather can make to performance!
This was one of the most joyful marathon races that I have run, particularly as it was for women only, and it turned out to be a fantastic way to celebrate Women’s International Day. There were several course switchbacks and that meant on a few occasions we spotted the leading elite runners. Our loud cheers must have been felt, as well as heard, by those fast women!
There was also a City Marathon that day – actually only a HALF MARATHON – that started at 10:20 am and included men, as well as a 10 km race. As I was lucky enough to be quite high up in corral D, so my race started before 9:15 am. I’m very happy to report that no half marathon men runners overtook me and I continued past the point in the course where the half marathon peeled off to head to their finish line in a different part of the city.
Our race actually finished in the Vantelin Dome Stadium, where family and friends all had grandstand seats where they could cheer us home. As we approached the stadium, my tired legs suddenly lifted and I had a huge grin on my face as ABBA’s Dancing Queen blared out from large speakers around the Dome.
So, there was no finisher medal after crossing the final timing mat but something more unique! A Baccarat crystal tumbler presented by men in black tuxedos and white gloves. That was an amazing moment and one that made us all smile. We were also given a bag, again with GO WOMEN printed on it, so that we could carry away our other goodies that included a specially designed umbrella, a finisher T-shirt, a towel, drink and some culinary delights.
My time, in position 4272 / 17,101 was 4:23:07 and was 20 minutes faster than in the Tokyo Marathon the previous Sunday, so I was ecstatic.
– Sonia Karamat