The is an annual marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 road race

Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...

 for women over the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres which is held in late January in the city of Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

The event is hosted by , , , , and .

The first edition took place on January 24, 1982, and was won by Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Rita Marchisio

Rita Marchisio

Rita Marchisio is a former long-distance runner from Italy, who won the inaugural Osaka Ladies Marathon on January 24, 1982 in an Italian record time of 2:32:55 hours. More than a year later the record was broken by Laura Fogli in the New York City Marathon: 2:31:49.-Achievements:-References:...

. The 1995 marathon was cancelled due to the Great Hanshin Earthquake

Great Hanshin earthquake

The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20...

. The race takes place in the city itself and passes prominent landmarks such as Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle

is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...

. The course was altered in 2011 to allow for faster times by cutting out a number of hilly sections which were previously present on the section of the course near the Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle

is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...

. The finish line of the race is at Nagai Stadium

Nagai Stadium

is an athletic stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000.-History:...

, which was the host venue for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics

2007 World Championships in Athletics

The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...

.

The Japanese rock group The Alfee

The Alfee

The Alfee is a popular Japanese musical group composed of Masaru Sakurai , Kōnosuke Sakazaki and Toshihiko Takamizawa...

 has written a large number of the theme songs for the marathon.

Winners

Key:

Edition	Date	Winner	Country	Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... )
30th	January 30, 2011	Yukiko Akaba Yukiko Akaba is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, half marathon and marathon events.She won the silver medal in half marathon at the 1999 Summer Universiade. At the 2001 Summer Universiade she finished eighth in the 5000 metres and won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres...		2:26:29
29th	January 31, 2010	Amane Gobena Amane Gobena Amane Gobena Gemeda is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes primarily in road running events. She began her international career in cross country running and was part of the Ethiopian team which won the gold medal in the short race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships...		2:25:14
28th	January 25, 2009	Yoko Shibui Yoko Shibui is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:23:42
27th	January 27, 2008	Mara Yamauchi Mara Yamauchi Mara Rosalind Yamauchi is a British long distance track, and road running athlete. She currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe....	United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	2:25:10
26th	January 28, 2007	Yumiko Hara Yumiko Hara Yumiko Hara is a Japanese marathon runner. She has represented Japan at two World Championships in Athletics and had won marathons in Nagoya, Osaka and Hokkaido....	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:23:48
25th	January 29, 2006	Catherine Ndereba Catherine Ndereba Wincatherine Nyambura Ndereba is a Kenyan marathon runner. She has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals in the Olympics in 2004 and 2008. She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon...	Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...	2:25:05
24th	January 30, 2005	Jeļena Prokopčuka Jelena Prokopcuka Jeļena Prokopčuka is a Latvian long-distance runner, perhaps best known for winning the New York City Marathon in 2005 and 2006...	Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...	2:22:56
23rd	January 25, 2004	Naoko Sakamoto Naoko Sakamoto is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*5000 metres - 15:45.75 min *10,000 metres - 33:06.17 min *Half marathon - 1:09:27 hrs...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:25:29
22nd	January 26, 2003	Mizuki Noguchi Mizuki Noguchi is a Japanese professional long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon event. She is an Olympic champion over the distance and set two world records in 2005....	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:21:18
21st	January 27, 2002	Lornah Kiplagat Lornah Kiplagat Lornah Kiplagat is a Dutch long-distance runner. She was born in Kabiemit, Rift Valley Province, Kenya and came to the Netherlands in 1999. She gained Dutch citizenship in 2003 and has competed for the Netherlands since...	Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...	2:23:55
20th	January 28, 2001	Yoko Shibui Yoko Shibui is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:23:11
19th	January 30, 2000	Lidia Simon Lidia Simon Lidia Slavuteanu-Simon is a Romanian long-distance runner. She has represented Romania on four consecutive occasions at Olympic level and is a six-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics....	Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...	2:22:54
18th	January 31, 1999	Lidia Simon Lidia Simon Lidia Slavuteanu-Simon is a Romanian long-distance runner. She has represented Romania on four consecutive occasions at Olympic level and is a six-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics....	Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...	2:23:24
17th	January 25, 1998	Lidia Simon Lidia Simon Lidia Slavuteanu-Simon is a Romanian long-distance runner. She has represented Romania on four consecutive occasions at Olympic level and is a six-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics....	Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...	2:28:31
16th	January 26, 1997	Katrin Dörre-Heinig	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	2:25:57
15th	January 26, 1996	Katrin Dörre-Heinig	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	2:26:04
14th	January 29, 1995	Cancelled (Great Hanshin Earthquake Great Hanshin earthquake The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20... )	—	—
13th	January 30, 1994	Tomoe Abe Tomoe Abe Tomoe Abe is a retired Japanese ultramarathon and marathon runner.She won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1993 World Championships in a time of 2:31:01. Her personal best time was 2:26:09, achieved when she won the 1994 Osaka Ladies Marathon....	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:26:09
12th	January 31, 1993	Junko Asari Junko Asari is a retired Japanese marathon runner.She won the gold medal at the 1993 World Championships in a time of 2:30:03 hours. In addition she won the Tokyo International Women's Marathon in 1995 and 1998 and the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 1993. Her personal best time was 2:26:10, from January 1994 in Osaka...	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:26:26
11th	January 26, 1992	Yumi Kokamo	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...	2:26:26
10th	January 27, 1991	Katrin Dörre	Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	2:27:43
9th	January 28, 1990	Rosa Mota Rosa Mota Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota, GCIH, GCM is a Portuguese former marathon runner, one of her country's foremost athletes. She is also considered to have been one of the best marathon runners of the 20th century....	Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...	2:27:47
8th	January 29, 1989	Lorraine Moller Lorraine Moller Lorraine Mary Moller is a former athlete from New Zealand who competed in track athletics and later specialised in the marathon. Moller's international career lasted over 20 years and included three Commonwealth and four Olympic Games...	New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	2:30:21
7th	January 31, 1988	Lisa Ondieki Lisa Martin Lisa Frances Martin is a retired female long-distance runner from Australia.At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul the 28-year-old won a silver medal in marathon, only 13 seconds behind Portuguese running star Rosa Mota. Other achievements include gold medals in marathon at the 1986 and 1990...	Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	2:23:51
6th	January 25, 1987	Lorraine Moller Lorraine Moller Lorraine Mary Moller is a former athlete from New Zealand who competed in track athletics and later specialised in the marathon. Moller's international career lasted over 20 years and included three Commonwealth and four Olympic Games...	New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	2:30:40
5th	January 26, 1986	Lorraine Moller Lorraine Moller Lorraine Mary Moller is a former athlete from New Zealand who competed in track athletics and later specialised in the marathon. Moller's international career lasted over 20 years and included three Commonwealth and four Olympic Games...	New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	2:30:24
4th	January 27, 1985	Carey May Carey May Edge Carey May Edge is a former long-distance runner from Ireland, who won the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 1983 and 1985.-Achievements:-References:* *...	Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...	2:28:07
3rd	January 29, 1984	Katrin Dörre	East Germany	2:31:41
2nd	January 30, 1983	Carey May Carey May Edge Carey May Edge is a former long-distance runner from Ireland, who won the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 1983 and 1985.-Achievements:-References:* *...	Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...	2:29:23
1st	January 24, 1982	Rita Marchisio Rita Marchisio Rita Marchisio is a former long-distance runner from Italy, who won the inaugural Osaka Ladies Marathon on January 24, 1982 in an Italian record time of 2:32:55 hours. More than a year later the record was broken by Laura Fogli in the New York City Marathon: 2:31:49.-Achievements:-References:...	Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	2:32:55

External links

• Official website
• Marathon info
• Statistical overview by Ken Nakamura (2011)