Loice Chemnung/ FILE
National 10,000m champion Loice Chemnung believes her pacing role at the Osaka Women’s Marathon on January 25 will be pivotal in shaping a dominant 2026 season on the roads.
Chemnung will be back to pacing duties in Osaka for the second time, having played the same role at last year’s edition of the prestigious race.
The 2025 race saw Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa storm to victory in 2:21:00, ahead of the Japanese duo of Kana Kobayashi (2:21:19) and Yuka Suzuki (2:21:33).
Chemnung reckons the Osaka assignment will set the tone for her year ahead.
“We are starting 2026 the same way we ended last year. There are only three weeks to go before we toe the line at the Osaka Women’s Marathon,” Chemnung shared.
She will be part of a formidable pacing lineup that features compatriot Margaret Akidor, Ethiopia’s Bekelech Gudeta and Japan’s Omori Natsuki, underlining the quality and depth of the field.
The elite cast of invited athletes includes defending champion Edesa, who headlines a tough duel against Uganda’s Stella Chesang.
Also in the mix are Ethiopian Bedatu Hirpa alongside a strong Japanese contingent featuring Matsuda Mizuki, Mao Uesugi, Mizuki Nishimura and Suzuki Chiharu.
Chemnung’s 2025 was nothing short of dominant.
On March 23, she took to the roads at the Malaga Half Marathon, where she successfully defended her title from 2024, stopping the clock in an impressive 1:05:46.
Compatriot Miriam Chebet (1:07:01) and Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek (1:08:00) rounded off the podium.
She then shifted gears from the roads to the track, lining up at the national championships where she powered to the 10,000m title in 31:39.09, finishing ahead of Cintia Chepng’eno (32:22.44) and Rebecca Mwangi (32:22.85).
On October 12, Chemnung capped her season with her marathon debut in Chicago, narrowly missing the podium after finishing fourth in 2:18:24.
Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa (2:14:57) and Megertu Alemu (2:17:18) claimed first and second place, respectively, while Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (2:18:03) settled for third.
AloJapan.com