Rose Chelimo Claims Podium at Osaka Women’s Marathon
Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo claimed third place at the 2026 Osaka Women’s Marathon yesterday, finishing in 2:22:52 and reinforcing her status among the world’s elite distance runners. The 36-year-old former world champion and Asian Games winner added another podium finish to her decorated career, which includes World Championships gold and silver and a top-eight Olympic finish.
The race, featuring over 34,000 runners, served as part of the Marathon Grand Championship Series and as a qualifying trial for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba won in 2:21:44, with Kenya’s Esther Chemtai second in 2:22:04, just 20 seconds ahead of Chelimo.
Starting at 9:15am near the Osaka Prefectural Government Building, the mostly flat course passed Midosuji Boulevard, Namba, Dotonbori, and Osaka Castle Park, with a challenging elevation after 30km. Chelimo ran with the leaders through the middle stages and produced a decisive finish inside the castle grounds, securing Bahrain a podium spot in a tightly contested race that remained competitive until the closing kilometres.
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