Sanyo Women's Half Marathon

[1] The day's events previously included an inter-prefectural competition (1985 to 1999) and a junior 3 km race in the 1990s.

[5] Japanese entrants in both events are mostly collegiate athletes or members of corporate running teams.

The 10K is referred to as the Kinue Hitomi Cup in respect of the Okayama-born athlete who won Japan's first ever women's Olympic medal.

There were several Chinese winners in the 1990s and since 2000 Kenyan women based in Japan have increasingly reached the top of the podium.

Kenyans Chepyego and Evelyn Kimwei and Japan's Mizuki Noguchi (the 2004 Olympic marathon champion) are the only other women to win the race twice.