Yukiko Akaba

[2] She also ran at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, but failed to make an impact in either the individual race or with the Japanese team.

She soon returned to form, however, clocking a time of 1:11:09 for second place at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon in March behind Kenyan Obare Doricah.

[4] She won her first race at the 2011 Osaka Marathon, although she did not achieve the time standard to make the Japanese World Championships team.

Akaba was eighth at the 2012 Nagoya Marathon,[7] but was chosen as the substitute for the Olympic team due to her World Championship performance.

[9] Giving her fastest run since 2009, she won the 2013 All-Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships with a time of 68:59 minutes.