Edesa wins Osaka Women’s Marathon as Maeda breaks 19-year-old Japan record

Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa won the Osaka Women’s Marathon and second-place finisher Honami Maeda took a giant step toward earning an Olympic spot by breaking Japan’s 19-year-old national record Sunday.

Maeda clocked 2 hours, 18 minutes, 59 seconds, to finish eight seconds behind Edesa, in the first of the two “Final Challenge” races for Japan’s third and last spot in the women’s marathon at this summer’s Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old from Hyogo Prefecture will qualify for her second consecutive Olympics unless someone beats her time at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on March 10.