Women Runners Bridging Mexico And Japan - Nagoya Women’s Marathon Marks 15th Anniversary With Rarámuri Guest Runner

• The world’s largest women’s marathon takes place on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
• A Rarámuri runner featured in the international bestseller Born to Run to join 20,000 women at the start line.
• A special EXPO exhibition will showcase Mexico’s long-standing running traditions.
• Under the event slogan “GO WOMEN,” the marathon celebrates cultural connection and the limitless potential of women through running.

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon, the Guinness World Records-recognized world’s largest women’s marathon and a World Athletics Platinum Label event, will celebrate its 15th edition on Sunday, March 8, 2026.

To mark this milestone, the race will welcome Juana Ramírez Hernández, a runner from Mexico’s Indigenous Rarámuri (Tarahumara) community, widely introduced to global audiences through Christopher McDougall’s international bestseller Born to Run. She will take to the start line alongside 20,000 women runners.

Juana is an ultramarathon athlete from the Rarámuri community, renowned for its tradition of running long distances across rugged mountainous terrain. Together with her two older sisters, she represents the next generation of Indigenous runners, carrying forward ancient running traditions while adapting them to modern ultramarathons and trail running. Through her athletic pursuits, she serves as a bridge between Rarámuri culture and contemporary sport.

Following her victory in the Indigenous Division of the 2025 Ciudad Juárez International Marathon, she has been invited to make her Nagoya debut. She also serves as an ambassador for the government-supported “México Imparable” (meaning “Unstoppable Mexico”) initiative and competes in traditional Rarámuri running attire, including huaraches (running sandals) and skirts, proudly honoring her community’s identity.

From Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, the special exhibition “México, Tierra de Campeones” (“Mexico, Land of Champions”) will be presented at the Marathon EXPO, showcasing traditional attire from Chihuahua, the homeland of the Rarámuri, as well as Oaxaca and Chiapas. Through displays of iconic huaraches and vibrant garments, the exhibition will introduce visitors to Mexico’s enduring running heritage.

Since its inception, the Nagoya Women’s Marathon has supported and celebrated women runners around the world under its slogan, “GO WOMEN.” While it brings together the world’s top female elite athletes in competition, it also serves as a unique stage where women of all backgrounds—across nations, cultures, and levels of experience—stand on the same start line.

At this landmark 15th edition, through Juana’s participation and the special cultural exhibition, the marathon will demonstrate the power of running to connect people and cultures, sending a global message about the limitless potential of women from diverse backgrounds.

About the Nagoya Women's Marathon: 

The Nagoya Women's Marathon is the largest women's marathon in the world, certified by Guinness World Records with 21,915 participants in 2018, held annually in March in Nagoya City, Japan. It was launched on March 11, 2012, with 13,114 participants, reformed from the Nagoya International Women's Marathon, the elite-only women's race known as the qualifying trial that had sent off many Japanese star athletes to the international competitions, including two Olympic gold medalists Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi. It holds the World Athletics Platinum Label status and has now grown to an event of 20,000 participants. For playing a significant role in the increase of the women runner population in Japan, the race was awarded the International Olympic Committee Women and Sport Achievement Diploma in 2019, after receiving the Japan Olympic Committee Women and Sport Award in 2017.
 

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