Ethiopian long-distance runner Haven Hailu Desse won the women’s Osaka Marathon

Ethiopian long-distance runner Haven Hailu Desse won the women’s Osaka Marathon in Japan. The 24-year-old athlete won with a time of 2:21:13 hours. Her compatriot Sisay Meseret Gola took the second position in Japan with 2:22:12 hours, while third and the fastest of the hosts was Yuka Ando with 2:22:59 hours.

Haven Hailu Desse’s victory marks the second time in the last eight editions that a non-Japanese competitor has finished first.

“I’m so happy that I won the race”, said Haven Hailu Desse. “I’ll try to win and renew my personal best time in the upcoming marathons”, added she.

Haven Hailu Desse is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who has a personal best of 2:20:19 hours in the marathon, achieved in Amsterdam (Netherlands) in October 2021. She is the winner at the NN Marathon Rotterdam in 2022, as well as the third at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in 2020 and second at the Scania Zwolse Halve Marathon in 2019.