Athletics: Edesa wins Osaka Women's Marathon, Maeda sets 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, 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.Maeda's time eclipsed the…READ FULL ARTICLE