Hitomi Niiya

JPNWomen

Hitomi Niiya (新谷 仁美, Niiya Hitomi; born 26 February 1988) is a Japanese professional long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country running and marathon races. Niiya competed for Japan at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is a two-time silver medallist at the Asian Athletics Championships and has represented Japan three times at the World Athletics Championships (2011, 2013, 2019).

She represents Team Toyota Industries in national competition. She formed part of the Japanese junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships from 2004 to 2006, helping them to team medals each time. She also won a bronze medal over 5000 metres at the 2005 World Youth Championships.

Niiya won the 2007 Tokyo Marathon at the age of eighteen in her debut over the marathon distance. Her best for the event is 2:30:58 hours. She has also had success in ekiden relay running, having represented Japan at the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden and helped Toyota Industries to their first team title domestically. She is the Japanese record holder in the half marathon (1:06:38) set during a win at the Houston Half Marathon.