Honami Maeda

Honami Maeda is a Japanese long-distance runner born on July 17, 1996, in Hyogo Prefecture. She specializes in road racing events and holds the Japanese national records in both the 30 km (1:38:35) and the marathon (2:18:59).

Maeda won her first marathon at the 2017 Hokkaido Marathon with a time of 2:28:48, then placed second at the 2018 Osaka International Women's Marathon. She captured the prestigious 2019 Marathon Grand Championship in Japan to earn Olympic selection, and represented Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics but was forced to withdraw the day before the race due to a stress fracture in her right femur.

As Japan's national record holder in the marathon, Maeda stands as one of the fastest Japanese female marathoners in history. Despite setbacks from injury, her achievements have elevated Japanese women's marathon running and inspired future generations of distance runners in her country.