Miho Nakata JPN

Miho Nakata, representing Japan, has made significant strides in ultrarunning since 2015 when she first began competing in 100 km races. Over the years, she has consistently improved her performance, culminating in a breakthrough in 2019 when she achieved her personal best of 7:47:34, completing the distance in under 8 hours twice and securing victories in five separate races.

In 2022, Nakata made her debut at the IAU Championships, participating in the IAU 100 km World Championships in Berlin. Her exceptional performance placed her 6th globally, finishing with an impressive time of 7:19:12, making her the top performer in her team. Additionally, she secured a bronze medal in the women's team competition.

The pinnacle of Nakata's career arrived in 2023, marked by her participation in the 2023 IAU 100 km Asia and Oceania Championships in India and the 2023 IAU 24H World Championships in Taipei. In both events, she claimed the gold medal and contributed to her team's success by securing team gold in the 100 km event and team silver in the 24H event. Notably, during the 24H Championships, Nakata set a new IAU 24H World Record, covering a remarkable distance of 270.363 km (pending ratification).

Miho is winner of 2023 IAU Athlete of the Year Award.

An interview with Miho Nakata