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The second-fastest woman in history over the half marathon distance, Agnes Ng'etich, will be chasing another major accolade as she spearheads a formidable Kenyan contingent at the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon on October 18. Ng'etich, 25, arrives in Japan as one of the finest road runners of this generation, boasting the Kenyan national record of 1:03:04, set during her victory in Valencia in 2024. That remarkable performance ranks as the second-fastest women's half marathon ever, with only Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey having gone quicker after clocking 1:02:52 in Valencia in 2021. The world 10km road race record holder came close to improving her lifetime best on the same Valencia course last year but fell short, slicing through the tape in 1:03:08. Before turning her attention to Tokyo, Ng'etich will first line up at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 19–20. The global showpiece offers the Kenyan star the perfect opportunity to assess her form and mount another assault on the women's half marathon world record. Ng'etich heads into the two races on the back of a sensational 2026 campaign that has seen her excel across both cross country, the track and the roads. She opened her season in spectacular fashion on January 10, capturing her maiden world title at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee with a commanding run to gold in 31:28. The Kenyan ace carried that momentum into the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour on February 14, powering to victory in 32:28 ahead of Mercy Chepkemoi (33:42) and Catherine Reline (33:51). Her campaign suffered a rare setback at the New York Half Marathon, where she faded to 13th in 1:10:25, but the disappointment proved only a brief interruption. True to her champion's pedigree, Ng'etich responded emphatically at the Lille 10K, delivering a 28:58 victory before extending her dominance on June 6 with a second consecutive New York Mini 10K title in 30:07, beating Ethiopia's Tsigie Gebreselama (30:53) and compatriot Hellen Obiri (31:10). Her most recent outing came on July 10 at the Monaco Diamond League, where she made a triumphant return to the track by winning the women's 3,000m in a world-class 8:08.95. In Tokyo, however, Ng'etich will face stiff opposition from compatriot Rebecca Mwangi, the 2025 national 5,000m champion and the reigning Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon champion. Mwangi enjoyed a dream debut over the distance last year, storming to victory in 1:08:46, with Kenya's Janeth Mutungi (1:09:09) and Ethiopia's Meskerem Mamo (1:10:58) completing the podium. Further strengthening Kenya's medal ambitions are Fridah Ndinda and Tabitha Njeri.