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Japan's Yoshimi Ozaki took her first career title at the Tokyo International Women's Marathon as Briton Mara Yamauchi came in third.

Ozaki, 27, overtook favourite Yoko Shibui at the 38.5km point to win in two hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds, almost a minute ahead of fellow Japanese Yuri Kano who came in second with 2:24:27.

Yamauchi (pictured) finished in 2:25:03 while Shibui, the 2004 Berlin Marathon champion, finished fourth in 2:25:51.

Ozaki said the crowd had helped her surge from behind to take over the race.

"There were so many spectators who were cheering me," she said. "That really helped."

Shibui set the pace from the start in a front group with Ozaki, Kano and Kenya's Magdaline Chemjor.

Shibui and Chemjor left Ozaki and Kano behind after the 9km point, and then the Japanese turned it up a gear to take sole lead.

Shibui was more than 100 metres ahead of the pack at one point but could not hold off Ozaki.

It was the last running of the Tokyo race. Elite women runners are being added to the field of the separate Tokyo Marathon instead.

AFP