OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Ethiopia's Workenesh Edesa ran the final 15 kilometers alone and unchallenged en route to winning the Osaka Women's Marathon for the second straight year Sunday.

Edesa crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes at Yanmar Stadium Nagai, 19 seconds ahead of surprise runner-up Kana Kobayashi.

"I'm so happy that I won this race again," the 32-year-old Ethiopian said. "I'll just try to run a better time. That's my goal."

Yuka Suzuki, who placed sixth at last summer's Paris Olympics, finished third in 2:21:33.

The race doubled as a selection event for Japanese runners to September's world athletics championships in Tokyo. Kobayashi and Suzuki ran under the qualifying standard time set by athletics' international governing body of 2:23:30.

Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter was fourth in 2:24:03. Three-time champion Mizuki Matsuda was seventh in 2:27:11.

At last year's Osaka Women's Marathon, Honami Maeda finished in 2:18:59 to break Mizuki Noguchi's 19-year-old national record and finish second behind Edesa.