July 21, 2025: Celebrate Independence with award-winning financial planner and avid marathoner Marguerita Cheng — who gives us a run for our money!
Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — “Running as fast as a bullet: The Nagoya Women’s Marathon” is the headline of an article published on the Charm City Run website by our dear friend and client Marguerita Cheng, CFP® Pro. In addition to being an award-winning financial planner who writes for some of the country’s top publications, the mom of 3 is also an avid runner.
In this video produced by Charm City Run (above), you’ll see Rita in her marathon-running prime. She has participated in marathons around the world — Africa and Antarctica are next!
What keeps her going when the finish line feels far away? For Rita, it’s about more than miles. It’s about movement with purpose. From back-to-back marathons in Japan to everyday training runs at home, she shares, “I run to show my two daughters what strength looks like, to inspire other women to start their journey, and to remind myself that every step counts.” She says her shoes, On Cloudsurfer Max, is her go-to for cushion, confidence, and joy in motion. Check it out!
Scroll down to read Rita’s essay, “Running as fast as a bullet.”
For financial insights and to learn how you can best plan ahead for your future, learn more at MargueritaCheng.com.
Until next Monday: May you move your body, embrace your power, and take control of your financial future! — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. Inkandescent.us
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“Running as fast as a bullet: The Nagoya Women’s Marathon”
By Marguerita Cheng, Charm City Run Race Team Member
Running is a great way to train the mind and body. It requires dedication, endurance, and goals.
A week after I ran in the Tokyo Marathon, I rode the Nozomi to run the Nagoya Women’s Marathonon March 9, 2025.
The train itself is remarkable with the capability of exceeding speeds of 300 km/h. It made me think of International Women’s Day. The purpose of International Women’s Day, March 8, was to raise awareness about discrimination and to drive gender parity. The 2025 IWD theme was “Accelerate Action” to create a more inclusive world for women.
“Worldwide, women are more educated today than at any point in history, and gender gaps between women’s and men’s academic attainments are rare in countries with high levels of educational achievement. In fact, women in some 50 countries on average have achieved a higher level of education than men have, and in others, they live longer and are healthier,” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
What better way to represent accelerate than riding on Japan’s fastest train to the marathon?
According to new research by RunnerClick, 45.7% of marathon runners are women.
What an amazing way to celebrate the Women’s movement albeit not as fast as many would like it. I rode it on my way to the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, a race for female runners over the classic distance of 42 km and 195 meters, held in Nagoya, Japan.
The Nagoya Women’s Marathon has transformed into a mass participation marathon with participants of 15,000 women in 2012.
“Starting and finishing at VANTELIN DOME NAGOYA, the route is designed to showcase the city’s landmarks. The course is also popular for being wide and mostly flat, which makes it easy for runners to set and break records. While the race still serves as a world-leading competition among elite athletes, its 7-hour-long time limit makes it beginner-friendly and easy to finish. (The completion rate of 2024:97.3%),” the marathon’s website said.
My daughters were tracking my progress and I stopped 21st mile to take a quick water break and film a k video for them to share the experience.
I’m proud to say during Nagoya, I ran 14 minutes faster than the Tokyo Marathon just one week ago. I improved my personal best time in the marathon by minutes.
It was Women’s History month, and I had the opportunity to run in the largest women’s only marathon in the world. I was able to run as fast as I could. It goes to show you to do your best and don’t let anyone decide what you are capable of.
I’m inspired to return next year with my daughters.
Click here to learn more about Charm City Run!
About Marguerita M. Cheng: Rita is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ocean Global Wealth. She has also been a spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign and a regular columnist for Investopedia & Kiplinger. Previously, she was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an analyst and editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan.
Her certifications include: CFP® professional, Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, Retirement Income Certified Professional® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) Ambassador, Marguerita helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She serves as a Women’s Initiative (WIN) Advocate and subject matter expert for CFP Board, contributing to the development of examination questions for the CFP® Certification Examination.
Rita volunteers for several organizations including: CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings, she has also served on the Financial Planning Association (FPA) National Board of Directors from 2013-2015 and is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA).
Her awards include: Ameriprise Financial Presidential Award for Quality of Advice and the prestigious Japanese Monbukagakusho Scholarship. In 2017, she was named the #3 Most Influential Financial Advisor in the Investopedia Top 100, a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews, and a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE®) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).
Click here to learn more about Blue Ocean Global Wealth and email Marguerita today!
Blue Ocean Global Wealth HQ: 9841 Washingtonian Blvd., #200, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301.502.5306 / 888.731.3117 (fax) • mcheng@blueoceanglobalwealth.com