Skip to main content

Higuchi and Kipgenon Score Victories at Shibetsu Half Marathon

http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/sports/106230.html

translated by Brett Larner

At the Rikuren-certified 22nd Shibetsu Half Marathon on July 20th, Kenyan Kibet Kipgenon (Daiichi Kogyo Univ.) won the men`s race in a time of 1:04:29, while Noriko Higuchi (Team Wacoal) ran 1:13:52 to record her first win. Kipgenon broke from the pack at the 15 km point with a long spurt, while Higuchi came from the rear of the lead pack to win.

Kipgenon commented after the race, "That was close to my race plan, and I set a new PB so I am quite happy." Noguchi, training in Shibetsu at a Kansai Jitsugyodan training camp, said of her race, "I followed my coach`s plan to 'stick to the lead pack like blood.' Winning here is going to help me run better in the ekiden season this fall."

A total of 1415 men and women entered the half marathon, 10 km, 5 km and 2 km races, with 660 in the half marathon alone. 1377 finished the race, including 629 in the half marathon.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Hassan Runs NR/CR for Osaka Win, Dibaba Hits Women's CR, Yoshida and Shuley Earn Legends

This was maybe the most entertaining marathon in years. After rocking the 2nd leg at last year's Hakone Ekiden Hibiki Yoshida (Sunbelx) ran an incredible 1:01:01 CR for the 21.9 km New Year Ekiden 2nd leg last month, equivalent to a 58:47 half marathon. That predicted a 2:03:27 marathon if he ever ran one, and when Yoshida announced he was debuting at this year's Osaka Marathon he wasted no time in saying it'd be a shot at the 2:04:55 NR. Things went out fast enough with a 14:50 split through 5 km, 2:05:11 pace, but Yoshida just couldn't hold back and took off at 8 km. He clearly DGAF about what was probably going to happen as his projected finish kept getting faster, 2:04:41, 2:04:15, 2:03:51, 2:03:40, edging closer and closer to what his New Year time predicted, but not helped along by the fact that he missed 4 out of his first 5 drink bottles. People laughed, and then cheered him on. 30 km was the first time he slowed, his finish projection dropping to 2:03:53, an...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...