Skip to main content

Shimahara and Yoshida Top Honolulu Marathon

by Brett Larner

Kiyoko Shimahara wins the 2008 Honolulu Marathon

Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC), who finished 3rd in October's Chicago Marathon behind defending Honolulu Marathon champion Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia), came back to score her first marathon victory since her debut in the 2003 Katsuta Marathon, running 2:32:36 to defeat Biktimirova in the 2008 Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 14.

Running in conditions of heavy rain, Shimahara, an athlete with a proven track record in hot races, took the lead just past 34 km and never relented. Her teammate Kaori Yoshida, winner of October's Casablanca Marathon, ran as pacemaker but hung on for 2nd place in 2:34:35. Japanese runners also took 7th through 10th in the women's division and 7th and 9th in the men's division.

Two-time Olympian and three-time World Championships national team member Megumi Oshima ran as an independent after having recently quit her position with Team Shimamura, finishing 8th in 2:57:44. Two-time defending Mt. Fuji Mountain Race champion Yuri Kambara was 14th in 3:10:22. Former Tokyo International Women's Marathon winner Mari Tanigawa jogged the race in 4:24:37 after having skipped the final edition of Tokyo last month.

Complete results for the 2008 Honolulu Marathon are available here.

2008 Honolulu Marathon - Top Finishers
Women
1. Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC) - 2:32:36
2. Kaori Yoshida (Second Wind AC) - 2:34:35
3. Alice Timbilili (Kenya) - 2:37:31
4. Olesya Nurgalieva (Russia) - 2:39:13
5. Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia) - 2:45:06
6. Elena Nurgalieva (Russia) - 2:48:15
7. Sayaka Maeda (Japan) - 2:54:55
8. Megumi Oshima (Japan) - 2:57:44
9. Yumiko Daigo (Japan) - 3:01:03
10. Takako Oi (Japan) - 3:04:00

Men
1. Patrick Ivuti (Kenya) - 2:14:35
2. Stephen Njoroge (Kenya) - 2:17:41
3. Pius Muasa Mutuku (Kenya) - 2:17:51
4. Joseph Mutiso (Kenya) - 2:19:35
5. Jimmy Muindi (Kenya) - 2:21:43
6. Andrew Letherby (Australia) - 2:25:32
7. Koichi Fujino (Japan) - 2:27:56
8. Samuel Mwangi (Kenya) - 2:28:09
9. Shuichi Ito (Japan) - 2:29:55
10. Nailu Nigussie (Ethiopia) - 2:30:32

(c) 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Anonymous said…
oh my goodness megumi oshima sucks! She used to be so good. She ran 2:24 and finish second to reiko tosa in the 2004 nagoya marathon. This is probably the end of her career.

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

Mashiko Breaks U20 5000 m NR - Weekend Track Roundup

Saturday's Kanakuri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto was the weekend's main event in Japanese track, but there were good results at the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama too. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) led the men's 5000 m A-heat at Kanakuri in 13:14.06, with Tomonori Yamaguchi (SGH) clocking the fastest Japanese time in 13:16.38 in his first race as a corporate leaguer. Waseda University duo Rui Suzuki and Yota Mashiko went 6-7 in 13:20.64 and 13:22.87, the 18-year-old Mashiko shaving 0.04 off the U20 NR. In 8th, Yamato Yoshii (Toyota) ran a PB of 13:23.92. 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) continued to struggle after a weak indoor season, finishing 18th of 20 finishers in 13:45.10. 19-year-old Festus Kimorwo (Kurosaki Harima) was under 13:20 in the B-heat too, winning in a 13:19.59 PB. 2 more collegiate men broke 13:30, Daichi Fujita (Chuo Univ.) 8th in 13:28.93 and Riki Koike (Soka Univ.) 9th in 13:29.09. The top 6 in the men's 800 m A-hea...