Skip to main content

Daniel Njenga Returns to Hokkaido Marathon (updated)

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20100806-OHT1T00315.htm
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/sports/245211.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On Aug. 6 the organizing committee of the 2010 Hokkaido Marathon, scheduled for Aug. 29 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, released the names of this year's invited athletes. Defending men's champion Daniel Njenga (Team Yakult) returns to face 2008 winner Masaru Takamizawa (Saku Chosei H.S. AC). The pair will be challenged by this year's Sapporo International Half Marathon winner Silas Njui (Team Hitachi Cable) in his marathon debut, and former Hakone Ekiden star Mekubo Mogusu (Team Aidem) who dropped out of his marathon debut at last December's Fukuoka International Marathon.

The women's race features 2008 winner Yukari Sahaku (Team Universal Ent.) along with teammates Mizuho Nasukawa, the 2009 Tokyo Marathon winner, and Yumiko Hara, the 2007 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner. The Hokkaido Marathon is the first women's domestic qualifying race for next summer's World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Any Japanese woman winning the race will earn consideration for one of the five places on the national team.

8861 runners, 7459 men and 1402 women, are entered for this year's race, beating last year's record entries by over 500. The race will follow the new course introduced last year and will begin at 12:10 p.m on the east side of Nakajima Park. The Hokkaido Marathon will be broadcast live nationwide including live English-language commentary via Twitter on JRNLive. Check back for further details.

2010 Hokkaido Marathon Elite Field
click here for more detailed profiles
Men
Daniel Njenga (Kenya/Team Yakult) - 2:06:16 (Chicago '02)
Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:11:47 (Tokyo '08)
Masaru Takamizawa (Saku Chosei H.S. AC) - 2:12:10 (Hokkaido '08)
Masaki Shimoju (Team Konica Minolta) - 2:12:18 (Nobeoka '10)
Takaaki Koda (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:13:04 (Tokyo '10)
Chiharu Takada (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:14:34 (Hokkaido '09)
Mekubo Mogusu (Kenya/Team Aidem) - 59:48 (Marugame Half '07)
Silas Njui (Kenya/Team Hitachi Cable) - 1:01:03 (Sapporo Half '09)
Joseph Gitau (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) - 1:01:19 (Sapporo Half '08)

Women
Yumiko Hara (Team Universal Ent.) - 2:23:48 (Osaka '07)
Mizuho Nasukawa (Team Universal Ent.) - 2:25:38 (Tokyo '09)
Yukari Sahaku (Team Universal Ent.) - 2:28:55 (Tokyo '09)
Chihiro Tanaka (AthleC RC) - 2:29:30 (Nagoya '02)
Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 2:32:20 (Yokohama '09)
Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 2:33:36 (Nagoya '10)
Satoko Uetani (Kobe Gakuin Univ. AC) - 2:33:55 (Hokkaido '09)
Nami Tani (Team Universal Ent.) - 2:33:59 (Hokkaido '09)
Misuzu Okamoto (Team Hokkoku Bank) - 2:34:12 (Hokkaido '09)
Chinami Fukaminato (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:34:16 (Hokkaido '09)
Sumiko Suzuki (Team Hokuren) - 2:35:51 (Nagoya '09)
Labels:

Comments

Brett Larner said…
I hear you. Paging Dennis/Kevin...There is a spider that shows up in our apartment from time to time that we named Dennis in honor of Hara's biggest fan.

Anyway, as far as I know this will be Hara's debut with her new team/coach. Very curious to see how she goes. I have to admit, though, that I'm a little disappointed Mogusu is running Hokkaido rather than going overseas somewhere this fall. One more step down Mokamba road?
August 10, 2010 at 12:53 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk
Post a Comment
Read more

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

  According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyo Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,
Post a Comment
Read more

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam
1 comment
Read more