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Kinukawa Wins Amsterdam Half Marathon

by Brett Larner

click here for photos and video of Kinukawa's win at the Amsterdam Half Marathon

5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) made a low-key return to racing last weekend after her disappointing World Championships track performances.  Unannounced to the Japanese media, Kinukawa ran Sunday's Amsterdam Half Marathon, the second half marathon of her career after debuting at July's Sapporo International Half Marathon.  In the absence of any professional-level competition Kinukawa won in a leisurely 1:17:08, surely a training run or fun run effort.  Does another half at this stage point toward a marathon debut this winter and the fact that she did it in a European race toward a test run for getting used to the kind of time difference she would face at the London Olympics?  We'll find out soon enough.

(c) 2011 Brett Larner
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