Skip to main content

Ishida Wins 50th Anniversary Nobeoka Marathon Just Off CR

by Brett Larner

Tokai University graduate Kazuya Ishida (Team Nishitetsu) won the 50th running of the Nobeoka Nishi Nihon Marathon in outstanding style, taking more than 30 minutes off his PB to set the second-fastest winning time in Nobeoka history, 2:11:57, over a close-knit pack of four that stayed together until late in the race.  The lead pack went out on track for a 2:10 CR, with the numbers up front remaining substantial until after 25 km.  By 30 km the lead pack was down to Ishida, 2:10 runner Kazuki Ikenaga (Team Konica Minolta), Kota Noguchi (Team Toyota) and first-timer Koji Kobayashi (Team Subaru).  The lead changed hands frequently, but by 40 km Ishida was on his own, keeping things on track well enough to dip under 2:12.

Ikenaga outlasted the less-experienced Noguchi and Kobayashi to take 2nd in 2:12:09, another excellent time for Nobeoka, with Noguchi reaching his goal of a sub-2:13 PB and Kobayashi also managing to stay sub-2:13 for a good debut.  Despite its position as a developmental race, all told the results in Nobeoka were on a par with those at last week's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, with one man running 2:11 and three 2:12 versus Beppu-Oita's two Japanese men in 2:11 and two in 2:12.  Prior to today only two men had ever run 2:11 in Nobeoka and only six had run 2:12.

2012 Nobeoka Nishi Nihon Marathon
50th running, Noboeoka, Miyazaki, 2/12/12
click here for complete results and splits

1. Kazuya Ishida (Team Nishitetsu) - 2:11:57 - PB
2. Kazuki Ikenaga (Team Konica Minolta) - 2:12:09
3. Kota Noguchi (Team Toyota) - 2:12:28 - PB
4. Koji Kobayashi (Team Subaru) - 2:12:52 - debut
5. Naoki Inoue (Team Komori Corp.) - 2:15:38 - debut
6. Yoshito Nagaiwa (Team Kanebo) - 2:15:52 - debut
7. Jun Matsumoto (Team Aichi Seiko) - 2:16:35 - PB
8. Tomoya Yamaguchi (Team Kanebo) - 2:16:50 - debut
9. Kenichi Kita (Team Kyudenko) - 2:17:25
10. Takashi Toyoda (Team Honda) - 2:17:42 - PB

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

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...
3 comments
Read more

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shikama and Njeri Win Sendai International Half Marathon

Shunsuke Shikama (Logisteed) and Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) won the Sendai International Half Marathon Sunday in Sendai, Shikama in 1:01:31 and Njeri in 1:09:20. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) was the top Japanese woman at 2nd overall. The men's race went through 5 km in 14:34 and 10 km in 29:22. Shikama ran alongside top competition including Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.), who has been running well in half marathons this season, and Tokyo World Championships marathon team member Naoki Koyama (Honda). On a course with many small ups and downs, Shikama attacked on a downhill just after 15 km, quickly breaking free of the lead group of 7. 13 seconds up by 20 km, Shikama covered the last 1.0975 km in 3:06 to seal his first Sendai title. A graduate of Juntendo University , Shikama is in his 4th season with Logisteed. At the 2024 National Corporate Half Marathon he ran 1:00:41, and at last year's East Japan Corporate Ekiden he won the Third Stage. In his marathon d...
Post a Comment
Read more