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Kasumigaura Marathon Sees Record 27,353 Entrants; Kawauchi to Pace Younger Brother

http://mainichi.jp/area/ibaraki/news/20120323ddlk08050128000c.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Cancelled last year in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami disasters, the organizers of the 22nd Kasumigaura Marathon announced on Mar. 22 that a record 27,353 people have entered this year's race, scheduled for April 15.  The number makes it the third-largest marathon in Japan after the Tokyo Marathon and Osaka Marathon.

2011 World Championships marathoner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) will appear as an invited athlete, pacing his younger brother Koki Kawauchi (Takasaki Keizai Univ.) through his marathon debut.  Past Olympic marathon greats Yuko Arimori, Kenji Kimihara, Akio Usami and Takeyuki Nakayama will run as guide runners in the International Blind Marathon Championships division.

Translator's note: Kasumigaura also features a competitive 10-miler, which Kawauchi won in 2010.  The race course was damaged in last year's disasters.
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