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Fujita 7th, Tamura 9th at Boston Marathon

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201204/2012041700066&g=spo
http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201204/2012041700070&g=spo

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Mayumi Fujita (Team Juhachi Ginko) finished 7th at the 2012 Boston Marathon, giving herself a modest assessment as she said, "The conditions were really bad, so more than being a measurement of my own ability I was just lucky to finish."  Due to the heat at this year's Boston the race got off at a very slow pace.  Fujita opted to handle the situation by running steadily in hopes that, "by waiting and hanging on it would be first-come-first-serve at the finish."  Letting the pack go when the pace accelerated, in the later stages of the race she picked off other athletes one by one as she advanced through the field, ultimately finishing as the first non-African.  Looking to the future she said, "I'd like to become more competitive.  I think I can get to the 2:26-2:27 level."

Making his marathon debut, Hideaki Tamura (Team JR Higashi Nihon) was 9th after bravely running in the front pack in his marathon debut.  In conditions that were "a lot hotter than I expected," Tamura ran most of the race in the lead pack.  Even after falling of the pack in the second half he continued to run strongly.  "I told myself to keep hanging on, and I think I ran a pretty honest race," he said afterward.

The 23-year-old Tamura ran the Hakone Ekiden as a student at Tokyo Nogyo University, entering Team JR Higashi Nihon last year.  He won February's Ome 30 km, leading to his marathon debut in Boston.  Of his future plans he said, "My goal is the Olympics."
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TokyoRacer said…
Two other Japanese came in 17th and 18th — Shinozaki in abt. 2:26 and Hayasaka in abt. 2:27.
They were not far behind Gebremariam, who ran 2:23.
However, they were beaten by two 40-year-olds in 15th and 16th.
April 17, 2012 at 6:59 PM
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