Skip to main content

Murayama and Tanaka Crack Top Ten at New York City Half Marathon



by Brett Larner
photos courtesy Photo Run / NYRR

Invited to race after finishing in the top two spots at last November's Ageo City Half Marathon, Kenta Murayama (Komazawa University) and Kento Otsu (Toyo University) ran the 2013 New York City Half Marathon on Mar. 17.  Up front through the slow 15:04 first 5 km, Otsu dropped back before the lead pack left Central Park while Murayama took the lead near halfway and stayed with the leaders including world-level medalists Wilson Kipsang (Kenya), Bernard Lagat (U.S.A.) and Dathan Ritzenhein (U.S.A.) through 15 km.  "I looked around at 15 km and couldn't believe some of the people I was still there with," Murayama told JRN post-race.

Falling behind with Kipsang's move at 15 km, he still managed to get into the top ten with a time of 1:02:02, exactly one minute off winner Kipsang and beating his hero Lagat by nearly 30 seconds.  Otsu, who suffered injury setbacks following January's Hakone Ekiden, ran 1:04:03 for 19th, slower than his 1:03:14 at last year's New York Half but improving on his 25th-place finish.  "Central Park is hard," he told JRN.  2012 National Corporate Half Marathon winner Tomomi Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) ran 1:10:31 for 8th in the women's race, almost 45 seconds off her best.

2013 New York City Half Marathon
New York, 3/17/13
click here for complete results

Men
1. Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) - 1:01:02
2. Daniele Meucci (Italy) - 1:01:06 - PB
3. Dathan Ritzenhein (U.S.A.) - 1:01:10
4. Leonard Korir (Kenya) - 1:01:19 - debut
5. Juan Luis Barrios (Mexico) - 1:01:21 - PB
6. Sam Chelanga (Kenya) - 1:01:26
7. Stephen Sambu (Kenya) - 1:01:34 - PB
8. Julius Arile (Kenya) - 1:01:38
9. Jason Hartmann (U.S.A.) - 1:01:51 - PB
10. Kenta Murayama (Japan/Komazawa Univ.) - 1:02:02
-----
12. Bernard Lagat (U.S.A.) - 1:02:33 - debut
19. Kento Otsu (Japan/Toyo Univ.) - 1:04:03

Women
1. Caroline Rotich (Kenya) - 1:09:09
2. Diane Nukuri-Johnson (Burundi) - 1:09:12 - NR
3. Lisa Stublic (Croatia) - 1:09:18 - NR
4. Sabrina Mockenhaupt (Germany) - 1:09:42
5. Lyudmila Kovalenko (Ukraine) - 1:09:43 - NR
6. Madai Perez (Mexico) - 1:10:27
7. Yolanda Caballero (Colombia) - 1:10:30 - NR
8. Tomomi Tanaka (Japan/Team Daiichi Seimei) - 1:10:31
9. Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce (U.S.A.) - 1:10:53 - PB
10. Sara Moreira (Portugal) - 1:11:03
-----
DNF - Kim Smith (New Zealand)

(c) 2013 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

 photos (c) 2013 Photo Run/NYRR
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