Skip to main content

Seoul International Marathon - Japanese Results

by Brett Larner

Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) returned to the race where he set his 2:08:14 PB two years ago, running the Dong-A Seoul International Marathon in South Korea on Mar. 15.  As Kenyan Wilson Loyanae Erupe, returning from a two-year ban for EPO, led an all-African lead pack to a 2:06:11 win, Kawauchi, working his way back from injuries originating with a sprained ankle in December, ran in the second pack with South Korea's Yu Seung Yeup and Sim Joung Seu on mid-2:12 pace.  After a slower split from 30 to 35 km Yeup dropped a surge that neither Seu nor Kawauchi could follow, running alone over the last 5 km to take 14th in 2:13:10.  Seu and Kawauchi stayed together through 40 km before Seu kicked for 15th in 2:13:28, Kawauchi coming through 5 seconds back in 2:13:33 in the fastest time he has run so far this year.

In the women's race Ethiopian Guteni Shone Imana pulled away from the lead pack near halfway, soloing the second half to win in 2:26:22.  Starting more conservatively, local Kim Seong Eun and China's Xueqin Wang ran down the pack after 30 km to take 2nd and 3rd in 2:28:20 and 2:28:39.  Japan's Megumi Amako (Canon AC Kyushu) likewise started easy and advanced late in the race to take 6th in 2:34:28.  Kaori Yoshida, returning from her own EPO ban, started in the same pack as Eun and Wang but slowed dramatically to 12th in 2:37:37.

Dong-A Seoul International Marathon
Seoul, South Korea, 3/15/15
click here for complete results

Men
1. Wilson Loyanae Erupe (Kenya) - 2:06:11
2. Felix Kipchirchir Kiprotich (Kenya) - 2:06:59
3. Jacob Kibet (Kenya) - 2:07:47
4. Dadi Yami Gemeda (Ethiopia) - 2:08:05
5. Abreham Cherkos (Ethiopia) - 2:08:14
6. Yakob Jarso (Ethiopia) - 2:09:38
7. Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) - 2:10:11
8. Sammy Kigen (Kenya) - 2:10:36
9. Berhanu Shiferaw (Ethiopia) - 2:11:01
10. Tadesse Abraham (Switzerland) - 2:11:37
-----
16. Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 2:13:33

Women
1. Guteni Shone Imana (Ethiopia) - 2:26:22
2. Kim Seong Eun (South Korea) - 2:28:20
3. Xueqin Wang (China) - 2:28:39
4. Chao Yue (China) - 2:29:26
5. Chaltu Chimdesa Kumsa (Ethiopia) - 2:30:28
6. Megumi Amako (Japan/Canon AC Kyushu) - 2:34:28
7. Kim Jie Un (South Korea) - 2:34:41
8. Megertu Ifa Geletu (Ethiopia) - 2:34:52
9. Lee Suk Jeong (South Korea) - 2:35:25
10. Lim Eun Ha (South Korea) - 2:35:41
-----
12. Kaori Yoshida (Japan) - 2:37:37

(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Most-Read This Week

CR Holder Teruki Shimada Returns to Launceston Half - Preview and Streaming

Last year's McGrath Launceston Running Festival Peppers Silo Half Marathon in Tasmania, Australia shaped out into a great Australia vs. Japan dual meet , with Jessica Stenson outrunning Yumi Yoshikawa to take the women's title in a 1:09:51 CR, and Teikyo University school record holder Teruki Shimada executing a tactically brilliant race to drop Isaac Heyne , then-NR holder Brett Robinson , and Teikyo teammate Jinya Ozaki for the win in 1:01:12, just a second off the Australian all-comers record. Marathon NR holder Andy Buchanan took that record down to 1:01:08 at the Gold Coast Half a month later, but its chances of surviving this weekend aren't looking good. Shimada leads last year's top 4 back to Launceston this year, and there's a lot of tough new competition. 2025 National Corporate Half winner Tsubasa Ichiyama , Australia's Haftu Strintzos , new Teikyo record holder Yuta Asakawa and American Ethan Shuley have all run faster that Buchanan's rec...

Murayama and Sasaki Making U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10 km

Every year since 2012 that there's been a United Airlines NYC Half , JRN has partnered with the NYRR and November's Ageo City Half Marathon to bring two top-tier collegiate Japanese men to the NYC Half for what's usually been their international debuts. For years we've wanted to extend that program to include top collegiate women, but that has always faced 2 problems. For one, while the half marathon distance is the main focus for Japanese collegiate men due to the stage lengths at the Hakone Ekiden, few collegiate women run it. Those that do run the National University Women's Half Marathon in Matsue, held the same day as the NYC Half. This year, though, we're finally making it happen in a slightly different way. Amisa Murayama and Nazuki Sasaki of 2025 Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national collegiate championship runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University are joining the field for the NYRR's Mastercard New York Mini 10 km on June 6. After running an 18:14 CR ...

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox  for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...