Skip to main content

Weekend Overseas Japanese Race Results

by Brett Larner

Sunday's Chicago Marathon saw the men go out unusually slowly.  Three Japanese men, Takuya Fukatsu (Team Asahi Kasei), Koji Gokaya (Team JR Higashi Nihon) and Ryoichi Matsuo (Team Asahi Kasei) were in the top ten until late in the race, Fukatsu and Gokaya leading at halfway and Fukatsu, a graduate of Komazawa University, still in the top spot at 30 km.  When the move came they were left behind as two-time world champion Abel Kirui (Kenya) took the win in 2:11:23, Fukatsu ultimately finishing 7th in 2:13:53 and Gokaya 9th in 2:14:34.  Fukatsu's placing was the best so far by a Japanese man in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series X, although his time was nearly 3 minutes slower than that of Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) two weeks ago in Berlin.

The women's race was more what you would expect, the pace hot on high 2:20 / low 2:21 track throughout the race.  Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) held steady at that rate to win by almost 2 minutes in 2:21:32 over Edna Kiplagat (Kenya).  No top-level Japanese women ran Chicago, amateur club runner Mitsuko Ino (Kyuhoji RC) the highest placer at 21st in 2:46:23.

The same morning, Akihiko Tsumurai (Team Mazda) took 5th at the Boston Half Marathon in 1:03:39, less than 30 seconds behind winner Daniel Salel (Kenya).  With a 1:01:58 best, Tsumurai's time in Boston was his fastest to date in a half marathon outside Japan.  Mary Wacera (Kenya) took the women's race in 1:10:19.

Chicago Marathon
Chicago, U.S.A., 10/10/16
click here for complete results

Men
1. Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 2:11:23
2. Dickson Chumba (Kenya) - 2:11:26
3. Gideon Kipketer (Kenya) - 2:12:20
4. Paul Lonyangata (Kenya) - 2:13:17
5. Stephen Sambu (Kenya) - 2:13:35
-----
7. Takuya Fukatsu (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:13:53
9. Koji Gokaya (Japan/JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:14:34
14. Ryoichi Matsuo (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:18:50
25. Kazuya Ishida (Japan/Nishitetsu) - 2:23:02

Women
1. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 2:21:32
2. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) - 2:23:28
3. Valentine Kipketer (Kenya) - 2:23:41
4. Purity Kionoripo (Kenya) - 2:24:47
5. Yebrgual Melese (Ethiopia) - 2:24:49
-----
21. Mitsuko Ino (Japan/Kyuhoji RC) - 2:46:23

Boston Half Marathon
Boston, U.S.A., 10/10/16
click here for complete results

Men
1. Daniel Salel (Kenya) - 1:03:13
2. Abraham Kipyatich (Kenya) - 1:03:22
3. Tsegay Tuemay (Eritrea) - 1:03:29
4. Eliud Ngetich (Kenya) - 1:03:31
5. Akihiko Tsumurai (Japan/Mazda) - 1:03:39

Women
1. Mary Wacera (Kenya) - 1:10:19
2. Diane Nukuri (Burundi) - 1:10:52
3. Valentine Kibet (Kenya) - 1:14:42
4. Heather Cappello (U.S.A.) - 1:15:53
5. Mary Davies (New Zealand) - 1:17:10

© 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

CHN and JPN National Records Go Down - Weekend Track Update

There weren't any Japanese athletes in action at the Rabat Diamond League meet Sunday, but 2 lower-tier domestic meets produced new national records. At the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama, Samuel Kibathi (Toyota) led the top 5 in the men's 10000 m under 28 minutes in 27:39.97. In 3rd, China's Wenjie Wang took just over a second off his own NR from the same meet last year, setting a new record of 27:47.53. His teammate Haoran Tang was 6th in a 28:27.44 PB, with the top Japanese time in the race being a 28:33.39 for 8th from Jin Yuasa (Toyota). Amazingly, Wang and Tang were back the next day on day 2 of the Nittai meet, Wang running a PB of 13:35.58 for 4th in the A-heat and Tang winning the B-heat in a PB of 13:38.80. Isaac Ndiema took the A-heat in 13:26.49, with the fastest Japanese time going to Yuhei Urano (Fujitsu) with a 13:35.94 for 5th behind Wang. Other Nittai highlights: Deborah Chemutai (Univ. Ent.) won a photo finish against Yua Nagamori ...
1 comment
Read more

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."...
82 comments
Read more

Ngetich Breaks CR, Murayama and Sasaki Make U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10k

WR holder Agnes Ngetich  soloed a fast one at the 54th edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10k, leading inside the first mile and pulling away the rest of the race to run a 30:07 CR for the win, the fastest time ever on U.S. soil albeit on a slightly net downhill course. On a warm day that saw over 10,000 women finish  Tsigie Gebreselama  was on her own most of the way too, a distant 2nd in 30:53 and 17 seconds up on past champ Hellen Obiri . Further back, 2026 World University Cross Country bronze medalist Amisa Murayama  and 2025 Morinomiyako Ekiden 3rd leg CR breaker Nazuki Sasaki  from 2025 National University Women's Ekiden runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University  made their U.S. debuts. Murayama was targeting the fastest-ever Japanese time at the Mini, 32:37, but struggled on the hills just before 5 km and late in the race, fading to finish 23rd in 34:08. Sasaki, recovering from a stress reaction in her upper back a few months ago, ran a conservative ...
Post a Comment
Read more