Skip to main content

Shitara Wins Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler

In a year that saw him deliver one of the most memorable debut marathons in history, a half marathon national record, 10000 m and marathon PBs and more, Yuta Shitara (Honda) ended 2017 on a high note, beating three-time defending champion Jeremiah Thuku Karemi (Toyota Kyushu) to win the 42nd Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler. Shitara, Karemi, London World Championships marathoner Hiroto Inoue (MHPS), Ethiopian Abayneh Degu (Yasukawa Denki) and track ace Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) ran together in a lead group through the early going, but Shitara was just too much for the others to handle.

Shitara broke the tape in 45:58, only the fourth Japanese man to ever clear 45 minutes. Karemi was well under last year's winning time but nowhere close to catching Shitara, finishing 2nd in 46:10 and Inoue only 2 seconds behind him. With many corporate and university teams using Kosa to tune up for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden and Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden, it regularly produces the deepest 10 mile results in the world. The top 11 cleared 47 minutes, with 47 under 48 minutes and 80 under 49 minutes.


Of the 11 to run under 47 minutes, four including Shitara, 6th-placer Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei), 10th-placer Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) and 11th-placer Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei), are alumni of the JRN-supported program for top university talent from November's Ageo City Half Marathon to run in March's United Airlines NYC Half. A 5th alumnus, Ikuto Yufu (Fujitsu), had an off day, finishing 88th in 49:18.

Rio Olympics marathoner Suehiro Ishikawa (Honda) was a decent 14th in 47:14, easily beating Inoue's London teammate Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki), 33rd in 47:40. 2:07:39 marathoner Masato Imai (Toyota Kyushu) took 44th in 47:49. In the high school boys' 10 km, Ryuta Igawa (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) won in a solid 29:45. Hikari Fukuda was the top finisher in the women's 5 km, winning in 16:31.

42nd Kumamoto Kosa 10 Mile Road Race

Kosa, Kumamoto, 12/3/17
click here for complete results

Men's 10 Miles
1. Yuta Shitara (Honda) - 45:58
2. Jeremiah Thuku Karemi (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:10
3. Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) - 46:12
4. Abayneh Degu (Yasukawa Denki) - 46:15
5. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 46:21
6. Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 46:35
7. Yuki Oshikawa (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:39
8. Naoya Takahashi (Yasukawa Denki) - 46:42
9. Shintaro Miwa (NTN) - 46:44
10. Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:59
-----
11. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 46:59
14. Suehiro Ishikawa (Honda) - 47:14
33. Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki) - 47:40
44. Masato Imai (Toyota Kyushu) - 47:49
88. Ikuto Yufu (Fujitsu) - 49:18

High School Boys' 10 km
1. Ryuta Igawa (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 29:45

Women's 5 km
1. Hikari Fukuda (Higo Ginko) - 16:31

© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

World Championships Medalist Racewalking Coach Mizuho Sakai Recognized With Highest Coaching Honor

The 2023 Mizuno Sports Mentor Awards recognizing excellence in coaching were held Apr. 23 in Tokyo. Toyo University assistant coach and race walking coach Mizuho Sakai was given a gold award, the program's highest honor, and expressed her thanks and joy in a speech at the award ceremony. The coach of 2023 Budapest World Championships men's 35 km race walk bronze medalist Masatora Kawano , Sakai said, "This is an incredible honor and I'm truly grateful. As a child I wanted to be in the sporting world and I've spent my life in that world. My end goal was always to play a supporting role for other athletes, so I'm honored to be recognized in this way." Sakai's husband Toshiyuki Sakai , head coach of Toyo's three-time Hakone Ekiden champion team, attended the awards gala with her and was also introduced to the audience. After bowing he took a seat in front of her and watched with warmth as she received recognition for her outstanding work. The Mizun
Post a Comment
Read more

Hirabayashi Runs PB at Shanghai Half, WR Holder Nakata Dominates Fuji Five Lakes - Weekend Road Roundup

Returning to the roads after his 2:06:18 win at February's Osaka Marathon, Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin University) took 5th at Sunday's Shanghai Half Marathon in a PB 1:01:23, just under a minute behind winner Roncer Kipkorir Konga (Kenya) who clocked a CR 1:00:29. After inexplicably running the equivalent of a sub-59 half marathon to win the Hakone Ekiden's Third Stage, Aoi Ota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) was back to running performances consistent with his other PBs with a 1:02:30 for 8th. His AGU teammate Kyosuke Hiramatsu was 10th in 1:04:00. Women's winner Magdalena Shauri (Tanzania) also set a new CR in 1:09:57. Aoyama Gakuin runners took the top four spots in the men's half marathon at the Aomori Sakura Marathon , with Hakone alternate Kosei Shiraishi getting the win in 1:04:32 and B-team members Shunto Hamakawa and Kei Kitamura 2nd and 3rd in 1:04:45 and 1:04:48. Club runners took the other division titles, Hina Shinozaki winning the women's half
Post a Comment
Read more

Okumoto and Kondo Score Silver and Bronze - U20 Asian Championships Day One

The U20 Asian Athletics Championships started Wednesday in Dubai, U.A.E. Narumi Okumoto (Hitachi) and Nozomi Kondo (Meijo Univ.) scored Japan's first two medals in the women's 3000 m, running behind leader Yaxuan Li of China over the first 1000 m. Kondo lost touch after the first 1000 m, while Okumoto lasted another 1000 m with Li. Li took gold in 9:12.79, Okumoto silver in 9:25.19 and Kondo bronze in 9:38.91. In qualifying rounds: Both Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) and Sari Kameda (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) won their women's 800 m heats and advanced to the next round, Nishida in a PB 2:07.36 and Kamei in 2:10.87, also a PB. Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) won his 400 mH heat in a PB 50.19 to make the final. Hiroto Shogomori (Chuo Univ.) was 2nd in his 400 m heat in 47.37, yet another athlete to run a PB, moving on to the semifinals. The lone female sprinter on the Japanese team, Misaki Morimoto (Sonoda Joshi Gakuen Univ.) won her 100 m heat in 12.20 (-1.4) and advance
Post a Comment
Read more