Kawauchi and Kiyara Headline Wan Jin Shi Marathon

Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) returns to Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon this Sunday for his marathon of the post-Yuta Shitara era. The runner-up in Wan Jin Shi in 2016, Kawauchi is ranked #1 in the field and comes to Wan Jin Shi with wins in his last three marathons but faces a solid field including fellow sub-2:10 man Peter Kiplagat Sitenei, last year's runner-up Tsegaye Debele (Ethiopia), and the only man to beat him last time around, 2016 winner and course record holder William Chebon Chebor (Kenya). Kawauchi plans to use the hilly race as a tune-up for his main marathon of the spring season, April's Boston Marathon.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Rael Kiyara Nguriatukei (Kenya), winner of the 2012 Hamburg Marathon before being stripped of her title and suspended for a positive post-race test for norandrosterone, has the fastest recent time in the women's field with a 2:26:22 winning time at last year's Chongqing Marathon. Close behind is Chemtai Rionotukei (Kenya), runner-up in Taiyuan last year in 2:26:30. The 2:28-level trio of Tizita Terecha Dida (Ethiopia), Ji Hyang Kim (North Korea) and Rebecca Jepchirchir Korir (Kenya) could give the lead duo some trouble if the race turns out a little on the slower side.

In either case, race organizers are predicting course records in both races. Live splits are available here, with a live stream set to kick off at 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday. Watch the live stream here:

New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon

Elite Field Highlights
New Taipei City, Taiwan, 3/18/18
times listed are best within last three years except where noted
click here for complete field listing

Men
Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 2:09:01 (2nd, Gold Coast 2016)
Peter Kiplagat Sitenei (Kenya) - 2:09:43 (3rd, Rennes 2015)
Shadrack Kipkogey (Kenya) - 2:10:39 (5th, Seville 2017)
Johnstone Kibet Maiyo (Kenya) - 2:10:50 (1st, Wuhan 2016)
Stanley Kipchirchir Koech (Kenya) - 2:10:58 (1st, Stockholm 2016)
Sylvester Kimeli Teimet (Kenya) - 2:11:00 (4th, Hangzhou 2017)
Isaac Korir (Bahrain) - 2:11:02 (5th, Hangzhou 2017)
William Rutto (Kenya) - 2:11:31 (6th, Zhengzhou 2017)
William Chebon Chebor (Kenya) - 2:13:05 (1st, Wanjinshi 2016)
Tsegaye Debele (Ethiopia) - 2:17:04 (2nd, Wanjinshi 2017)
Benjamin Siwa (Uganda) - 1:01:56 (4th, Cardiff Half 2016)
Aredom Tiumay (Ethiopia) - 1:02:40 (Bahir Dar Half 2016)

Women
Rael Kiyara Nguriatukei (Kenya) - 2:26:22 (1st, Chongqing 2017)
Chemtai Rionotukei (Kenya) - 2:26:30 (2nd, Taiyuan 2017)
Tizita Terecha Dida (Ethiopia) - 2:28:02 (!st, Guangzhou 2015)
Ji Hyang Kim (North Korea) - 2:28:06 (1st, Pyongyang 2016)
Rebecca Jepchirchir Korir (Kenya) - 2:28:16 (3rd, Rotterdam 2016)
Chao Yue (China) - 2:30:27 (3rd, Chongqing 2016)
Salome Jerono Biwott (Kenya) - 2:30:47 (2nd, Hannover 2016)
Mestawot Tadesse Shankutie (Ethiopia) - 2:31:38 (2nd, Rome 2017)
Bekele Geji Geletu (Ethiopia) - 2:34:05 (3rd, Rabat 2017)
Gladys Jerotich Kibiwot (Bahrain) - 2:34:23 (9th, Seoul 2016)
Il Sim Pak (North Korea) - 2:35:33 (5th, Pyongyang 2017)
Ednah Jerotich Kwambai (Kenya) - 2:39:55 (2nd, Kassel 2015)

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Matsumoto Marathon Canceled After Fraudulently Hiding Past Financial Losses

On Apr. 23 the city government of Matsumoto, Nagano announced that it was canceling this fall's Matsumoto Marathon after discovering accounting fraud in the event's operation. "We are going to conduct a review of how the race has been conducted up to now," a statement from the city read. Mayor Yoshinao Gaun apologized at a press conference, saying, "We sincerely apologize for letting down everyone involved in putting the event together." The Matsumoto Marathon is run by an executive committee made up of representatives from the city, the Matsumoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Shinano Mainichi Newspaper, and the relevant track and field associations. According to city officials, financial records for the November, 2023 edition of the race were fraudulently manipulated. Income from participants' entry fees was lower than expected, and although the city managed to get the Shinano Mainichi, to which it had outsourced overall event management, to r...

10 Meet Records and a National Record at Hyogo Relay Carnival

The grand prix distance events were absent from the program this year at the 73rd Hyogo Relay Carnival , with the top performances in the women's 5000 m and men's 10000 m Asics Challenge races going to steepler Yuzu Nishide (Daihatsu) in 15:49.48 and Japan-based Kenyan Emmanuel Kiplagat (Mitsubishi Juko) in 28:12.42. But there were a lot of new meet records, and one national record. Ryosuke Kusumi (Shiga) set a T37-class NR of 58.35 m in the para men's 400 m. Kairi Ikeno (Suma Gakuen H.S.) came less than 2 seconds short of a new high school record in the women's 2000 m , beating her own MR from last year by over 3 seconds in 5:55.36, almost 17 seconds ahead of 2nd place. The top 5 all broke or tied the men's high jump meet record, with both Yuto Seko (FAAS) and Tomohiro Shinno (Kyudenko) clearing 2.25 m and Takashi Eto (Kobe Digital Labo), Chao-Hsuan Fu (Taiwan) and Naoto Hasegawa (Niigata Albirex RC) clearing 2.20 m. Yuki Hashioka (Fujitsu) won the men...

japan running news

Search This Blog