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Kuira Breaks Shibetsu Half Course Record

Kenyan Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) outran teammate Tomohiro Tanigawa and defending champ Tsubasa Hayakawa (Toyota) to win the 32nd Suffolkland Shibetsu Half Marathon in the midst of hot and sunny conditions. All three went under the previous course record, with Kuira getting away in the final kilometer to win in 1:03:10. Hayakawa was next in 1:03:15, with Tanigawa just back in 1:03:18.

In the women's half marathon Kotomi Tsubokura won by over 30 seconds in 1:15:42. Natsuki Omori (Daihatsu) won the women's 10 km in 34:08, beating Rio Olympian Mai Ito (Otsuka Seiyaku) by 8 seconds. Newcomer Junna Suzuki (Iwatani Sangyo) was 3rd a step behind Ito in 34:17.

32nd Shibetsu Half Marathon

Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 7/22/18

Men
1. Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) - 1:03:10 - CR
2. Tsubasa Hayakawa (Toyota) - 1:03:15
3. Tomohiro Tanigawa (Konica Minolta) - 1:03:18
4. Ryo Matsumoto (Toyota) - 1:03:44
5. Kenta Iinuma (SGH Group) - 1:04:21

Women
1. Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 1:15:42
2. Ayaka Inoue (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:16:15
3. Kikuyo Tsuzaki (Noritz) - 1:16:22
4. Madoka Nakano (Noritz) - 1:16:28
5. Hiroko Miyauchi (Hokuren) - 1:16:38

Women's 10 km
1. Natsuki Omori (Daihatsu) - 34:08
2. Mai Ito (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 34:16
3. Junna Suzuki (Iwatani Sangyo) - 34:17
4. Ikumi Fukura (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 34:21
5. Kanako Takemoto (Daihatsu) - 34:28

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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