Ichiyama and Kirui Lead Marugame Half Elite Field

Last year's winners Betsy Saina and Edward Waweru, both of Kenya, return to the Feb. 3 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon, but in both cases they have tough competition. Ranked #1 in the women's race is Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) with a 1:09:14, 3 seconds better than Saina's winning time last year. 3 seconds slower is Sinead Diver (Australia) with a 1:09:20 on home ground last year. Sara Hall (U.S.A.) isn't far behind, and with track star Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) making her debut off a brilliant run at last weekend's National Women's Ekiden it should be a solid pack up front.

In the men's race, 2017 marathon world champion Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) leads the way, his best recent time a 1:00:04 in New Delhi two years ago. Only 2 seconds behind is Shadrack Kiplagat (Kenya), with Evans Cheruiyot (Kenya) and the Japan-based Waweru just over 20 seconds back. Waweru's condition is a question mark after an injury at the New Year Ekiden. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) leads the home crew, with an interesting duo from Chuo University, Ken Nakayama and Kensuke Horio, hoping to improve on their sub-62 bests. Jack Rayner (Australia) is another interesting addition, while Germany's Richard Ringer will be making his debut off a 27:36.52 track 10000 m best.

73rd Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon

Elite Field Highlights
Kagawa, Marugame, 2/3/19
comp;lete elite field listing: part A, part B
times listed are best within last 3 years except where noted

Women
Mao Ichiyama (Japan/Wacoal) - 1:09:14 (Sanyo 2017)
Betsy Saina (Kenya) - 1:09:17 (Marugame 2018)
Sinead Diver (Australia) - 1:09:20 (Maroochydore 2018)
Sara Hall (U.S.A.) - 1:09:27 (Gold Coast 2018)
Rachel Cliff (Canada) - 1:10:08 (The Woodlands 2018)
Sara Dossena (Italy) - 1:10:10 (Udine 2018)
Carlotte Purdue (Great Britain) - 1:10:29 (London 2018)
Keiko Nogami (Japan/Juhachi Ginko) - 1:11:16 (Sanyo 2017)
Eri Hayakawa (Japan/J-Beat) - 1:11:43 (Marugame 2017)
Shiori Morita (Japan/Panasonic) - 1:12:23 (Sendai 2018)
Mei Matsuyama (Japan/Noritz) - 1:12:58 (Marugame 2016)
Ayuko Suzuki (Japan/Japan Post) - debut - 31:18.16 (Stanford 10000 m 2016)

Men
Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) - 1:00:04 (New Delhi 2017)
Shadrack Kiplagat (Kenya) - 1:00:06 (Prague 2018)
Evans Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 1:00:26 (Istanbul 2018)
Edward Waweru (Kenya/NTN) - 1:00:31 (Marugame 2018)
Kenta Murayama (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 1:00:50 (New York 2017)
Jack Rayner (Australia) - 1:01:01 (Cardiff 2018)
Vincent Laimoi (Kenya/Kokushikan Univ.) - 1:01:19 (Ageo 2018)
Simon Kariuki (Kenya/Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 1:01:25 (Ageo 2017)
Ken Nakayama (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:01:32 (Ageo 2018)
Keita Shitara (Japan/Hitachi Butsuryu) - 1:01:54 (Marugame 2016)
Kensuke Horio (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:01:57 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2018)
Richard Ringer (Germany) - debut - 27:36.52 (London 10000 m 2018)

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Goshima and Kasai Win 10000 m National Titles, Maeda Breaks U20 Asian Record

Rino Goshima and Jun Kasai stepped up with PBs to win the 2024 National Championships 10000 m titles Friday at Shizuoka's Ecopa Stadium. In the women's race, Goshima, 4th in last December's 2023 National Championships 10000 m, went out front from the start with Kenyan teammate Judy Jepngetich pacing and 2023 3rd-placer Haruka Kokai in tow. Things were never on track to hit the 30:40.00 Paris Olympics standard, but except for a brief dip to 3:08 at 7000 m Goshima held steady at 3:05 to 3:06/km even as Kokai and Jepngetich fell off. With blood dripping from her left knee after getting spiked by Jepngetich, Goshima closed in 3:03 to take 5 seconds off her best from December's Nationals and win in 30:53.31, moving up to all-time Japanese #6. Jepngetich also PBd at 31:09.42 without counting in the standings, with Kokai 2nd in 31:10.53 and Kazuna Kanetomo 3rd in a PB 31:59.29. The runner-up last time, Yuka Takashima was last in 33:33.27. The men's race went out in a

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk

Golden Games in Nobeoka Top Results

For everyone not running yesterday's 10000 m National Championships , where the Asahi Kasei corporate team dominated the men's race with four out of four men sub-28 including winner Jun Kasai , 27:17.46, the grand dame of Japan's long distance time trial circuit was happening on AK's home ground in Miyazaki at the Golden Games in Nobeoka . Not including kids' races, a total of 74 women and 227 men ran in 14 heats of 5000 m, with a packed-in crowd of fans lining the track beating on metal sponsor boards with batons. It's a pretty awesome meet, and memorable performances included: National champion Kamimura Gakuen H.S. standout Caroline Kariba continued to kill it in the second month of her corporate league career, winning the 5000 m A-heat in 15:00.95 in a race where 3 out of the top 4 including her ran PBs. National champion Meijo University seemed flat at this point in the season, with none of its people under 16 minutes and star Nanase Tanimoto leading

japan running news

Search This Blog