Weekend Overseas Race Results

Two weeks after running 2:32:30 at the Tokyo Marathon and a week after a 2:34:49 in Nagoya, Hiroko Yoshitomi (Memolead) ran Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon. Hoping to break the 2:34:53 course record, Yoshitomi led the lead pack of six women through most of the first half. But nearing the turnaround point she faded, leaving eventual winner Naomi Jepkosgei Maiyo (Kenya) to claim the win in a new course record time of 2:34:08. Runner-up Meseret Gola Sisay (Ethiopia) was also under the old course record, just, in 2:34:51. Yoshitomi fell off pace to take 6th in 2:48:45. The course record also fell in the men's race, with winner Matthew Kipsaat (Kenya) negative splitting a 2:11:17 for the win. Kipsaat was the only runner to go under the old course record of 2:13:05.

Eriko Kushima (Noritz) was faster than Yoshitomi at the Seoul Marathon, running 2:40:55 for 10th. Kazuki Takeshita (SDF) ran 2:14:14 for 12th in the men's race, the best time by a Japanese man outside Japan so far this year.

Twelve time zones away, Ken Nakayama ran his final race in the Chuo University uniform at the United Airlines NYC Half. Running in the main pack throughout the first half of the race, Nakayama experienced some twinges in his right thigh on the downhill off the Williamsburg Bridge and began to lose touch. In the hills of the final 5 km he felt increasing discomfort in his thigh and slowed to finish 19th in 1:05:48, more than four minutes off his best. Belay Tilahun (Ethiopian) won the race up front, running down early breakaway leader Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea) and favorite Paul Chelimo (U.S.A.) for the win in 1:02:10. Women's world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) pulled away after a slow first 5 km to win by a minute in 1:10:07.

United Airlines NYC Half

New York, U.S.A., 3/17/19

Women
1. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) - 1:10:07
2. Mary Ngugi (Kenya) - 1:11:07
3. Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) - 1:11:07
4. Emma Bates (U.S.A.) - 1:11:33
5. Des Linden (U.S.A.) - 1:11:22
6. Birtukan Fente Alemu (Ethiopia) - 1:12:17

Men
1. Belay Tilahun (Ethiopia) - 1:02:10
2. Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea) - 1:02:16
3. Paul Chelimo (U.S.A.) - 1:02:19 - debut
4. Jared Ward (U.S.A.) - 1:02:33
5. Noah Droddy (U.S.A.) - 1:02:39
6. Brogan Austin (U.S.A.) - 1:02:41
-----
20. Ken Nakayama (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:05:48

New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon

New Taipei City, Taiwan, 3/17/19
complete results

Women
1. Naomi Jepkosgei Maiyo (Kenya) - 2:34:08 - CR
2. Meseret Gola Sisay (Ethiopia) - 2:34:51
3. Ednah Mukhwana (Kenya) - 2:36:01
4. Sorome Negash Amente (Ethiopia) - 2:36:11
5. Nancy Jebet Koech (Kenya) - 2:38:21
6. Hiroko Yoshitomi (Japan/Memolead) - 2:48:45

Men
1. Matthew Kipsaat (Kenya) - 2:11:17 - CR
2. Philip Cheruiyot Kangogo (Kenya) - 2:13:57
3. Alex Chepkwik Saekwo (Kenya) - 2:15:18
4. Abraham Girma Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:16:12
5. Willy Kiplangat Ngelel (Kenya) - 2:19:37
6. Mike Kiprotich Mutai (Kenya) - 2:25:32

Seoul Marathon

Seoul, South Korea, 3/17/19

Women
1. Desi Jisa Mokonin (Bahrain) - 2:23:44
2. Hirut Tibebu (Ethiopia) - 2:24:05
3. Celestine Chepchirchir (Kenya) - 2:24:48
4. Zinash Mekonnen (Ethiopia) - 2:25:42
5. Mercy Kibarus (Kenya) - 2:27:20
6. Seul-ki Ahn (South Korea) - 2:27:28
-----
10. Eriko Kushima (Noritz) - 2:40:55

Men
1. Thomas Kiplagat (Kenya) - 2:06:00
2. Elisha Rotich (Kenya) - 2:06:12
3. Mike Kiptum (Kenya) - 2:06:22
4. Fikre Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:06:27
5. Robert Kipkemboi (Kenya) - 2:07:09
6. Tariku Kinfu (Ethiopia) - 2:09:06
-----
12. Kazuki Takeshita (SDF) - 2:14:14
13. Saeki Makino (DNPL) - 2:14:36

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Chepkirui Over Sato Again to Win 2nd-Straight Nagoya Women's Marathon, Chen Breaks Malaysian NR (updated)

This year's Nagoya Women's Marathon felt like a changing of the guard, with some the bigger domestic names over the last few years fading early and a lot of newer faces stepping up with quality debuts or second marathons. The front group was set to be paced for 2:20 flat with the 2nd group at 2:23:30 to hit the auto-qualifying time for the 2027 MGC Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials race in Nagoya. Up front things went out OK, but after a 33:10 split at 10 km Ayuko Suzuki , 2:21:22 here 2 years ago, lost touch, ultimately finishing 23rd in 2:33:28. Windy conditions started to play with pacers' ability to keep things steady and the pace slowed majorly over the next 10 km, but even with a 34:05 second 10 km there were big-name casualties. 2024 Nagoya winner Yuka Ando was next to drop, ending up 17th in 2:30:32. NR holder Honami Maeda was next, followed quickly by Bahraini Kenyan Eunice Chumba and debuting Wakana Kabasawa . Maeda faded to 21st in 2:31:21, whil...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview and Streaming (updated)

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How it Happened

Ancient History I went to Wesleyan University, where the legend of four-time Boston Marathon champ and Wes alum Bill Rodgers hung heavy over the cross-country team. Inspired by Koichi Morishita and Young-Cho Hwang’s duel at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics I ran my first marathon in 1993, qualifying for Boston ’94 where Bill was kind enough to sign a star-struck 20-year-old me’s bib number at the expo. Three years later I moved to Japan for grad school, and through a long string of coincidences I came across a teenaged kid named Yuki Kawauchi down at my neighborhood track. I never imagined he’d become what he is, but right from the start there was just something different about him. After his 2:08:37 breakthrough at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon he called me up and asked me to help him get into races abroad. He’d finished 3rd on the brutal downhill Sixth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden, and given how he’d run the hills in the last 6 km at Tokyo ’11 I thought he’d do well at Boston or New York. “I...

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