Skip to main content

Takaku, Hattori and Fujimoto Headline Fukuoka International Marathon

 
With strict limitations on immigration still a reality in Japan, the Dec. 6 Fukuoka International Marathon has announced an almost entirely domestic field of less than 100 that includes only five Japan-based foreign-born athletes plus an all-Japan-based Kenyan pacing crew led by Bedan Karoki (Toyota).

Not that the field is hurting for quality. Ryu Takaku (Yakult), 2:06:45 in Tokyo this year, 2018 Fukuoka winner and Tokyo Olympics marathon team member Yuma Hattori (Toyota), and Taku Fujimoto (Toyota), a bump up to the 2019 Fukuoka winner's position pending after the subsequent suspension of the Moroccan who crossed the line first for biological passport violations, make up the front end of a field that includes eleven current sub-2:10 men and seven of last year's top ten. Hattori has said publicly that he'll be going for Suguru Osako's 2:05:29 national record, and with pacing support from teammates Karoki and Fujimoto, his former Toyo University teammate Takaku there with him, and no dirty athletes to effortlessly tear him in half at the end, if the weather is good his chances will be too.

Shizuoka-based Kenyan Michael Githae (Suzuki) is the top international in the field with a best of 2:09:21 from Lake Biwa in 2018, but sub-60 half marathoner Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) still has potential to improve on his 2:11:58 best, and likewise for former Takushoku University ekiden team captain Derese Workneh (Hiramatsu Byoin). Workneh's teammate Cyrus Kingori (Hiramatsu Byoin) looks promising in his debut with a 1:01:31 for 4th at last year's Gifu Seiryu Half. 

One promising name for a breakthrough in the Japanese field is Taiki Suzuki (Raffine), 9th last year in 2:12:09 in his marathon debut. It'll be interesting as well to see if Yuya Yoshida (GMO) can build on his inspiring at-the-time-career-ending 2:08:30 debut at Beppu-Oita this year, and it still feels like Olympic team alternate Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) has more waiting in him than his 2:10:12 best from Beppu-Oita two years ago. Toyo fans will be hoping the same for Keita Shitara (Hitachi Butsuryu), twin brother of former NR holder Yuta Shitara.

Check back closer to race date for more info on TV broadcast and live streaming options.

Fukuoka International Marathon Field Highlights

Fukuoka, 6 Dec. 2020
times listed are best within last three years except where noted

Ryu Takaku (Yakult) - 2:06:45 (8th, Tokyo 2020)
Yuma Hattori (Toyota) - 2:07:27 (1st, Fukuoka Int'l 2018)
Taku Fujimoto (Toyota) - 2:07:57 (8th, Chicago 2018)
Yuya Yoshida (GMO) - 2:08:30 (3rd, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:08:37 (20th, Tokyo 2020)
Tsukasa Koyama (Subaru) - 2:08:53 (4th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Naoya Sakuda (JF Higashi Nihon) - 2:08:59 (4th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Yuki Kawauchi (Kawauchi) - 2:09:21 (8th, Lake Biwa 2019)
Michael Githae (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:09:21 (4th, Lake Biwa 2018)
Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:09:34 (2nd, Beppu-Oita 2018)
Jo Fukuda (Fukuoka T&F Assoc.) - 2:09:52 (3rd, Gold Coast 2018)
Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) - 2:10:01 (11th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Yoshiki Takenouchi (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 2:10:01 (7th, Fukuoka Int'l 2017)
Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) - 2:10:12 (3rd, Beppu-Oita 2018)
Koki Yoshioka (Chuo Hatsujo) - 2:10:13 (10th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Asuka Tanaka (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:10:13 (16th, Tokyo 2018)
Daichi Kamino (Cell Source) - 2:10:18 (18th, Tokyo 2018)
Yuichi Yasui (Toyota) - 2:10:19 (12th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Junichi Tsubouchi (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:10:19 (13th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Satoru Sasaki (Asahi Kasei) - 2:10:25 (14th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Ryo Matsumoto (Toyota) - 2:10:32 (11th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Derese Workneh (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:10:52 (3rd, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Natsuki Terada (JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:10:55 (4th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Taiga Ito (Suzuki) - 2:10:59 (6th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Tatsunori Hamasaki (Nanji AC) - 2:11:26 (2nd, Hofu 2017)
Hiroki Sugawa (Toyama T&F Assoc.) - 2:11:46 (1st, Nobeoka 2019)
Paul Kuira (Kenya/JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:11:58 (2nd, Hokkaido 2018)
Kenta Iinuma (SGH Group) - 2:12:06 (36th, Tokyo 2020)
Taiki Suzuki (Raffine) - 2:12:09 (9th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Hiromasa Kumahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 2:12:10 (38th, Tokyo 2020)
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia/NTN) - 2:12:12 (2nd, Hofu 2018)
Keita Shitara (Hitachi Butsuryu) - 2:12:13 (40th, Tokyo 2020)
Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki) - 2:12:22 (3rd, Hofu 2019)
Shusei Ohashi (Kodaira T&F Assoc.) - 2:12:58 (47th, Tokyo 2020)

Debut
Cyrus Kingori (Kenya/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:01:31 (4th, Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon 2019)

© 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Stefan said…
I've marked this event on my calendar as a must watch. Hattori must be itching to break the national record time of Osako but I think it will be a very tall order. I hope he does it. We will find out soon!
October 27, 2020 at 3:37 AM
Andrew Armiger said…
Plenty of interesting angles, I'm not sure the race loses much with the current restrictions in place. Will definitely be watching with interest!
October 27, 2020 at 7:47 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

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
1 comment
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more

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
1 comment
Read more