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Weekend Road Race Preview


This weekend sees the last big marathon of the year, the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon. A longtime lesser cousin to the dearly departed Fukuoka International Marathon, Hofu is set to step up in importance after the demise of both Fukuoka and the Saitama International Women's Marathon. The Kobe Marathon may come back, but especially for women Hofu should take on a bigger role on the calendar in the years to come. The women's race is still small at this stage but has some decent talent led by Japan's fastest woman of 2019, Reia Iwade (Adidas). 7-time winner Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) is on the list but tells JRN that she is injured and will not run, instead refocusing on February's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon.

The men's race, featuring pacing by Fukuoka winner Michael Githae (Suzuki) is mostly about whether former Hakone Ekiden uphill great Daichi Kamino (Cell Source) can finally pull off a good marathon. Now coached by Olympian and 2:07 marathoner Arata Fujiwara, Kamino and Githae were training partners throughout the fall along with 2:10:46 teammate Tadashi Suzuki in prep for Kamino to go for the win here. If Kamino is anywhere near Githae in fitness and focus, and Fujiwara tells JRN he is, it could be the breakthrough fans have been hoping for for years. Ser-Od Batochir (Mongolia) and Kenyan Dominic Nyairo (NTT Nishi Nihon) make up the international component of the field, Batochir doubling from a 2:12:06 in Fukuoka two weeks ago at age 40. 100 km world record holder Nao Kazami (Aisan Kogyo) and women's Paralympic marathon gold medalist Misato Michishita (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) are also on the list. JRN will cover the race live on @JRNLive.

The Sanyo Ladies Road Race is always a big year-end blowout for corporate women where most of Japan's sub-1:10 half marathon performances happen. There's a lot of talent on the entry list this time, including 2021 National Corporate Half Marathon winner Yuka Ando (Suzuki) and 3rd-placer Ayari Harada (Daiichi Seimei), Olympic steepler Yuno Yamanaka (Uniqlo), Kenyans Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (U.S.E.), Joanne Kipkemoi (Kyudenko), Winnie Jerotich (Kyudenko) and Martha Mokaya (Canon) and Ethiopians Zeyituba Husan (Denso) and Desta Burka (Denso). Qualifying spots will be on the line for Japan's team for the 2022 World Half Marathon Championships, if they actually happen.

The road 10 km is an unexploited niche in Japanese athletics, mostly viewed as something for high school boys and a transition to the half for women. Kenyans Cynthia Njeri Mbaire (Hitachi), Esther Muthoni (Nitori), Naomi Muthoni Kariuki (Universal Entertainment), Agnes Mukari (Kyocera) and Sheila Cherotich (Meiji Kokusai Iryo Univ.) top the list, but while it's a long one it's light on top-level domestic talent. Chikako Mori (Sekisui Kagaku), 15:21.42 for 5000 m in October, is probably the best of the home crowd in the race.

The National Junior High School Ekiden is also Sunday in Shiga. That might not sound like much, but it is a thing, and it's the only one of the major races scheduled to be streamed live as far as we know. Streaming starts at 10:50 a.m. Sunday local time at the Youtube channel above. Girls will be up at 11:00 and will race a total of 12 km in 5 stages or 2 or 3 km each, with boys tackling 18 km in 6 stages of 3 km apiece starting at 12:15 p.m.

© 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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