Soka University's Stephen Muthini broke the course record at the Hakodate Half Marathon Sunday to win in a PB 1:01:08. Muthini led from the early going, dragging a lead group of 10 behind him. Past 10 km he picked up the pace, cutting the lead group down to 6, including 2025 Tokyo World Championships marathon team member Yuya Yoshida (GMO). Near 15 km Takuma Yamakawa of Komazawa University went to the front, but Muthini was quick to retake the lead and gradually pulled away from Yamakawa and Yoshida. Yoshida ended up 2nd behind Muthini in a PB of 1:01:23, with Yamakawa 3rd also in a new PB of 1:01:25. Times were fast across the board, with 8 of the top 10 men running lifetime PBs.
Yoshida, a 2-time winner of the Fukuoka International Marathon including a 2:05:16 CR last December, is Japan's leading hope of ending its dry spell of World Championships marathon medals, the last being Tsuyoshi Ogata's bronze at the 2025 Helsinki World Championships. His Tokyo Worlds teammates Ryota Kondo (Mitsubishi Juko) and Naoki Koyama (Honda) struggled, Kondo 19th in 1:03:25 and Koyama 62nd in 1:06:16.
In the women's race, Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) won in 1:09:48, splitting 16:21, 32:44, 49:26 and 1:06:08 en route. Tenmaya's Shiori Yoshizono and Mizuki Nishimura were 2nd and 3rd just over 1:10, with Tokyo Worlds women's team member Kana Kobayashi (Otsuka Seiyaku) 5th in 1:11:37. Marathon national record holder Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) was 6th in 1:11:54 in a tuneup for September's Berlin Marathon.
In the marathon, Minoru Kameda took the men's race in a PB of 2:19:46, the only runner under 2:20. Kasumi Takahama was the women's winner in 2:55:01.
Hakodate Half Marathon and Marathon
Hakodate, Hokkaido, 29 June, 2025
Men's Half Marathon
1. Stephen Muthini (Soka Univ.) - 1:01:08 - CR, PB
2. Yuya Yoshida (GMO) - 1:01:23 - PB
3. Takuma Yamakawa (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:01:32 - PB
4. Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.) - 1:01:32 - PB
5. Kanta Shimizu (Subaru) - 1:01:41 - PB
6. Koki Kamata (Yakult) - 1:01:55
7. Ichitaka Yamashita (Mitsubishi Juko) - 1:02:07 - PB
8. Yuito Yamamoto (Subaru) - 1:02:26
9. Solomon Mutuku (Soka Univ.) - 1:02:28 - PB
10. Makoto Takewari (Tokai Univ.) - 1:02:54 - PB
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19. Ryota Kondo (Mitsubishi Juko) - 1:03:25
62. Naoki Koyama (Honda) - 1:06:16
Women's Half Marathon
1. Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) - 1:09:48
2. Shiori Yoshizono (Tenmaya) - 1:10:17
3. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) - 1:10:26
4. Sakiho Tsutsui (Univ. Ent.) - 1:10:56
5. Kana Kobayashi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:37
6. Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) - 1:11:54
7. Hikaru Kitagawa (Univ. Ent.) - 1:12:06
8. Rie Kawauchi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:13:14
9. Miku Hirashima (Tenmaya) - 1:14:32
10. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 1:17:26
Men's Marathon
1. Minoru Kameda - 2:19:46 - PB
Women's Marathon
1. Kasumi Takahama - 2:55:01
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