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Grandma's Marathon - Japanese Results

by Brett Larner

Suehiro Ishikawa, Yusei Nakao, host family Jamie and Kenji Ogura and crew post-race.

Rio Olympics men's marathon team member Suehiro Ishikawa (Team Honda) took 2nd in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, a solid tuneup performance ahead of August's main event.  Ishikawa finished less than 30 seconds behind winner Macdonald Ondara (Kenya).

Making his international full marathon debut at Grandma's, Yusei Nakao (Smiley Angel AC), the top Japanese man at May's Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon, struggled to deal with temperatures that climbed to 24 degrees, dropping from the lead pack before halfway and fading to 17th overall. 

Elisha Barno (Kenya) won in 2:11:26.  Sarah Kiptoo (Kenya) won the women's race in 2:33:28, with Ethiopian Simegn Abnet Yeshanbel breaking up the Kenyan domination as she won the women's half in 1:13:22.

40th Grandma's Marathon
Duluth, MN, U.S.A., 6/18/16
click here for complete results

Gar…
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Kiptoo Sets Grandma's Marathon Course Record

by Brett Larner
photo by Kenji Ogura

Japan's #3 independent runnerSho Matsumoto (Nikkei Business Service) made his international debut  June 22 at the 37th running of Grandma's Marathon.  Appearing through an invite from outgoing race director Scott Keenan and support from JRN after running a 2:13:38 best at February's Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon, Matsumoto ran comfortably in the lead pack on mid-2:12 pace until eventual winner Bazu Worku (Ethiopia) made his race-breaking move near 30 km.  Worku went on to record the fifth-fastest winning time in Grandma's history, 2:11:14, with Kenyans Ernest Kebenei and Eliud Ngetich joining him under 2:12.  A total of 22 men ran sub-2:20 thanks in part to strong tailwinds throughout much of the point-to-point race.

Unable to follow Worku's play, Matsumoto lost ground and struggled over the final 5 km, ultimately finishing 17th in 2:17:53.  "I should have been able to make the podium," he told JRN post-race.  "I…
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Matsumoto Faces Tough Challenge in Best-Ever Grandma's Marathon Field

by Brett Larner
photos by Kenji and Jamie Ogura

With 22 men on its entry list having run under 2:14 in the last four years, 11 of them sub-2:12 and an unprecented sub-2:10 contingent led by former marathon junior world record holder Bazu Worku (Ethiopia), in its final year under the helm of race director Scott Keenan the 37th running of Grandma's Marathon may, if the weather cooperates, see a serious shot at the historic 2:09:37 set in 1981 by the great Dick Beardsley.  Only one athlete among the top 22 hails from a country other than Kenya or Ethiopia, 27-year-old Japanese independent Sho Matsumoto (Nikkei Business Services).  Appearing at Grandma's with support from JRN after a recommendation from Japan's most famous independent, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't), Matsumoto faces a tough challenge in climbing up through the ranks toward the front end of the field.

A graduate of running-oriented Kobayashi H.S. where he ran the National High School Ekiden Championship…
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