by Brett Larner
Satoshi Osaki of Team NTT Nishi Nihon, 6th place finisher at the 2007 World Championships and 2006 Asia Games bronze medalist, ran a 10-second PB of 2:08:36 to take 3rd at the 2008 Biwako Mainichi Marathon and likely make the 2008 Beijing Olympics team, close behind World Championships silver medalist Mubarak Hassan Shami of Qatar, the winner in 2:08:23, and World Championships 4th place finisher Yared Asmeron who ran a 7-minute PB of 2:08:34 to take 2nd. Osaki was himself followed closely by Team Nissin Shokuhin's Yuzo Onishi, who ran an impressive 4-minute PB of 2:08:54.
Biwako was the final selection race for the Japanese men's marathon team to be sent to Beijing Olympics. The top Japanese finisher needed to break Arata Fujiwara's 2:08:40 mark from the Tokyo Marathon and be one of the top overall finishers to have any chance of being selected. Conditions at the start were 10 degrees and sunny with intermittent wind. The race was planned to begin with an…
Satoshi Osaki of Team NTT Nishi Nihon, 6th place finisher at the 2007 World Championships and 2006 Asia Games bronze medalist, ran a 10-second PB of 2:08:36 to take 3rd at the 2008 Biwako Mainichi Marathon and likely make the 2008 Beijing Olympics team, close behind World Championships silver medalist Mubarak Hassan Shami of Qatar, the winner in 2:08:23, and World Championships 4th place finisher Yared Asmeron who ran a 7-minute PB of 2:08:34 to take 2nd. Osaki was himself followed closely by Team Nissin Shokuhin's Yuzo Onishi, who ran an impressive 4-minute PB of 2:08:54.
Biwako was the final selection race for the Japanese men's marathon team to be sent to Beijing Olympics. The top Japanese finisher needed to break Arata Fujiwara's 2:08:40 mark from the Tokyo Marathon and be one of the top overall finishers to have any chance of being selected. Conditions at the start were 10 degrees and sunny with intermittent wind. The race was planned to begin with an…