by Brett Larner
Photo via komagusan. Click for more from Hofu.
What is there to say about Yuki Kawauchi? Nobody understands why he did the two-week 2:09:57 / 2:12:33 double at the Fukuoka International Marathon and Hofu Yomiuri Marathon last year, but for reasons known only to himself, two weeks after a failed bid for a sub-2:08 in Fukuoka this year resulted in a disappointing 2:10:29 Kawauchi was back for a negative-split 2:10:46 win in Hofu, an apparent world record for the shortest-ever time between sub-2:11 performances, the 4th-fastest winning time in Hofu's 43-year history and the 4th-best of his own career. Fukuoka was his 3rd-best.
Pacers Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) and James Mwangi (Kenya/Team NTN), both of whom were in Fukuoka, took things out just sub-2:12 pace through 5 km and then proceeded to gradually ratchet things down ever so slightly. By Ueno's departure at 20 km the lead group of eight was down to 2:11:33 pace, Kawauchi never leaving his place in the fr…
Photo via komagusan. Click for more from Hofu.
What is there to say about Yuki Kawauchi? Nobody understands why he did the two-week 2:09:57 / 2:12:33 double at the Fukuoka International Marathon and Hofu Yomiuri Marathon last year, but for reasons known only to himself, two weeks after a failed bid for a sub-2:08 in Fukuoka this year resulted in a disappointing 2:10:29 Kawauchi was back for a negative-split 2:10:46 win in Hofu, an apparent world record for the shortest-ever time between sub-2:11 performances, the 4th-fastest winning time in Hofu's 43-year history and the 4th-best of his own career. Fukuoka was his 3rd-best.
Pacers Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) and James Mwangi (Kenya/Team NTN), both of whom were in Fukuoka, took things out just sub-2:12 pace through 5 km and then proceeded to gradually ratchet things down ever so slightly. By Ueno's departure at 20 km the lead group of eight was down to 2:11:33 pace, Kawauchi never leaving his place in the fr…