by Brett Larner
Just three weeks after winning the Sapporo International Half Marathon, 2012 World Half Marathon Championships team member Mai Ito (Team Otsuka) returned to add another half marathon title to her collection, winning the 26th running of Hokkaido's Shibetsu Half Marathon in 1:11:20 over the Miyauchi twins Yoko and Hiroko of Team Kyocera. Although her time was 28 seconds slower than her Sapporo time it was still the third-best in Shibetsu history. Independent men's World Half Marathon team member Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) likewise took the win, prevailing over a tight pack of corporate and collegiate runners in 1:05:00 in another of the fourteen half marathons he plans to race this year.
In the women's 10 km, Ai Igarashi (Team Sysmex), one of the year's leading Japanese women, had an an easy win in 33:38. Click here for a collection of photos of the race via the Shibetsu city government site.
26th Shibetsu Half Marathon
Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 7/22/12
com…
Just three weeks after winning the Sapporo International Half Marathon, 2012 World Half Marathon Championships team member Mai Ito (Team Otsuka) returned to add another half marathon title to her collection, winning the 26th running of Hokkaido's Shibetsu Half Marathon in 1:11:20 over the Miyauchi twins Yoko and Hiroko of Team Kyocera. Although her time was 28 seconds slower than her Sapporo time it was still the third-best in Shibetsu history. Independent men's World Half Marathon team member Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) likewise took the win, prevailing over a tight pack of corporate and collegiate runners in 1:05:00 in another of the fourteen half marathons he plans to race this year.
In the women's 10 km, Ai Igarashi (Team Sysmex), one of the year's leading Japanese women, had an an easy win in 33:38. Click here for a collection of photos of the race via the Shibetsu city government site.
26th Shibetsu Half Marathon
Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 7/22/12
com…