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Tokyo International Women's Marathon Announces Elite Field For Its Final Running

by Brett Larner

On Oct. 28 the Tokyo International Women's Marathon announced the elite field for the event's 30th and final running, to take place Nov. 16. Top domestic runners Yoko Shibui, Yuri Kano, Yoshimi Ozaki and others will face off for slots on the 2009 Berlin World Track and Field Championships marathon team while competing against foreign competition including 2008 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Mara Yamauchi of the U.K., 2007 Tokyo IWM runner-up Salina Kosgei of Kenya, and 2008 London Marathon runner-up Russian Svetlana Zakharova. Aging Ethiopians Derartu Tulu and Elfenesh Alemu are also on the entry list along with newcomers Tetyana Filonyuk of Ukraine and Kenyan Magdaline Chemjor.

Former marathon national record holder Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) had a career-worst run at last year's Tokyo but afterwards went on to experience a rebirth on the track, running the kind of performances not seen since her glory days over five years ago and ultimately making the Beijing Olympics 10000 m. If her rejeuvenation this year extends to the marathon she will be one of the favorites.

Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) has also had a very strong year, clocking track and road PBs, winning June's Sapporo International Half Marathon, finishing 3rd in July's New York City Half Marathon, and winning October's Rock and Roll Half Marathon in San Jose. Kano is still relatively inexperienced at the marathon but seems poised for a breakthrough performance.

Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei), the younger sister of Kano's teammate Akemi Ozaki, ran a noteworthy debut marathon at the Nagoya International Women's Marathon in March, clocking 2:26:19 to take a close 2nd behind fellow debutante Yurika Nakamura's winning 2:25:51. Ozaki was graceful and strong, and like Kano may be ready for bigger things.

2008 Tokyo International Women's Marathon Elite Field
Svetlana Zakharova (Russia) - PB: 2:21:31 (Chicago `02) - SB: 2:24:39 (London '08)
Mara Yamauchi (U.K.) - PB: 2:25:10 (Osaka '08) - SB: 2:25:10 (Osaka '08) and 2:27:29 (Beijing Olympics)
Yoshimi Ozaki (Japan - Team Daiichi Seimei) - PB: 2:26:19 (Nagoya '08) - SB: 2:26:19 (Nagoya '08)
Salina Kosgei (Kenya) - PB: 2:23:22 (Berlin '06) - SB: 2:26:30 (London '08)
Yuri Kano (Japan - Second Wind AC) - PB: 2:24:43 (Osaka '07)- SB: 2:26:39 (Nagoya '08)
Tetyana Filonyuk (Ukraine) - PB: 2:28:40 (Paris '08) - SB: 2:28:40 (Paris '08)
Yukiko Matsubara (Japan - Team Asahi Kasei) - PB: 2:34:05 (Osakai '08) - SB: 2:34:05 (Osaka '08)
Ayumi Hayashi (Japan - Team Juhachi Ginko) - PB: 2:29:59 (Nagoya '06) - SB: 2:34:09 (Nagoya '08)
Yoko Shibui (Japan - Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - PB: 2:19:41 (Berlin '04) - SB: 2:34:15 (Tokyo IWM '07)
Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) - PB: 2:23:30 (Helsinki '05) - SB: 2:36:32 (Madrid '08)
Magdaline Chemjor (Kenya) - PB: 2:28:16 (Amsterdam '07) - SB: 2:46:25 (Boston '08)
Elfenesh Alemu (Ethiopia) - PB: 2:24:29 (London '01) - SB: ---

(c) 2008 Brett Larner
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