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Japan Running News Dominates Tokaimura Half Marathon

by Brett Larner

Windy conditions prevailed at the 36th Tokaimura Shinshun Half Marathon on Jan. 12, where a freak early-morning rain shower combined with sub-zero temperatures to coat sections of the hilly course with a slick layer of ice. Japan Running News founder Brett Larner (Harriers AC) took the overall win in the men’s race with a course-record 1:16:02. Larner led from the 300 m point all the way to the finish, dropping a chase pack of three on the course’s long uphill after the 8 km point. Japan Running News co-editor Mika Tokairin (Namban Rengo AC), the top Japanese woman at the 2007 London Marathon, was 3rd overall in the women’s race behind Team Hitachi’s Sayaka Yamaguchi, who ran a substantial course-record 1:18:48 in her half-marathon debut.

Both Tokairin and Larner reported being 3 minutes behind their expected times, an indication of the difficulty of the course and conditions. Tokairin will race the Jan. 25 Osaka International Women’s Marathon, while Larner will run the Feb. 1 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon.

© 2009 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Congrats on the victory! I remember the first time I won a race in Japan. They gave me four trophies!
January 13, 2009 at 12:52 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi Brett, I sent an email and received no reply, so could u please send me an email to all4data[at]gmail.com please

Gavin
January 13, 2009 at 1:13 AM
by7 said…
Brett, congratulations

a gaijin winning a race makes some sensation.
But Beppu-Oita is not only for sub-2h30' ? (or I mess up with something else...)
January 13, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Brett Larner said…
Thank you all. The course was much tougher than I expected.

Gavin--
Sorry to let your message slip.

Bryan--
I think you are thinking of Biwako. Beppu-Oita's standard is only sub-2:50.
January 14, 2009 at 12:19 PM
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