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Biwako Mainichi Marathon - Elite Field Preview

by Brett Larner

The next selection race for the Japanese men's marathon team for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin takes place Mar. 1 at the Biwako Mainichi Marathon, one of Japan's most prestigious elite races. Biwako, also known as the Lake Biwa Marathon and usually referred to in official listings as the Otsu marathon after the town in which the race takes place, became Japan's first IAAF Gold Label road race earlier this year in a suprising move possibly designed to counter main sponsor Rohm's withdrawal of support following this year's race. Biwako's future may be in question but as a World Championships selection race this year's edition is sure to continue the event's history of offering the spring's most dramatic domestic men's racing.

Biwako has not yet released its official entry list, but below is a compilation of athletes who have thus far publicly declared an intent to run. The official entry list should be available within the week.

2009 Biwako Mainichi Marathon - Preliminary Elite Field
Jose Rios (Spain) - 2:07:42 (Biwako '04)
Kazutoshi Takatsuka (Team Komori Corp.) - 2:08:56 (Biwako '04)
Tomoya Shimizu (Team Sagawa Express) - 2:09:23 (Biwako '08)
Kenichi Kita (Team Kyudenko) - 2:11:41 (Nobeoka '06)
Takashi Ota (Team Konica Minolta) - 2:12:10 (Tokyo '08)
Masaya Shimizu (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:12:31 (Biwako '06)
Masayuki Kobayashi (Team Subaru) - 2:14:41 (Biwako '04)
Hayato Kono (Team Subaru) - 2:15:11 (Biwako '06)
Tsuyoshi Kato (Team Komori Corp.) - 2:15:49 (Tokyo '08)
Tomoya Shirayanagi (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 2:29:37 (1/2 mar. PB 1:02:57)
Takashi Maeda (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 2:30:41 (1/2 mar. PB 1:02:38)

Debut Marathoners With Half Marathon PB
Kazuyoshi Shimozato (Team Nissan) - 1:02:00
Chiharu Takada (Team JR Higashi Nihon) - 1:02:27
Noriaki Takahashi (Team Subaru) - 1:02:41
Satoru Sasaki (Team Asahi Kasei) - 1:03:21
Masatomo Akutsu (Team JAL Ground Service) - 1:03:28
Yuya Shiokawa (Team Subaru) - 1:03:47
Yuji Mizukami (Team Subaru) - 1:04:11
Shigeru Furukawa (Team Subaru) - 1:04:19
Issei Kowata (Team Subaru) - 1:04:41
Bunta Kuroki (Team Yasukawa Denki) - 1:05:35

(c) 2009 Brett Larner
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