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Fujita Takes Kumanichi 30 km

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translated and edited by Brett Larner

Former marathon national record holder Atsushi Fujita (Team Fujitsu) ran 1:29:46 to win the Kumanichi 30 km Feb. 28 in Kumamoto, Kyushu. 2nd was Hirokatsu Kurosaki (Team Konica Minolta) in 1:30:10, with Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Komazawa Univ.) 3rd. Fujita led from the start, varying his pace to throw his competitors off and putting in a long spurt at 24 km to dispatch Kurosaki and Ugachi. In the women's race Chiharu Matsuo (Team Kyudenko) took her 2nd straight title, running 1:50:18.

Fujita plans to go for a fast time at December's Fukuoka International Marathon with an aim toward making the London Olympics in 2 years. "Today's 30 km was for the marathon," Fujita told reporters, "so I ran it as if I still had to run 12 km more once I finished. Everything checked out well."

2010 Kumanichi 30 km - Top Finishers
click here for complete results
Men
1. Atsushi Fujita (Team Fujitsu) - 1:29:46
2. Hirokatsu Kurosaki (Team Konica Minolta) - 1:30:10 - PB
3. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:30:14 - debut
4. Kazuyoshi Shimosato (Team Komori Corp.) - 1:30:36
5. Hiroshi Yamada (Team Konica Minolta) - 1:30:38
6. Shingo Mishima (Team Toyota) - 1:30:45
7. Takashi Horiguchi (Team Honda) - 1:30:58
8. Takeshi Kumamoto (Team Toyota) - 1:31:19
9. Shuji Yoshikawa (Team Kyudenko) - 1:31:58
10. Kazuki Ikenaga (Team Konica Minolta) - 1:32:05

Women
1. Chiharu Matsuo (Team Kyudenko) - 1:50:10
2. Kasumi Oyagi (Team Panasonic) - 1:51:17
3. Chiyuki Mochizuki (Canon AC Kyushu) - 1:55:09
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