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Ogi Wins Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach, Japan-Trained Africans Take Great Scottish Run

by Brett Larner

In the absence of any serious competition, Madoka Ogi (Team Juhachi Ginko) won the women's race at the Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon Sept. 5. Ogi's time of 1:14:17 was unremarkable but good enough to win by a margin of nearly a minute and a half over a field which included Beijing Olympics marathon gold medalist Constantina Dita (Romania) and world trail running champion Fiona Docherty (New Zealand). Along with Seattle winner Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz), Ogi is the second Japanese woman to win a Rock 'n' Roll-brand half marathon this year. Japanese men also fared decently in Virginia Beach, taking five of the top ten spots led by 5000 m and 30 km national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) in 1:03:57 for 4th behind Kenyan Yusuf Songoka's 1:02:46 winning performance. Click here to read the official press release on Songoka and Ogi's wins.

Across the ocean, formerly Japan-based Africans took both of the top spots at the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon where 2009 World Half Marathon 4th placer Caroline Kilel Cheptanui (Kenya) won the women's race in a quick 1:09:11 and Hailu Mekonnen (Ethiopia) the men's race in 1:01:53. Yoshio Koide-trained Julia Mumbi (Kenya) was 4th in the women's race, just ahead of Japanese runners Hiroko Shoi (Team Nihon ChemiCon) and Megumi Seike (Team Sysmex). Shingo Mishima was the only Japanese man to crack the top ten, 7th in 1:05:21.

2010 Rock 'n' Roll Virgina Beach Half Marathon
click here for complete results
Women
1. Madoka Ogi (Team Juhachi Ginko) - 1:14:17
2. Fiona Docherty (New Zealand) - 1:15:39
3. Lyubov Denisova (Russia) - 1:16:45
4. Constantina Dita (Romania) - 1:17:20
5. Jane Kibii (Kenya) - 1:17:54

Men
1. Yusuf Songoka (Kenya) - 1:02:46
2. Patrick Ivuti (Kenya) - 1:02:51
3. Tesfaye Sendeku (Ethiopia) - 1:03:09
4. Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) - 1:03:57
5. Kirui Kiprotich (Kenya) - 1:04:31
6. Shota Yamaguchi (Japan) - 1:05:02
7. Keita Akiba (Team Komori Corp.) - 1:05:16
8. Hisanori Kitajima (Japan) - 1:05:52
9. John Crews (U.S.A.) - 1:06:23
10. Hiroaki Onishi (Japan) - 1:07:26

2010 Great Scottish Run Half Marathon
click here for complete results
Women
1. Caroline Kilel Cheptanui (Kenya) - 1:09:11
2. Eyerusalem Kuma (Ethiopia) - 1:11:15
3. Etalemahu Kidane (Ethiopia) - 1:11:25
4. Julia Mumbi (Kenya/Team Universal Ent.) - 1:12:42
5. Hiroko Shoi (Team Nihon ChemiCon) - 1:13:07
6. Megumi Seike (Team Sysmex) - 1:13:29
7. Johanna Van Schalkwyk (South Africa) - 1:14:45

Men
1. Hailu Mekonnen (Ethiopia) - 1:01:53
2. Jason Mbote (Kenya) - 1:01:58
3. Modike Mohale (South Africa) - 1:03:20
4. Samuel Gichochi (Kenya) - 1:03:21
5. Tsegezeab Woldemichael (Eritrea) - 1:03:47
6. Tsegai Tewelde (Eritrea) - 1:05:20
7. Shingo Mishima (Japan) - 1:05:21

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
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