Skip to main content

Fujita 7th, Tamura 9th at Boston Marathon

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201204/2012041700066&g=spo
http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201204/2012041700070&g=spo

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Mayumi Fujita (Team Juhachi Ginko) finished 7th at the 2012 Boston Marathon, giving herself a modest assessment as she said, "The conditions were really bad, so more than being a measurement of my own ability I was just lucky to finish."  Due to the heat at this year's Boston the race got off at a very slow pace.  Fujita opted to handle the situation by running steadily in hopes that, "by waiting and hanging on it would be first-come-first-serve at the finish."  Letting the pack go when the pace accelerated, in the later stages of the race she picked off other athletes one by one as she advanced through the field, ultimately finishing as the first non-African.  Looking to the future she said, "I'd like to become more competitive.  I think I can get to the 2:26-2:27 level."

Making his marathon debut, Hideaki Tamura (Team JR Higashi Nihon) was 9th after bravely running in the front pack in his marathon debut.  In conditions that were "a lot hotter than I expected," Tamura ran most of the race in the lead pack.  Even after falling of the pack in the second half he continued to run strongly.  "I told myself to keep hanging on, and I think I ran a pretty honest race," he said afterward.

The 23-year-old Tamura ran the Hakone Ekiden as a student at Tokyo Nogyo University, entering Team JR Higashi Nihon last year.  He won February's Ome 30 km, leading to his marathon debut in Boston.  Of his future plans he said, "My goal is the Olympics."

Comments

TokyoRacer said…
Two other Japanese came in 17th and 18th — Shinozaki in abt. 2:26 and Hayasaka in abt. 2:27.
They were not far behind Gebremariam, who ran 2:23.
However, they were beaten by two 40-year-olds in 15th and 16th.

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Etir Breaks Marugame CR, Catrofe Sets Uruguay NR, Omare 3rd-Straight Win

On the one hand it was too windy for really fast times at the Marugame Half , but on the other it wasn't, apparently. It was pretty much a strong tailwind over the first 10 km and just a strong a headwind over the last 10, so it wasn't a surprise that the lead group of men went through 5 km in 13:59 and 10 km in 27:51. Up front in it were 59:30 collegiate record co-holders Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara , and sub-59:30 guy Emmanuel Maru . But with the National University Half Marathon having moved to Marugame last year there were a million fast Hakone kids up in it to, Hiromichi Nonaka from Koku Gakuin University leading the way but lots more right behind. Etir and Maru opened up on the field after the turnaround, and by 15 km Etir was alone, 9 seconds ahead of Maru and on sub-59 pace running into the wind. Like everyone else he struggled to keep pace in the wind, sub-59 slipping away but easily taking the win in 59:07, a CR and new collegiate record by 23 seconds. Maru e...

Marugame, Beppu-Oita and More - Weekend Preview

After the Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon last weekend Japan's winter road season rolls on with 3 big races Sunday. The Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon has a good field up front in the women's race with 5 runners, Eilish McColgan , Dolphine Omare , Isobel Batt-Doyle , Charlotte Purdue and Yuka Ando , with sub-1:09 bests and the debut of #1 collegiate runner Sarah Wanjiru of Daito Bunka University . 3 men in Marugame have recent sub-60 times, Emmanuel Maru , Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara leading the way. Shinohara was one of 2 Japanese men to break 60 at Marugame last year and missed the NR by 3 seconds in 59:30. After a 42:53 CR on his 15.3 km leg at the New Year Ekiden on Jan.1, 45:06 pace for 10 miles, he's looking to pick up at least another 4 seconds this time around. 14 other men in the field are at the 60-minute level, and Chuo University 's sub-28 10000 m runner Yamato Hamaguchi is making a highly anticip...