Skip to main content

Honda Runners Fujiwara and Ishikawa 9-10 in Berlin Marathon

by Brett Larner

photo by Dr. Helmut Winter

2010 Tokyo Marathon winner and collegiate/debut marathon national record holder Masakazu Fujiwara (Team Honda) had a minor breakthrough at the 2012 Berlin Marathon, breaking 2:12 for the first time since his 2:08:12 marathon debut in 2003 to take 9th place, the first non-Kenyan finisher. Setting out at mid-2:08 pace, Fujiwara and 2:11 men Suehiro Ishikawa (Team Honda) and Atsushi Ikawa (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) ran together, fading off that seemingly reasonable pace as a group with each passing 5 km split even as the lead pack spearheaded by eventual winner Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya) accelerated. Ishikawa, who debuted in 2:11:14 at March's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, briefly ran into trouble just before 30 km but quickly recovered. After 32 km it was Ikawa, coached by 2:06 man Takayuki Inubushi, who faded, 24 seconds behind Fujiwara and Ishikawa by 35 km.

Just as Mutai was non-battling debuting 25 km world record holder Dennis Kimetto (25 km) down the home straight for the win in 2:04:15, Fujiwara broke away from teammate Ishikawa before 40 km to head in to the finish without pressure.  Ishikawa took 10th in 2:11:46 while far behind him Ikawa faded badly to 16th, finishing in a career-worst 2:14:20.  In the women's race 2010 Nagoya International Women's Marathon winner Yuri Kano (Team Shiseido) took an introduction on the starting line but did not record even a 5 km split.  In her absence, the top Japanese woman was Yuka Aikawa, 18th in 2:49:52.

2012 Berlin Marathon
Berlin, Germany, 9/30/12
click here for complete results

Men
1. Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya) - 2:04:15
2. Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) - 2:04:16 - debut
3. Geoffrey Kipsang (Kenya) - 2:06:12 - debut
4. Nicholas Kamakya (Kenya) - 2:08:28
5. Josphat Keiyo (Kenya) - 2:08:41
6. Jonathan Maiyo (Kenya) - 2:09:19
7. Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) - 2:09:59
8. Felix Keny (Kenya) - 2:10:22
9. Masakazu Fujiwara (Team Honda) - 2:11:31
10. Suehiro Ishikawa (Team Honda) - 2:11:46
-----
16. Atsushi Ikawa (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:14:20

Women
1. Aberu Kebede (Ethiopia) - 2:20:30
2. Tirfi Tsegaye (Ethiopia) - 2:21:19
3. Olena Shurhno (Ukraine) - 2:23:32
4. Flomena Chepchirchir (Kenya) - 2:24:56
5. Fate Tola (Ethiopia) - 2:25:14
6. Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia) - 2:28:45
7. Caroline Chepkwnoy (Kenya) - 2:30:34
8. Anna Hahner (Germany) - 2:30:37
9. Sonia Samuels (GBR) - 2:30:56
10. Degefa Biruktayit (Ethiopia) - 2:33:27
-----
DNF - Yuri Kano (Team Shiseido)

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

photo (c) 2012 Dr. Helmut Winter
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

CHN and JPN National Records Go Down - Weekend Track Update

There weren't any Japanese athletes in action at the Rabat Diamond League meet Sunday, but 2 lower-tier domestic meets produced new national records. At the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama, Samuel Kibathi (Toyota) led the top 5 in the men's 10000 m under 28 minutes in 27:39.97. In 3rd, China's Wenjie Wang took just over a second off his own NR from the same meet last year, setting a new record of 27:47.53. His teammate Haoran Tang was 6th in a 28:27.44 PB, with the top Japanese time in the race being a 28:33.39 for 8th from Jin Yuasa (Toyota). Amazingly, Wang and Tang were back the next day on day 2 of the Nittai meet, Wang running a PB of 13:35.58 for 4th in the A-heat and Tang winning the B-heat in a PB of 13:38.80. Isaac Ndiema took the A-heat in 13:26.49, with the fastest Japanese time going to Yuhei Urano (Fujitsu) with a 13:35.94 for 5th behind Wang. Other Nittai highlights: Deborah Chemutai (Univ. Ent.) won a photo finish against Yua Nagamori ...
1 comment
Read more

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox  for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...
82 comments
Read more

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
Post a Comment
Read more