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Obare Wins Matsue Ladies' Half

by Brett Larner

 2010 Matsue Ladies Half Marathon winner Doricah Obare (Kenya/Team Hitachi) returned to the top Mar. 17, winning the 2013 edition of the race in 1:11:11.  Doubling as the National University Women's Half Marathon Championships and the selection race for the Japanese women's half marathon squad for this summer's World University Games, Obare was up against an almost entire collegiate field and saw tough competition from Yasuka Ueno (Tsukuba Univ.), who challenged for the win before falling back and taking 2nd in 1:11:30.  Ayako Mitsui of 2012 national champion Ritsumeikan University and Meijo University ace Aki Odagiri rounded out the collegiate top three to secure themselves places on the World University Games team, while last year's winner Ayame Takaki (Meijo Univ.) was only 26th.  Ayumi Hagiwara (Team Uniqlo) took the 10 km division in 33:19.

2013 Matsue Ladies Half Marathon
National University Women's Half Marathon Championships
Matsue, 3/17/13
click here for complete results

Half Marathon
1. Doricah Obare (Kenya/Team Hitachi) - 1:11:11
2. Yasuka Ueno (Tsukuba Univ.) - 1:11:30
3. Ayako Mitsui (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 1:12:28
4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 1:12:58
5. Yukiko Okuno (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 1:13:05
6. Hitomi Suzuki (Tamagawa Univ.) - 1:13:16
7. Aiko Sakata (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 1:13:26
8. Maki Ashi (Nittai Univ.) - 1:13:29
9. Kana Orino (Osaka Geidai Univ.) - 1:13:38
10. Hiromi Hikida (Nittai Univ.) - 1:13:40

10 km
1. Ayumi Hagiwara (Team Uniqlo) - 33:19
2. Misato Yamaguchi (Team Hokuren) - 34:56
3. Maria Tanaka (Hirata H.S.) - 35:23

(c) 2013 Brett Larner
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