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'Morita Signs Up for Brighton'

A Brighton Marathon press release

The Brighton Marathon will be breaking new ground when Japan’s Tomoyuki Morita lines up on April 6. Morita is the first Japanese athlete to compete in the race which celebrates its fifth edition this year. He joins a quality line-up as the Brighton Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label event, welcomes its most outstanding men’s elite field to date.

With a personal best of 2:09:12, Morita is the second fastest in a race that features four men who have run faster than the course record of 2:10:46. Kenya’s William Chebor, 31, heads the line-up. He clocked 2:08:21 in Turin three years ago and comes to Brighton off the back of his most recent win in Jakarta last October.

Morita, 29, who set his lifetime best at Lake Biwa in 2012, will also clash with course record holder, Dominic Kangor of Kenya. Morita’s half marathon best of 61:55 stems from Marugame 2012.
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For more information contact: Press Officer Michael Butcher michael.butcher@groundedevents.co.uk (Mobile 07801 826 593)

Additional information: Morita is coached by national record holder Toshinari Takaoka at the Kanebo corporate team.  His PB of 2:09:12 was the fourth-fastest debut marathon by a Japanese man.    The Kanebo corporation, a cosmetics manufacturer, was involved in a scandal last summer involving one of its products causing skin rashes.  As a sign of atonement to the public, Kanebo corporate management barred all of its sponsored athletes from competing until the end of the fiscal year on Mar. 31, 2014.  Morita will waste no time in getting back to racing just six days after the end of the team suspension.

MEN’S ELITE FIELD
William Chebor KEN 2:08:21
Tomoyuki Morita JPN 2:09:12
Raymond Kandie KEN 2:09:23
Belete Mekonen ETH 2:10:34
Dominic Kangor KEN 2:10:46
Wilfred Murgor KEN 2:11:41
Kidane Abdi ETH 2:12:57
Giovanni Ruggiero ITA 2:13:23
Pat Rizzo USA 2:13:42
Robert Langat KEN debut
Andrew Lesuuda KEN debut
Ian Kimpton GBR debut

WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD
Hellen Mugo KEN 2:27:16
Tanith Maxwell RSA 2:32:33
Alice Milgo KEN 2:37:06
Purity Kimetto KEN 2:37:20
Selam Abere ETH 2:36:08
Rebecca Robinson GBR 2:37:14
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