Skip to main content

Seoul International Marathon - Japanese Results

by Brett Larner

Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) returned to the race where he set his 2:08:14 PB two years ago, running the Dong-A Seoul International Marathon in South Korea on Mar. 15.  As Kenyan Wilson Loyanae Erupe, returning from a two-year ban for EPO, led an all-African lead pack to a 2:06:11 win, Kawauchi, working his way back from injuries originating with a sprained ankle in December, ran in the second pack with South Korea's Yu Seung Yeup and Sim Joung Seu on mid-2:12 pace.  After a slower split from 30 to 35 km Yeup dropped a surge that neither Seu nor Kawauchi could follow, running alone over the last 5 km to take 14th in 2:13:10.  Seu and Kawauchi stayed together through 40 km before Seu kicked for 15th in 2:13:28, Kawauchi coming through 5 seconds back in 2:13:33 in the fastest time he has run so far this year.

In the women's race Ethiopian Guteni Shone Imana pulled away from the lead pack near halfway, soloing the second half to win in 2:26:22.  Starting more conservatively, local Kim Seong Eun and China's Xueqin Wang ran down the pack after 30 km to take 2nd and 3rd in 2:28:20 and 2:28:39.  Japan's Megumi Amako (Canon AC Kyushu) likewise started easy and advanced late in the race to take 6th in 2:34:28.  Kaori Yoshida, returning from her own EPO ban, started in the same pack as Eun and Wang but slowed dramatically to 12th in 2:37:37.

Dong-A Seoul International Marathon
Seoul, South Korea, 3/15/15
click here for complete results

Men
1. Wilson Loyanae Erupe (Kenya) - 2:06:11
2. Felix Kipchirchir Kiprotich (Kenya) - 2:06:59
3. Jacob Kibet (Kenya) - 2:07:47
4. Dadi Yami Gemeda (Ethiopia) - 2:08:05
5. Abreham Cherkos (Ethiopia) - 2:08:14
6. Yakob Jarso (Ethiopia) - 2:09:38
7. Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) - 2:10:11
8. Sammy Kigen (Kenya) - 2:10:36
9. Berhanu Shiferaw (Ethiopia) - 2:11:01
10. Tadesse Abraham (Switzerland) - 2:11:37
-----
16. Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 2:13:33

Women
1. Guteni Shone Imana (Ethiopia) - 2:26:22
2. Kim Seong Eun (South Korea) - 2:28:20
3. Xueqin Wang (China) - 2:28:39
4. Chao Yue (China) - 2:29:26
5. Chaltu Chimdesa Kumsa (Ethiopia) - 2:30:28
6. Megumi Amako (Japan/Canon AC Kyushu) - 2:34:28
7. Kim Jie Un (South Korea) - 2:34:41
8. Megertu Ifa Geletu (Ethiopia) - 2:34:52
9. Lee Suk Jeong (South Korea) - 2:35:25
10. Lim Eun Ha (South Korea) - 2:35:41
-----
12. Kaori Yoshida (Japan) - 2:37:37

(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Arao Becomes 1st Man in 40 Years to Score Back-to-Back Ome Road Race Wins

30 km is an under-appreciated distance, and both of Japan's big races at that distance happened Sunday. At the Ome Road Race in western Tokyo's mountains, Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao (ND Software) became the first man since the great Kunimitsu Ito in 1985-1986 to win back-to-back years. Arao, who finished 39th of 40 on his leg at the New Year Ekiden last month, stayed in the pack through 20 km before going on the attack, putting over a minute on New Year Ekiden Sixth Stage CR breaker Yudai Shimazu (GMO). Sub-1:31 winning times are rare on the tough and hilly Ome course, but Arao's 1:30:54 almost equaled his 1:30:50 from last year, making him the first Japanese man ever to do it twice and second only to CR holder Ezekiel Cheboitibin . Next up Arao races the Tokyo Marathon, where he is targeting sub-2:06. Shimazu was 2nd in 1:31:58 and Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) 3rd in 1:32:07. Cheboitibin was only 9th, running almost 8 minutes off his CR in 1:36:42. Shi...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field

Last year's top 3 Sheila Chepkirui , Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba are back for this year's Nagoya Women's Marathon on Mar. 8, but things are being set up more for it to be a race between Chepkirui, 2:17:49 in Berlin 2023, Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda , 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024. Aynalem has the freshest sub-2:20 of the 3, with neither Chepkirui nor Maeda having done it in 2 years. Maeda's only recent result is a 1:10:07 from Houston last month, but when she ran her NR she didn't have any kind of tuneup race to indicate her fitness so it's probably best not to read too much into that. If it goes out as a 2:18 race those are the only 3 who can probably hang with it. If it turns out to be more of a 2:20 race like when Chepkirui won in 2:20:40 last year then there's a group of 7 at the 2:20-2:22 level who will be in the picture, including Chumba, Selly Chep...

'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 .