Skip to main content

Igarashi Breaks Katsuta Marathon Course Record

by Brett Larner

29-year-old Shingo Igarashi, a former Subaru corporate runner now working as an assistant coach for Josai University's Hakone Ekiden team, ran a PB 2:13:15 to break the 16-year-old course record at the 64th edition of the Katsuta Marathon, one of Japan's biggest marathons.  Igarashi and Naoki Inoue ran alone out front of the field, accompanied a short way by veteran corporate runner Norio Kamijo, but Igarashi, running his third marathon in just over two months, proved to have the best command of the course's hilly sections as he dropped both competitors to seal the win.  Igarashi's time was a PB by 31 seconds and took over a minute and a half off the 2:14:54 course record.  Inoue just missed joining him under the record, taking 2nd in a solid 2:15:05, with Kamijo fading to 2:20:15 for 3rd.

The women's race saw local Hitachi corporate runners go 1-2, Kana Kurosawa getting the win in 2:43:40 over teammate Yuka Mikami, who ran 2:46:22.  Just behind Mikami, local amateur Minami Yamanouchi (Runs AC), who made headlines for fast marathons in high school, took 3rd in 2:46:45.

Local runners from Suijo H.S. won the 10 km, Katsuya Kawasumi taking the men's race in 30:17 and Ryo Koido the women's race in an impressive 33:30.

64th Katsuta Marathon
Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, 1/31/16

Men's Marathon
1. Shingo Igarashi (Josai Univ. Coaching Staff) - 2:13:15 - CR, PB
2. Naoki Inoue (unattached) - 2:15:05
3. Norio Kamijo (Omokawa Zaimokuten) - 2:20:15

Women's Marathon
1. Kana Kurosawa (Hitachi) - 2:43:40
2. Yuka Mikami (Hitachi) - 2:46:22
3. Minami Yamanouchi (Runs AC) - 2:46:45

Men's 10 km
1. Katsuya Kawasumi (Suijo H.S.) - 30:17
2. Takuma Nagai (unattached) - 31:04
3. Tomohiko Oka (Hitachi Kogyo H.S.) - 31:04

Women's 10 km
1. Ryo Koido (Suijo H.S.) - 33:30
2. Risa Kikuchi (Hitachi) - 34:24
3. Mari Tayama (Hitachi) - 34:25

© 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31