Kawauchi Joins Elite Club of 11+ Sub-2:10 Marathoners

by Brett Larner

With his 2:09:54 at Sunday's Ehime Marathon Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) became the fifteenth runner in history to run sub-2:10 eleven times or more in his career. The achievement puts him in distinguished company, including two marathon world record setters, seven Olympic marathon medalists, seven World Championships marathon medalists, three World Marathon Majors champions and eight winners of the six races now making up the World Marathon Majors.

Kawauchi is one of only three non-African athletes to make the list, one of four on the list without either an Olympic or World Championships medal or a win at one of the Big Six, one of four to have not broken 2:07, and, with a PB of 2:08:14, the only one who has not run sub-2:08. A sub-2:08 PB and a World Championships medal remain the major goals of his career.

Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) - 16 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:04:38
2013 World Marathon Majors champion
1st, 2013 London Marathon
1st, 2012 Chicago Marathon
1st, 2010 London Marathon
bronze, 2009 Berlin World Championships
bronze, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) - 14 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:03:14
2011 World Marathon Majors champion
1st, 2011 London Marathon
silver, 2009 Berlin World Championships

Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) - 14 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:05:27
silver, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
gold, 2005 Helsinki World Championships
gold, 2003 Paris World Championships

Yemane Tsegay (Ethiopia) - 13 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:04:48
silver, 2015 Beijing World Championships

Feyisa Lelisa (Ethiopia) - 13 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:04:52
silver, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games
1st, 2016 Tokyo Marathon
bronze, 2011 Daegu World Championships

Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Morocco) - 13 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:06:46
1st, 2001 London Marathon
1st, 2000 New York City Marathon
1st, 1999 London Marathon

Stefano Baldini (Italy) - 13 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:07:22
gold, 2006 Goteborg European Championships
gold, 2004 Athens Olympic Games
bronze, 2003 Paris World Championships
bronze, 2001 Edmonton World Championships
gold, 1998 Budapest European Championships

Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) - 12 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:03:13
world record setter
2014 World Marathon Majors champion
1st, 2014 New York City Marathon
1st, 2014 London Marathon
1st, 2013 Berlin Marathon
bronze, 2012 London Olympic Games
1st, 2012 London Marathon

Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) - 12 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:03:59
2-time world record setter
1st, 2009 Berlin Marathon
1st, 2008 Berlin Marathon
1st, 2007 Berlin Marathon
1st, 2006 Berlin Marathon

Sammy Korir (Kenya) - 12 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:04:56

Bernard Kiprop (Kenya) - 12 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:06:19

Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 11 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:05:04
1st, 2016 Chicago Marathon
silver, 2012 London Olympic Games
gold, 2011 Daegu World Championships
gold, 2009 Berlin World Championships

Benson Barus (Kenya) - 11 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:07:07

Bong-ju Lee (South Korea) - 11 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:07:20
gold, 2002 Busan Asian Games
1st, 2001 Boston Marathon
gold, 1998 Bangkok Asian Games
silver, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

Yuki Kawauchi (Japan) - 11 times sub-2:10

PB: 2:08:14
bronze, 2014 Incheon Asian Games

How Things Played Out - Hakone, Marathon Development, Where Things Went, and What's Still Ahead

Four and a half years ago JRN published a look at 20 years' worth of the Hakone Ekiden and the relationship between development at the university level on Japan's Hakone circuit and later success in the marathon. There are a lot more important things going on right now, but, since we've got some time on our hands, let's follow up on where things have gone since then and what might still be ahead.

In the original article I wrote, "In the next 4-6 years we are going to see a lot more Japanese marathoners running fast times, the first really significant overall change in Japanese men's marathoning since Barcelona ('92).....Once that ball gets rolling we should see an impact on the all-time marathon lists and when that happens you are talking real times. There's nothing to suggest Japanese men are going to start running 2:03 or 2:04 marathons, but given the numbers involved 2:07 and 2:08 should become normal, with 2:06 in range of the top men the way 2:07…

Osaka Governor Admits "It Would be Pretty Difficult" to Put On Osaka Marathon This Year

Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, 44, appeared remotely on a morning news talk show on May 31. Asked by one of the hosts whether the Nov. 29 Osaka Marathon, one of the world's ten largest marathons, would be held this year, Yoshimura answered, "I think it would be pretty difficult this year, but the organizers are in the final stages of their decision-making process. They will make an announcement soon."

Held annually since its launch in 2011, this year the Osaka Marathon is set to celebrate its tenth edition and its first running as a World Athletics label race. As mayor of the city of Osaka Yoshimura himself ran and finished the 2017 race. With a new course finishing at Osaka Castle Park, last year's race had 32,989 finishers. With that number of people it is likely that they would come into close proximity to each other at the start in front of the Osaka Metropolitan Government offices.

"We are in discussion with all involved parties," said Yoshimura. …

Ageo City Half Marathon Canceled - AGU Coach Hara Calls for "Medical Worker Support Half Marathon" Instead

On June 2, the organizers of the Nov. 15 Ageo City Half Marathon announced that this year's race has been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Every year Ageo attracts hundreds of collegiate runners hoping to impress their coaches over the distance and have a chance of making their Hakone Ekiden dreams come true. Marathon national record holder Suguru Osako showed his talent there in 2010, winning Ageo his first year at Waseda University in a still-standing Asian junior record 1:01:47. Since the 2011 race, every year the top two Japanese collegiate finishers have been invited to run March's NYC Half Marathon. This year Ageo was certified by World Athletics as a world-class event, but its cancelation means that a key part of the fall season has been lost.

Susumu Hara, the outspoken head coach of this year's Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University, was quick to take to Twitter to comment. "One of the most important fall university races, the Ageo Half, …

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