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

Osako Criticizes People Who Think He Is Doping, Calling Them "Really Simple-Minded"

On Nov. 10, men's marathon national record holder Suguru Osako took to Twitter to lash out at people who suspect him of doping. Sponsored by Nike, Osako was a longtime member of the Nike Oregon Project team. The team's head coach Alberto Salazar was recently suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for four years as the result of an investigation into his misuse of restricted substances and methods.

Osako posted his opinions on his Twitter account @sugurusako at 8:46 a.m. on Nov. 10, denying that he has doped. "It seems like people seem to think that what happened with the Oregon Project means that I'm already guilty of doping, but anyone who thinks that way is really, really simple-minded," he wrote. "My coach never even once told me to take drugs or get injections that I didn't understand, and I've checked every single supplement and throat lozenge that's gone in my mouth."

At the Nike Oregon Project Osako was not coached…

Shitara to Go For National Record in Tokyo: "I Care About the 100 Million Yen Bonus More Than the Olympics"

In his first race since finishing 14th at the Sept. 15 MGC Race Olympic marathon trials, former marathon national record holder Yuta Shitara (Honda) ran the Nov. 3 East Japan Corporate Men's Ekiden, finishing 2nd on its Third Stage. "Even if you're tired, that's no excuse," he said. "I went to the starting line with confidence and ran the best I could according to how I'm feeling right now."

There's a lot of attention right now on the last remaining spot on the 2020 Olympic marathon team. The first two spots were secured by the 1st and 2nd-placers at the MGC Race, Shogo Nakamura (Fujitsu) and Yuma Hattori (Toyota). To claim the last remaining spot, someone has to break the Japanese national record and run at least 2:05:49 at this winter's Fukuoka International Marathon, Tokyo Marathon or Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon. If nobody succeeds, the spot will go to MGC 3rd-placer and current national record holder Suguru Osako (ex-Nike Oregon Project…

2020 Olympics Men’s Marathon Date to Be Changed

Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee head Yoshiro Mori attended meetings in Sapporo Nov. 7 with Hokkaido governor Naomichi Suzuki and Sapporo mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto to ask them for their support and cooperation in holding the Olympic marathons and race walk events in Sapporo after the IOC dictated that this happen. Indicating for the first time that neither the city nor prefecture would be asked to pay for the events, Mori said, “We want to make sure that there is no burden placed upon Hokkaido.”

At a meeting about the road events’ forced move to Sapporo between the IOC, national government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Olympics organizing committee on Nov. 1, it was agreed that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government would not shoulder the costs of the IOC’s decree. The IOC had said that Hokkaido and Sapporo should share in paying for the cost of the events’ relocation, but in the meeting with Mori on Nov. 7 the Governor and Mayor reiterated their position that, “It is the …

japan running news

Search This Blog