Skip to main content

JAAF Announces Marathon Teams for London World Championships

by Brett Larner

In a livestreamed press conference in Tokyo on Mar. 17 the JAAF announced the women's and men's marathon teams for this summer's London World Championships.  With four selection races each for the three spots on the women's and men's teams the JAAF went with the best balance they could have achieved between quality and fairness.

Making the grade on the women's team were Nagoya Women's Marathon 2nd and 3rd-placers Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) and Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) and Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya), all three with PBs under 2:24.  Osaka runner-up Misato Horie (Team Noritz) was named alternate.

On the men's side, the team consists of Fukuoka International Marathon 3rd-placer Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't), Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon winner Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki) and Tokyo Marathon 8th-placer Hiroto Inoue (Team MHPS).  All three have broken 2:09.  10th in Tokyo, Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Team Konica Minolta) was chosen as alternate.

Detailed profiles of all eight athletes:

Women

Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC)
Age: 23
PB: 2:21:36 (2nd, 2017 Nagoya Women's Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 2nd, 2017 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:21:36
  • 4th, 2016 Hokuren Distance Challenge Abashiri 10000 m, 31:58.71
  • 10th, 2016 Cardiff World Half Marathon Championships, 1:10:34
  • 1st, 2016 National Women's Ekiden 1st Stage (6.0 km), 19:19
  • 4th, 2015 Sanyo Ladies Half Marathon, 1:09:51


Risa Shigetomo (Tenmaya)
Age: 29
PB: 2:23:23 (1st, 2012 Osaka International Women's Marathon)
Qualifying Time: 2:24:22 (1st, 2017 Osaka International Women's Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 1st, 2017 Osaka International Women's Marathon, 2:24:22
  • 14th, 2015 Beijing World Championships Marathon, 2:32:37
  • 2nd, 2015 Osaka International Women's Marathon, 2:26:39
  • 76th, 2012 London Olympics Marathon, 2:40:06
  • 1st, 2012 Osaka International Women's Marathon, 2:23:23


Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC)
Age: 23
PB: 2:23:47 (3rd, 2017 Nagoya Women's Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 3rd, 2017 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:23:47
  • 5th, 2016 Valencia Half Marathon, 1:11:07
  • 4th, 2016 Nagoya Women's Marathon, 2:24:32
  • 8th, 2015 Valencia Half Marathon, 1:10:31
  • 2nd, 2015 Marugame International Half Marathon, 1:10:59


Alternate: Misato Horie (Noritz)
Age: 30
PB: 2:25:44 (2nd, 2017 Osaka International Women's Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 2nd, 2017 Osaka International Women's Marathon, 2:25:44
  • 11th, 2016 Usti nad Labem Half Marathon, 1:14:05
  • 1st, 2016 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, 2:26:40 - CR
  • 2nd, 2016 Osaka International Women's Marathon, 2:28:20
  • 1st, 2014 Shibetsu Half Marathon, 1:14:37


Men

Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't)
Age: 30
PB: 2:08:14 (4th, 2013 Seoul International Marathon)
Qualifying Time: 2:09:11 (3rd, 2016 Fukuoka International Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 1st, 2017 Ehime Marathon, 2:09:54 - CR
  • 3rd, 2016 Fukuoka International Marathon, 2:09:11
  • 2nd, 2016 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, 2:09:01
  • 1st, 2016 Okinoshima Ultra 50 km, 2:44:07 - NR
  • 1st, 2016 Zurich Marathon, 2:12:04


Hiroto Inoue (MHPS)
Age: 24
PB: 2:08:22 (8th, 2017 Tokyo Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 8th, 2017 Tokyo Marathon, 2:08:22
  • 9th, 2016 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, 2:12:56
  • 1st, 2014 Kanto Region University Half Marathon Championships, 1:04:07
  • 36th, 2014 Copenhagen World Half Marathon Championships, 1:02:25
  • 3rd, 2014 Marugame International Half Marathon, 1:01:39


Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki)
Age: 34
PB: 2:08:35 (2nd, 2013 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon)
Qualifying Time: 2:09:32 (1st, 2017 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 1st, 2017 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, 2:09:32
  • 5th, 2013 Moscow World Championships Marathon, 2:10:50
  • 2nd, 2013 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, 2:08:35
  • 6th, 2012 London Olympics Marathon, 2:11:16
  • 4th, 2012 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, 2:08:53


Alternate: Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Konica Minolta)
Age: 31
PB: 2:09:12 (10th, 2017 Tokyo Marathon)

Career Highlights:
  • 10th, 2017 Tokyo Marathon, 2:09:12
  • 4th, 2016 New York City Marathon, 2:11:49
  • 1st 2016 New Year Ekiden 5th Stage (15.8 km), 46:58
  • 3rd, 2014 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, 2:11:48
  • 28th, 2013 Marugame International Half Marathon, 1:02:43

© 2017 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Kakaroto said…
I like Yuta Shitara, young promise future in marathon!!!!

Most-Read This Week

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

  Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...

Monterey Welcomes Student-Athletes from Sister City Nanao, Japan

a press release by the Monterey-Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project photos here Fourteen student-athletes from Nanao High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, recently completed a weeklong visit to the Monterey Peninsula as part of the Monterey–Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project , bringing together young people from the two Sister Cities through running, education, environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and friendship. The seven boys and seven girls from Nanao were paired with 14 members of the Monterey High School cross country team and stayed in their homes throughout the visit. The week marked the first half of a reciprocal exchange that will continue when the Monterey students travel to Nanao later this year. The visitors received their first introduction to Monterey shortly after arriving at Monterey High School, walking with their hosts to Sister City Park and gathering for photographs beside the sign honoring Nanao — a fitting beginning for a week devoted to bringin...