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London World Championships Marathoner Shigetomo Tunes Up in Hakodate

A month out from the London World Championships, women's marathon team member Risa Shigetomo (Tenmaya) tuned up with her first road race since winning January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, lining up at Hokkaido's Hakodate Half Marathon. Running in the second pack with 2015 winner Asami Kato (Panasonic) and last year's winner Hiroko Miyauchi (Hokuren), Shigetomo took 6th in 1:14:38.

3rd the last two years, Yuko Mizuguchi (Denso) scored the win in 1:13:37 over Reia Iwade (Dome) and Miharu Shimokado (Nitori), both still adjusting to recent team and coaching changes. London team alternate Misato Horie (Noritz) was also in action in Hokkaido later the same day, running 16:21.77 for 10th in the women's 5000 m at the season's first Hokuren Distance Challenge meet in Shibetsu.

In the men's race in Hakodate last year's top three shuffled positions to sweep the podium again. 2nd last year, Charles Ndungu (Komori Corp.) got the better of defending champ Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) and 2015 winner / last year's 3rd-placer Michael Githae (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) to score his first win in 1:02:40 by just 4 seconds over sub-60 man Kuira. Local boy Masato Kikuchi (Konica Minolta) was the top Japanese man at 4th in 1:04:50.

After moving from a mid-fall to early summer race date, last year Hakodate added a full marathon to its schedule. Participation numbers in the full were down this year, but Shun Imamura (Press Kogyo) took over four minutes off the men's course record to win in 2:22:37. Amateur Asami Kagawa (Asahikawa RC) won the women's race in 3:08:42, 22 minutes slower than last year's winning time.

27th Hakodate Half Marathon

Hakodate, Hokkaido, 7/2/17
click here for complete results

Women's Half Marathon
1. Yuko Mizuguchi (Denso) - 1:13:37
2. Reia Iwade (Dome) - 1:13:50
3. Miharu Shimokado (Nitori) - 1:13:55
4. Asami Kato (Panasonic) - 1:14:13
5. Hiroko Miyauchi (Hokuren) - 1:14:27
6. Risa Shigetomo (Tenmaya) - 1:14:38

Men's Half Marathon
1. Charles Ndungu (Komori Corp.) - 1:02:40
2. Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) - 1:02:44
3. Michael Githae (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:03:24
4. Masato Kikuchi (Konica Minolta) - 1:04:50
5. Fumihiro Maruyama (Asahi Kasei) - 1:05:04
6. Yuki Oshikawa (Toyota Kyushu) - 1:05:06

Women's Marathon
1. Asami Kagawa (Asahikawa RC) - 3:08:42

Men's Marathon
1. Shun Imamura (Press Kogyo) - 2:22:37 - CR

© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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