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Hattori Becomes Third-Straight Japanese Men's Sydney Marathon Winner

Following within 24 hours of Yuki Kawauchi's win at the BMW Oslo Marathon and Yuta Shitara's national record at the Usti nad Labem Half Marathon, Shota Hattori (Honda) made it an overseas hat trick for men from Japan's Saitama prefecture when he won the Sydney Marathon in 2:15:16. Having debuted at February's Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon with a 2:14:19 for 2nd, Hattori outlasted Ethiopian Werkuneh Seyoum Aboye, Kenyan Sammy Kigen Korir (Kenya) and compatriot Ryoma Takeuchi (Hitachi Butsuryu) to become the third-straight Japanese men's Sydney champ, winning by a margin of 20 seconds over Aboye.


No Japanese women made the podium in the marathon, but in the accompanying half marathon both the men's and women's races saw Japanese runners-up. In the men's race Kiyotaka Sasaki was 9 seconds off winner Thomas Do Canto (Australia), 2nd in 1:05:09. Eriko Kushima (Noritz) ran 1:17:19 for 2nd in the women' race, 23 seconds behind winner Lauren Reid (Australia).


Blackmores Sydney Running Festival

Sydney, Australia, 9/17/17
click here for complete results

Men's Marathon
1. Shota Hattori (Japan/Honda) - 2:15:16
2. Werkuneh Seyoum Aboye (Ethiopia) - 2:15:36
3. Sammy Kigen Korir (Kenya) - 2:15:54
4. Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan/Hitachi Butsuryu) - 2:16:00
5. Allan Kipkorir Kiprono (Kenya) - 2:17:45

Women's Marathon
1. Makda Harun Haji (Ethiopia) - 2:28:06 - CR
2. Bornes Jepkirui Kitur (Kenya) - 2:29:01
3. Mercy Jerotich Kibarus (Kenya) - 2:30:13
4. Askale Alemayehu Adula (Ethiopia) - 2:30:52
5. Flomena Chepchirchir Chumba (Kenya) - 2:35:02

Men's Half Marathon
1. Thomas Do Canto (Australia) - 1:05:00
2. Kiyotaka Sasaki (Japan/Komazawa Univ.) - 1:05:09
3. Matthew Cox (Australia) - 1:06:45

Women's Half Marathon
1. Lauren Reid (Australia) - 1:16:56
2. Eriko Kushima (Japan/Noritz) - 1:17:19
3. Gemma Jenkins (Australia) - 1:19:22

© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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