Skip to main content

Krifchin and Lemciyeh Win Kobe Marathon

The Kobe Marathon held its 7th running on Nov. 19.  19,709 runners took part in this year's race, with 600,000 people cheering them on along the course between the start at Kobe City Hall and the finish in the Kobe Harbor area which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary. American Maegan Krifchin, 29, won the women's race in a course record time of 2:33:14. Khalil Lemciyeh of Morocco also broke the men's course record, winning in 2:12:49.

The Kobe Marathon is organized by the Hyogo Prefectural Government and the City of Kobe. 7,500 volunteers helped runners over the course of the three days of race weekend. This year the turnaround point moved 1.25 km to the west, taking runners under Akashi Kaikyo Bridge for the first time. The final section of the course on Port Island was shortened to make up the distance. At noon at the finish area temperatures were 12 degrees with 65% humidity. 18,949 people finished the race.

At the starting ceremony in front of City Hall, a moment of silence was held for the victims of disasters including the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the East Japan Earthquake, and the Kumamoto Earthquake. Elementary school students from Sendai and high schoolers from Kobe pledged to "choose happiness" in their lives. Wearing yellow gloves representing the sunflower, the symbol of reconstruction, the entire field of runners raised both hands above their heads into the clear blue sky.

source article: 
https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/rentoku/kobemarathon/news/201711/0010747135.shtml
translated and edited by Brett Larner
photos © 2017 Cameron Hart, all rights reserved

7th Kobe Marathon

Kobe, Hyogo, 11/19/17

Women
1. Maegan Krifchin (U.S.A.) - 2:33:14 - CR, PB
2. Sana Achahbar (Morocco) - 2:35:34
3. Simegn Yeshanbel (Ethiopia) - 2:40:41
4. Mizuha Otaru (Japan/Kobe Gakuin Univ.) - 2:40:41
5. Kana Unno (Japan/Noritz) - 2:44:07
6. Linda Spencer (Australia) - 2:46:28
7. Masa Shimizu (Japan/Amagasaki T&F Assoc.) - 2:48:54
8. Ai Ogo (Japan/Himeji T&F Assoc.) - 2:49:32

Men
1. Khalil Lemciyeh (Morocco) - 2:12:49 - CR
2. Cosmas Kyeba (Kenya) - 2:14:24
3. Michael Chege (Kenya) - 2:16:08
4. Saidi Makula (Tanzania) - 2:16:32
5. Junji Katakawa (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:18:32
6. Manabu Yamada (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:19:15
7. Osamu Matsuyama (Japan/Univer SC) - 2:23:07
8. Yoshiki Kawauchi (Japan/Jaybird) - 2:23:14

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .
Post a Comment
Read more

Hirayama Breaks Osaka Half CR, Martinez Set Puerto Rican NR

The Osaka Half Marathon took another big step up the domestic half marathon rankings from a mass-participation race run alongside the Osaka International Women's Marathon to one of the country's top-tier races. In the women's race, the debuting Jecinta Nyokabi (Denso) went out fast, only to be run down by veteran Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon AC) by 10 km. Nyokabi faded to 6th in 1:10:41, but Yoshikawa pushed on to a PB 1:09:14 for the win. Rina Shimizu (Noritz), Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) and Makoto Tsuchiya (Ritsumeikan Univ.) all broke 70 minutes, Tsuchiya taking the Kansai Region collegiate title in 1:09:32 for 4th overall. Everyone in the top 10 who wasn't debuting ran a PB, a mark of how fast the day was even with cold and windy conditions. The men's race went out on sub-61 pace courtesy of Yudai Shimazu (GMO), then got a big injection of speed when Kyuma Yokota (Toyota Kyushu) took off close to 60-flat pace. Yokota opened a 10-second lead by 15 km, but over ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026 Tokyo Marathon Elite Field

The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it. The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede , 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa , and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru , plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu , 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde , 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir , 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha , former WR holder Brigid Kosgei , and a lot more. Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda , 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore , American Sara Hall , a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia , Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson . The men's race has 5 of last year's top 1...
4 comments
Read more