Skip to main content

Shitara Wins Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler

In a year that saw him deliver one of the most memorable debut marathons in history, a half marathon national record, 10000 m and marathon PBs and more, Yuta Shitara (Honda) ended 2017 on a high note, beating three-time defending champion Jeremiah Thuku Karemi (Toyota Kyushu) to win the 42nd Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler. Shitara, Karemi, London World Championships marathoner Hiroto Inoue (MHPS), Ethiopian Abayneh Degu (Yasukawa Denki) and track ace Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) ran together in a lead group through the early going, but Shitara was just too much for the others to handle.

Shitara broke the tape in 45:58, only the fourth Japanese man to ever clear 45 minutes. Karemi was well under last year's winning time but nowhere close to catching Shitara, finishing 2nd in 46:10 and Inoue only 2 seconds behind him. With many corporate and university teams using Kosa to tune up for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden and Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden, it regularly produces the deepest 10 mile results in the world. The top 11 cleared 47 minutes, with 47 under 48 minutes and 80 under 49 minutes.


Of the 11 to run under 47 minutes, four including Shitara, 6th-placer Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei), 10th-placer Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) and 11th-placer Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei), are alumni of the JRN-supported program for top university talent from November's Ageo City Half Marathon to run in March's United Airlines NYC Half. A 5th alumnus, Ikuto Yufu (Fujitsu), had an off day, finishing 88th in 49:18.

Rio Olympics marathoner Suehiro Ishikawa (Honda) was a decent 14th in 47:14, easily beating Inoue's London teammate Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki), 33rd in 47:40. 2:07:39 marathoner Masato Imai (Toyota Kyushu) took 44th in 47:49. In the high school boys' 10 km, Ryuta Igawa (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) won in a solid 29:45. Hikari Fukuda was the top finisher in the women's 5 km, winning in 16:31.

42nd Kumamoto Kosa 10 Mile Road Race

Kosa, Kumamoto, 12/3/17
click here for complete results

Men's 10 Miles
1. Yuta Shitara (Honda) - 45:58
2. Jeremiah Thuku Karemi (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:10
3. Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) - 46:12
4. Abayneh Degu (Yasukawa Denki) - 46:15
5. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 46:21
6. Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 46:35
7. Yuki Oshikawa (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:39
8. Naoya Takahashi (Yasukawa Denki) - 46:42
9. Shintaro Miwa (NTN) - 46:44
10. Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) - 46:59
-----
11. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 46:59
14. Suehiro Ishikawa (Honda) - 47:14
33. Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki) - 47:40
44. Masato Imai (Toyota Kyushu) - 47:49
88. Ikuto Yufu (Fujitsu) - 49:18

High School Boys' 10 km
1. Ryuta Igawa (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 29:45

Women's 5 km
1. Hikari Fukuda (Higo Ginko) - 16:31

© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more