Skip to main content

Bunuka Wins Yaizu Minato Half

Kenyan James Ndiwa Bunuka took the top spot at Sunday's Yaizo Minato Half Marathon, the first runner from Surugadai University to win in Yaizu's 33-year history. Bunuka had pressure early on from three members of 2017 Izumo Ekiden winner Tokai University, but over the second half he pulled away to win by a 22-second margin in 1:03:49. Haruki Minatoya led teammates Shun Yuzawa and Takeshi Nishida in 2nd in 1:04:11.


Yaizu Minato features a unique "pair marathon" team scoring competition, with universities entering three-runner teams from which the top two's times are combined to produce the pair marathon score. Tokai won the pair marathon in 2:08:28, Surugadai a surprise 2nd in 2:08:56. 21 other teams took part, Asia University rounding out the podium in 3rd in 2:11:12.


33rd Yaizu Minato Half Marathon

Yaizu, Shizuoka, 4/8/18

Men
1. James Ndiwa Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) - 1:03:49
2. Haruki Minatoya (Tokai Univ.) - 1:04:11
3. Shun Yuzawa (Tokai Univ.) - 1:04:17
4. Takeshi Nishida (Tokai Univ.) - 1:04:26
5. Tsubasa Ichiyama (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 1:04:54
6. Kosuke Nishizawa (Surugadai Univ.) - 1:05:07
7. Takaya Hashima (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:05:24
8. Shoya Yonei (Asia Univ) - 1:05:31
9. Kaito Suzuki (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 1:05:33
10. Masahiro Kamidoi (Asia Univ.) - 1:05:41

Pari Marathon Team Scoring
1. Tokai Univ. - 2:08:28
2. Surugadai Univ. - 2:08:56
3. Asia Univ. - 2:11:12
4. Chuo Gakuin Univ. - 2:11:37
5. Takushoku Univ. - 2:12:08

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Chepkirui Wins Nagoya Women's Marathon

Heavy-duty favorite Sheila Chepkirui took the win at Sunday's Nagoya Women's Marathon , pulling away after 30 km to cruise in for 1st in 2:20:40. Erratic pacing early saw the first and second groups only seconds apart for much of the first half of the race, the top group slower than planned and the 2nd group a bit ahead of schedule. At halfway in 1:10:37 the front group included Chepkirui, #2-ranked Ruti Aga and last year's runner-up Eunice Chumba , and Japanese contingent Sayaka Sato , Rika Kaseda , Natsuki Omori and Mao Uesugi . Omori was the first to drop, then Uesugi, then Aga, who ultimately dropped out before 30 km. When the pacers stopped at 30 km Chepkirui made a move that dropped Kaseda and strung out Chumba and Sato behind her, but all four came back together once before another surge put Kaseda away for good. As Chepkirui inched away Sato and Chumba passed each other repeatedly, and Chumba could only watch as the top Japanese runner got away from her again thi...
1 comment
Read more

Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview

The Nagoya Women's Marathon , the world's largest women-only marathon and the last race in the selection cycle for September's Tokyo World Championships, happens Sunday. Weather conditions are looking better than what they had in Tokyo and Osaka the last two weekends, 7˚ at the start and rising to 12˚ with sunny skies. The wind looks a bit stronger than ideal, but it could be worse. Fuji TV has the live broadcast starting at 9:00 a.m. Sunday local time, and if you've got a VPN you should be able to watch the TVer streaming . One option for  a leaderboard is here , and another here . We'll have some coverage on @JRNLive . Just like last time around there are three Ethiopian and Kenyan-born athletes at the top list, this time it being sub-2:20 women Sheila Chepkirui , winner in NYC last year, and Ruti Aga , winner in Xiamen in January, and last year's Nagoya runner-up Eunice Chebichii Chumba . But last year Yuka Ando still pulled off the win, so there's a c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who's Running Tokyo Worlds?

The Japanese marathon teams will be the most prestigious ones to be on for September's Tokyo World Championships, and with Sunday's Nagoya Women's Marathon the window for Japanese athletes to get onto the JAAF's shortlist closed. Who's on it? The final decision won't be made until Mar. 26, but let's look through the selection criteria and see who's guaranteed, who's pretty likely, and who has a chance. 1. Marathon medalists at the Paris Olympics - There weren't any, so nobody makes the team this way. Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) and Yuka Suzuki (Daiichi Seimei) were the top placers, both of them running PBs in the Olympics to finish 6th. You'd think that would count for something a year later, but you'd think wrong. 2. JMC Series IV Champions - The top point scorers in the Japan Marathon Championship Series IV, which ran from April, 2023 to March, 2025, earn places on the marathon teams along with cash prizes. For women that's Yuka ...
1 comment
Read more