Skip to main content

Kosimbei and Azmeraw Win Gifu Seiryu Half, Kawauchi 14th

Breaking away over the last 5 km, Nicholas Kosimbei (Toyota) scored his second-straight win at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon, putting 12 seconds on Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) to take the top spot in 1:01:12. Moses Murong (Uganda) was 3rd in 1:01:57, with Yohei Suzuki (Aisan Kogyo) the top-placing Japanese man with a 1:03:34 for 9th.

Just five days given the time difference after winning the Boston Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) outkicked Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon runner-up Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) to take 14th overall in 1:04:35 with the third-fastest closing split in the field despite unseasonably hot temperatures nearing 30 degrees.

Women's world record holder and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) was a last-minute withdrawal, leaving Degitu Azmeraw to become Gifu's first Ethiopian women's winner in five years. Like Kosimbei, Azmeraw broke free of the competition over the last 5 km, opening an 18-second lead over Valary Jemeli (Kenya) for 1st in 1:09:53. Marie Imada (Iwatani Sangyo) was the top Japanese woman at 7th in 1:14:20.

8th Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon

Gifu, 4/22/18

Men
1. Nicholas Kosimbei (Kenya/Toyota) - 1:01:12
2. Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 1:01:24
3. Moses Murong (Uganda) - 1:01:57
4. James Mwangi (Kenya/NTN) - 1:02:14
5. Edward Waweru (Kenya/NTN) - 1:02:29
6. Joel Mwaura (Kenya/Kurosaki Harima) - 1:02:59
7. Michael Githae (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:03:09
8. Daniel Muiva Kitonyi (Kenya/Kanebo) - 1:03:27
9. Yohei Suzuki (Japan/Aisan Kogyo) - 1:03:34
10. Patrick Muendo Mwaka (Kenya/Aisan Kogyo) - 1:03:40
-----
14. Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 1:04:35

Women
1. Degitu Azmeraw (Ethiopia) - 1:09:53
2. Valary Jemeli (Kenya) - 1:10:11
3. Joy Kemuma (Kenya) - 1:10:47
4. Andrea Seccafien (Canada) - 1:13:19
5. Sinead Diver (Australia) - 1:13:23
6. Karolina Nadolska (Poland) - 1:13:56
7. Marie Imada (Japan/Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:14:20
8. Yuko Watanabe (Japan/Edion) - 1:14:51
9. Sayo Nomura (Japan/Uniqlo) - 1:17:08
10. Sakura Wada (Japan/Denso) - 1:17:51

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Comments

sensato said…
Sorry, but I understand that her right name is Degitu AzImeraw with taht "I" ... that is not right like you wrote Azmeraw...

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 .

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 ...

Marugame, Beppu-Oita and More - Weekend Preview

After the Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon last weekend Japan's winter road season rolls on with 3 big races Sunday. The Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon has a good field up front in the women's race with 5 runners, Eilish McColgan , Dolphine Omare , Isobel Batt-Doyle , Charlotte Purdue and Yuka Ando , with sub-1:09 bests and the debut of #1 collegiate runner Sarah Wanjiru of Daito Bunka University . 3 men in Marugame have recent sub-60 times, Emmanuel Maru , Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara leading the way. Shinohara was one of 2 Japanese men to break 60 at Marugame last year and missed the NR by 3 seconds in 59:30. After a 42:53 CR on his 15.3 km leg at the New Year Ekiden on Jan.1, 45:06 pace for 10 miles, he's looking to pick up at least another 4 seconds this time around. 14 other men in the field are at the 60-minute level, and Chuo University 's sub-28 10000 m runner Yamato Hamaguchi is making a highly anticip...