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Kuira and Yamashita Lead 6767 Finishers at Rainy Hakodate Marathon

The 2018 Hakodate Marathon and Half Marathon took place July 1 in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Despite heavy rain on and off throughout the race, 6767 people out of 7139 starters finished. The third year Hakodate has had a full marathon division, 3147 people started in the full and 3992 in the half.

Both races began and finished at Chiyogadai Field, the half starting at 9:00 a.m. and the full going off at 10:00. As rain fell the runners were cheered on by local supporters lining the streets of the western parts of the city and the coastal areas popular with tourists. Volunteers at aid stations handed out local delicacies like mini sashimi bowls and cold salty ramen to enthusiastic participants.

Yuya Yamashita (26, Sunbelx) took four minutes off the course record to win the men's full marathon in 2:18:27. "The hills in the second half were tough, but I'm really happy to have won it," he said post-race, his face full of smiles. Kenyan Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) won a close race in the men's half marathon in 1:02:21 with just 3 seconds separating the top three. Mizuki Tanimoto (Tenmaya), a training partner of last year's Hokkaido Marathon winner Honami Maeda, won the women's half marathon in 1:12:40. Chiaki Morikawa (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) won the women's marathon in 2:46:37.

Hakodate Marathon and Half Marathon

Hakodate, Hokkaido, 71/18
complete results

Men's Marathon
1. Yuya Yamashita (Sunbelx) - 2:18:27 - CR
2. Tomonori Sakamoto (Runvent) - 2:19:42
3. Sota Hoshi (Fujitsu) - 2:19:42

Women's Full Marathon
1. Chiaki Morikawa (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 2:46:37
2. Kasumi Takahama (Do T&F Assoc.) - 2:52:28
2. Ayaka Fujiyama (Osaka Nagai AC) - 2:53:38

Men's Half Marathon
1. Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) - 1:02:21
2. Charles Ndungu (Komori Corp.) - 1:02:23
3. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 1:02:24

Women's Half Marathon
1. Mizuki Tanimoto (Tenmaya) - 1:12:40
2. Hiroko Miyauchi (Hokuren) - 1:13:13
3. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:14:32

source article:
https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/204790
translated and edited by Brett Larner

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