Skip to main content

Ichiyama and Kirui Lead Marugame Half Elite Field



Last year's winners Betsy Saina and Edward Waweru, both of Kenya, return to the Feb. 3 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon, but in both cases they have tough competition. Ranked #1 in the women's race is Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) with a 1:09:14, 3 seconds better than Saina's winning time last year. 3 seconds slower is Sinead Diver (Australia) with a 1:09:20 on home ground last year. Sara Hall (U.S.A.) isn't far behind, and with track star Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) making her debut off a brilliant run at last weekend's National Women's Ekiden it should be a solid pack up front.

In the men's race, 2017 marathon world champion Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) leads the way, his best recent time a 1:00:04 in New Delhi two years ago. Only 2 seconds behind is Shadrack Kiplagat (Kenya), with Evans Cheruiyot (Kenya) and the Japan-based Waweru just over 20 seconds back. Waweru's condition is a question mark after an injury at the New Year Ekiden. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) leads the home crew, with an interesting duo from Chuo University, Ken Nakayama and Kensuke Horio, hoping to improve on their sub-62 bests. Jack Rayner (Australia) is another interesting addition, while Germany's Richard Ringer will be making his debut off a 27:36.52 track 10000 m best.

73rd Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon

Elite Field Highlights
Kagawa, Marugame, 2/3/19
comp;lete elite field listing: part A, part B
times listed are best within last 3 years except where noted

Women
Mao Ichiyama (Japan/Wacoal) - 1:09:14 (Sanyo 2017)
Betsy Saina (Kenya) - 1:09:17 (Marugame 2018)
Sinead Diver (Australia) - 1:09:20 (Maroochydore 2018)
Sara Hall (U.S.A.) - 1:09:27 (Gold Coast 2018)
Rachel Cliff (Canada) - 1:10:08 (The Woodlands 2018)
Sara Dossena (Italy) - 1:10:10 (Udine 2018)
Carlotte Purdue (Great Britain) - 1:10:29 (London 2018)
Keiko Nogami (Japan/Juhachi Ginko) - 1:11:16 (Sanyo 2017)
Eri Hayakawa (Japan/J-Beat) - 1:11:43 (Marugame 2017)
Shiori Morita (Japan/Panasonic) - 1:12:23 (Sendai 2018)
Mei Matsuyama (Japan/Noritz) - 1:12:58 (Marugame 2016)
Ayuko Suzuki (Japan/Japan Post) - debut - 31:18.16 (Stanford 10000 m 2016)

Men
Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) - 1:00:04 (New Delhi 2017)
Shadrack Kiplagat (Kenya) - 1:00:06 (Prague 2018)
Evans Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 1:00:26 (Istanbul 2018)
Edward Waweru (Kenya/NTN) - 1:00:31 (Marugame 2018)
Kenta Murayama (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 1:00:50 (New York 2017)
Jack Rayner (Australia) - 1:01:01 (Cardiff 2018)
Vincent Laimoi (Kenya/Kokushikan Univ.) - 1:01:19 (Ageo 2018)
Simon Kariuki (Kenya/Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 1:01:25 (Ageo 2017)
Ken Nakayama (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:01:32 (Ageo 2018)
Keita Shitara (Japan/Hitachi Butsuryu) - 1:01:54 (Marugame 2016)
Kensuke Horio (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:01:57 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2018)
Richard Ringer (Germany) - debut - 27:36.52 (London 10000 m 2018)

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Nat'l University Ekiden Updates Here

Looks like I just went over my update limit on Twitter - sorry, it's the first time I've tried to use it for this. I'll look for another option next time. In the meantime I'll add updates to the comments below. Not sure if that has a max too but I guess we'll find out. Update: Part one of the Nationals commentary can be found here .
77 comments
Read more

Top 7 Break NR at Ginza Road Mile

The mile isn't really a thing in Japan, especially on the roads, but it's starting to change a little bit. At Nike's new Ginza Mile road race, even in the middle of heavy rain the top 7 in the men's race all broke the national record of 4:00.02 set in March by Ojiro Honda (Waseda Univ.). Soma Nagahara (Juntendo Univ.) was first across the line to become the official new NR holder in 3:57.0, just beating Shunsuke Kuwata (Komazawa Univ.) by 0.3 in Kuwata's best race since the NYC Half in March. Kaisei Okada (Chuo Univ.) and Yuto Miyake (Chuo Univ.) were right behind in 3:57.9 and 3:58.1, and while there doesn't seem to be an official Taiwanese road mile NR it's pretty much a given that the 3:58.9 by Chien Tzu-Chieh (Chuo Univ.) for 5th was Taiwan's best-ever. Women's NR holder Nozomi Tanaka (Toyota Jidoshokki) easily won in 4:33.8, almost 2 seconds off her NR from 2023, with Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) 2nd in 4:36.87 and Ran Urabe ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nagoya Asian Games Team Announced

Following this past weekend's National Championships, the JAAF has announced the complete lineup of 41 women and 45 men for September's Nagoya Asian Games national team. Times listed are athletes' 2025-26 best. Women 100 m Midori Mikase (Sumitomo Denko) - 11.33 Abigail Fuka Ido (Toho Ginko) - 11.35 200 m Abigail Fuka Ido (Toho Ginko) - 22.79 Aiko Iki (Osaka Gas) - 23.41 400 m Nanako Matsumoto (Toho Ginko) - 52.14 800 m Rin Kubo (Sekisui Kagaku) - 1:59.52 Ayano Shiomi (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:01.01 1500 m Nozomi Tanaka (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 4:04.16 Mizuki Michishita (Sekisui Kagaku) - 4:10.48 5000 m Nozomi Tanaka (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 14:34.10 Yuma Yamamoto (Sekisui Kagaku) - 14;59.89 10000 m Nozomi Tanaka (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 30:54.40 Ririka Hironaka (Uniqlo) - 30:56.32 100 mH Hitomi Nakajima (Hasegawa) - 12.71 Mako Fukube (NKK) - 12.72 400 mH Honoka Aoki (Zenrin) - 55.92 Satsuki Umehara (Sumitomo Denko) - 56.22 3000 mSC Miu Saito (Panasonic) - 9:24.72 Manami Nishiyama (Mitsui...
Post a Comment
Read more