Already in, Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki) ran the Krakow Marathon in hopes of clearing the 2:11:30 men's standard. Running steadily and under control on 2:10:20 pace, Nakamoto lasted until a final move by eventual winner Cyprian Kotut (Kenya) around 37 km put him away. As Kotut took off to win in 2:09:18, Nakamoto began to fade, holding on the 2nd place but just missing the Olympic standard in 2:11:34.
The Hamburg Marathon saw the largest number of Japanese athletes, with 4 women and 13 men. Among the women Yuka Takashima (Shiseido) had the easiest task, only needing 2:29:47 for the two-race option after running 2:26:13 in Tokyo last year. But with a DNF in Tokyo last month behind her Takashima was on shaky ground to start with and DNFd again. Likewise for London World Championships team member Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC), a DNF after a disappointing 2:33:04 in Tokyo. High-volume marathoner Miharu Shimokado (Brooks) took the top Japanese spot at 16th in 2:36:14 in her third marathon in 7 weeks, with Shiho Takechi (Japan/Yamada Denki) 20th in 2:42:12, each of them more than 9 minutes off qualifying.
The men's race saw almost all the men in a single second pack, Yuki Oshikawa (NTN) the only one to go with the faster lead group in the early going. Pacing was set for 2:08-flat to give people the chance of hitting the 2:08:30 single-race qualifying standard, and as the race went along the numbers dwindled even as the pace slowed. In the end Ryu Takaku (Yakult) took the top spot with a 2:10:03 PB for 7th, clearing his MGC two-race average standard by 12 seconds. No small feat after having run 2:11:49 in Tokyo last month.
The next 3 Japanese men also cleared the standard via two-race averages, Kohei Ogino (Fujitsu) and Tadashi Isshiki (GMO) doing it with room to spare as they only needed mid-2:12 marks after having both broken 2:10 in Tokyo last year. The fourth, Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) needed to run 2:11:39, having debuted in Tokyo last year in 2:10:21 just before graduating from university. With a heart-stopping last km Suzuki crossed the line in 2:11:36, making the MGC cut by 3 seconds if just missing the 2:11:30 standard.
Takumi Kiyotani (Chugoku Denryoku) ran a decent 2:11:55 but came up over a minute short of his MGC mark. The other 8 Japanese men also missed out, the most heartbreaking being a DNF from 2017 Gold Coast Marathon winner Takuya Noguchi (Konica Minolta), whose 2:08:59 win on the Gold Coast came about a month too early for the MGC window and who missed qualifying by 3 seconds back at Gold Coast last year.
In a final bid to save face, three-time defending New Year Ekiden national champion Asahi Kasei, Japan's most legendary old-school marathon team, fielded 2 men to try again to get somebody into the MGC race. Kenta Murayama, a DNS in Tokyo, needed 2:12:10 but faded badly after 35 km to finish 38th in 2:21:25. Takuya Fukatsu needed 2:10:27 but was a DNF after having run 2:11:33 at Beppu-Oita in February.
At the London Marathon, new Wacoal teammates Yuka Ando and Mao Ichiyama were in the women's race, Ando already qualified but trying to get back toward her 2:21 form and the 21-year-old Ichiyama trying to hit the two-race option after debuting in Tokyo in 2:24:33 in March. Although she only needed to run 2:31:27 Ichiyama went with the 2:23-pace main group while Ando held back in 2:25 territory. Later in the race Ichiyama faded and was overtaken, Ando going on to finish 13th in 2:26:47. Ichiyama landed 15th in 2:27:27, the final woman to make the MGC grade and setting herself up for 3 hard marathons in 6 months at age 21/22. In the men's race, Yohei Suzuki (Aisan Kogyo) initially went with the 2:06-paced Callum Hawkins (Great Britain)-centered group before dropping back to finish 32nd in 2:18:53.
Krakow Marathon
Krakow, Poland, 4/28/19complete results
Men
1. Cyprian Kotut (Kenya) - 2:09:18
2. Kentaro Nakamoto (Japan/Yasukawa Denki) - 2:11:34
3. Philip Cheruiyot Kangogo (Kenya) - 2:13:46
Women
1. Viktoriya Khapilina (Ukraine) - 2:28:03
2. Gladys Kipsoi Chepchirchir (Kenya) - 2:33:21
3. Askale Tafa Magarsa (Ethiopia) - 2:37:12
Hamburg Marathon
Hamburg, Germany, 4/28/19complete results
Men
1. Tadu Abate (Ethiopia) - 2:08:25
2. Ayele Abshero (Ethiopia) - 2:08:26
3. Stephen Kiprotich (Uganda) - 2:08:31
4. Jiksa Tolosa (Ethiopia) - 2:08:51
5. Lucas Rotich (Kenya) - 2:09:48
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7. Ryu Takaku (Japan/Yakult) - 2:10:03 - PB
9. Kohei Ogino (Japan/Fujitsu) - 2:10:15
11. Tadashi Isshiki (Japan/GMO) - 2:11:23
13. Kengo Suzuki (Japan/Fujitsu) - 2:11:36
14. Takumi Kiyotani (Japan/Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:11:55
19. Yuta Shimoda (Japan/GMO) - 2:13:42
24. Yuki Oshikawa (Japan/NTN) - 2:14:35
38. Kenta Murayama (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:21:25
42. Masato Kikuchi (Japan/Konica Minolta) - 2:23:22
48. Takuya Fukatsu (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:28:11
99. Yusuke Ogura (Japan/Yakult) - 2:40:50
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DNF - Takuya Noguchi (Japan/Konica Minolta)
DNF - Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan/Hitachi Butsuryu)
Women
1. Dibabe Kuma (Ethiopia) - 2:24:41
2. Magadalyne Masai (Kenya) - 2:26:02
3. Fauluna Matanga (Tanzania) - 2:27:55
4. Veronica Nyaruai (Kenya) - 2:29:14
5. Hanna Lindholm (Sweden) - 2:29:34
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16. Miharu Shimokado (Japan/Brooks) - 2:36:14
20. Shiho Takechi (Japan/Yamada Denki) - 2:42:12
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DNF - Mao Kiyota (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC)
DNF - Yuka Takashima (Japan/Shiseido)
London Marathon
London, Great Britain, 4/28/19complete results
Men
1. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) - 2:02:37 - CR
2. Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) - 2:02:55 - NR
3. Mule Washihun (Ethiopia) - 2:03:16
4. Tola Shura KItata (Ethiopia) - 2:05:01
5. Mo Farah (Great Britain) - 2:05:39
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32. Yohei Suzuki (Japan/Aisan Kogyo) - 2:18:53
Women
1. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) - 2:18:20
2. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 2:20:14
3. Roza Dereje (Ethiopia) - 2:20:51
4. Gladys Cherono (Kenya) - 2:20:52
5. Mary Keitany (Kenya) - 2:20:58
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13. Yuka Ando (Japan/Wacoal) - 2:26:47
15. Mao Ichiyama (Japan/Wacoal) - 2:27:27
© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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