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Weekend Overseas Marathon Results

15 Japanese men and 6 Japanese women lined up at overseas marathons Sunday to try one last time to qualify for the MGC Race, Japan's new 2020 Olympic trials marathon event, ahead of its Apr. 30 deadline, or to try to get under the Olympic standard before the Sept. 15 MGC Race. For men the needed marks were 2:08:30 or two races inside the qualifying window averaging 2:11:00 or better. For women, 2:24:00 and 2:28:00.

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, 4/28/19
complete 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, 4/28/19
complete 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
-----
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
-----
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
-----
16. Miharu Shimokado (Japan/Brooks) - 2:36:14
20. Shiho Takechi (Japan/Yamada Denki) - 2:42:12
-----
DNF - Mao Kiyota (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC)
DNF - Yuka Takashima (Japan/Shiseido)

London Marathon

London, Great Britain, 4/28/19
complete 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
-----
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
-----
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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