Skip to main content

MGC Race Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier - Kenji Yamamoto

Kenji Yamamoto

age: 29
sponsor: Mazda
graduated from: Yugakkan H.S., Toyo University

best time inside MGC window:
2:08:42, 7th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon

PB: 2:08:42, 7th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon

other PBs:
5000 m: 13:55.42 (2013) 10000 m: 28:26.35 (2015) half marathon: 1:01:47 (2014)

marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019)
7th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:08:42 – PB
9th, 2018 Tokyo Marathon, 2:08:48

other major results:
4th, 2019 San Diego Half Marathon, 1:02:01
20th, 2019 National Corporate Half Marathon, 1:02:34
1st, 2019 Chugoku Yamaguchi Ekiden Sixth Stage (15..9 km), 47:49
3rd, New Year Ekiden Fourth Stage (22.4 km), 1:05:30
1st, 2018 Chugoku Corporate Ekiden Third Stage (11.6 km), 35:43
4th, 2018 San Diego Half Marathon, 1:02:45
4th, 2017 San Diego Half Marathon, 1:03:14
10th, 2017 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:15:19
2nd, 2012 Hakone Ekiden Third Stage (21.5 km), 1:02:43
1st, 2011 Hakone Ekiden Tenth Stage (23.1 km), 1:09:36

Another of the five Toyo University graduates in the MGC Race men’s field, Yamamoto was part of Toyo’s 2012 Hakone-winning lineup alongside Yuta Shitara (Honda). Since graduating he’s been the relatively stable center of the Mazda corporate team, with three 4th-place finishes at the San Diego Half Marathon. After a 2:15:19 at Lake Biwa in 2017 Yamamoto stepped up with a 2:0848 at last year’s Tokyo Marathon to make the MGC Race.

With his place at the trials assured Yamamoto was back in Lake Biwa this year to go for a 2:06, but while he outlasted every other Japanese man the pace proved too much and he faded to a 2:08:42 just 6 seconds better than his time in Tokyo last year. A PB is a PB, but Yamamoto wasn’t satisfied. Not even with becoming the fastest ponytail / man bun marathoner in the world. Fresh off his fastest time in San Diego, look for him to go for it at the MGC Race. And look out for his younger brother Shuji, Toyo’s current star runner, in a couple of years.

Next profile: Shogo Nakamura (Fujitsu).

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
1 comment
Read more

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31
Post a Comment
Read more