Skip to main content

Takaku, Hattori and Fujimoto Headline Fukuoka International Marathon

 
With strict limitations on immigration still a reality in Japan, the Dec. 6 Fukuoka International Marathon has announced an almost entirely domestic field of less than 100 that includes only five Japan-based foreign-born athletes plus an all-Japan-based Kenyan pacing crew led by Bedan Karoki (Toyota).

Not that the field is hurting for quality. Ryu Takaku (Yakult), 2:06:45 in Tokyo this year, 2018 Fukuoka winner and Tokyo Olympics marathon team member Yuma Hattori (Toyota), and Taku Fujimoto (Toyota), a bump up to the 2019 Fukuoka winner's position pending after the subsequent suspension of the Moroccan who crossed the line first for biological passport violations, make up the front end of a field that includes eleven current sub-2:10 men and seven of last year's top ten. Hattori has said publicly that he'll be going for Suguru Osako's 2:05:29 national record, and with pacing support from teammates Karoki and Fujimoto, his former Toyo University teammate Takaku there with him, and no dirty athletes to effortlessly tear him in half at the end, if the weather is good his chances will be too.

Shizuoka-based Kenyan Michael Githae (Suzuki) is the top international in the field with a best of 2:09:21 from Lake Biwa in 2018, but sub-60 half marathoner Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) still has potential to improve on his 2:11:58 best, and likewise for former Takushoku University ekiden team captain Derese Workneh (Hiramatsu Byoin). Workneh's teammate Cyrus Kingori (Hiramatsu Byoin) looks promising in his debut with a 1:01:31 for 4th at last year's Gifu Seiryu Half. 

One promising name for a breakthrough in the Japanese field is Taiki Suzuki (Raffine), 9th last year in 2:12:09 in his marathon debut. It'll be interesting as well to see if Yuya Yoshida (GMO) can build on his inspiring at-the-time-career-ending 2:08:30 debut at Beppu-Oita this year, and it still feels like Olympic team alternate Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) has more waiting in him than his 2:10:12 best from Beppu-Oita two years ago. Toyo fans will be hoping the same for Keita Shitara (Hitachi Butsuryu), twin brother of former NR holder Yuta Shitara.

Check back closer to race date for more info on TV broadcast and live streaming options.

Fukuoka International Marathon Field Highlights

Fukuoka, 6 Dec. 2020
times listed are best within last three years except where noted

Ryu Takaku (Yakult) - 2:06:45 (8th, Tokyo 2020)
Yuma Hattori (Toyota) - 2:07:27 (1st, Fukuoka Int'l 2018)
Taku Fujimoto (Toyota) - 2:07:57 (8th, Chicago 2018)
Yuya Yoshida (GMO) - 2:08:30 (3rd, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:08:37 (20th, Tokyo 2020)
Tsukasa Koyama (Subaru) - 2:08:53 (4th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Naoya Sakuda (JF Higashi Nihon) - 2:08:59 (4th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Yuki Kawauchi (Kawauchi) - 2:09:21 (8th, Lake Biwa 2019)
Michael Githae (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:09:21 (4th, Lake Biwa 2018)
Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:09:34 (2nd, Beppu-Oita 2018)
Jo Fukuda (Fukuoka T&F Assoc.) - 2:09:52 (3rd, Gold Coast 2018)
Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) - 2:10:01 (11th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Yoshiki Takenouchi (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 2:10:01 (7th, Fukuoka Int'l 2017)
Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) - 2:10:12 (3rd, Beppu-Oita 2018)
Koki Yoshioka (Chuo Hatsujo) - 2:10:13 (10th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Asuka Tanaka (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:10:13 (16th, Tokyo 2018)
Daichi Kamino (Cell Source) - 2:10:18 (18th, Tokyo 2018)
Yuichi Yasui (Toyota) - 2:10:19 (12th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Junichi Tsubouchi (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:10:19 (13th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Satoru Sasaki (Asahi Kasei) - 2:10:25 (14th, Beppu-Oita 2020)
Ryo Matsumoto (Toyota) - 2:10:32 (11th, Lake Biwa 2020)
Derese Workneh (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:10:52 (3rd, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Natsuki Terada (JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:10:55 (4th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Taiga Ito (Suzuki) - 2:10:59 (6th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Tatsunori Hamasaki (Nanji AC) - 2:11:26 (2nd, Hofu 2017)
Hiroki Sugawa (Toyama T&F Assoc.) - 2:11:46 (1st, Nobeoka 2019)
Paul Kuira (Kenya/JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:11:58 (2nd, Hokkaido 2018)
Kenta Iinuma (SGH Group) - 2:12:06 (36th, Tokyo 2020)
Taiki Suzuki (Raffine) - 2:12:09 (9th, Fukuoka Int'l 2019)
Hiromasa Kumahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 2:12:10 (38th, Tokyo 2020)
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia/NTN) - 2:12:12 (2nd, Hofu 2018)
Keita Shitara (Hitachi Butsuryu) - 2:12:13 (40th, Tokyo 2020)
Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki) - 2:12:22 (3rd, Hofu 2019)
Shusei Ohashi (Kodaira T&F Assoc.) - 2:12:58 (47th, Tokyo 2020)

Debut
Cyrus Kingori (Kenya/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:01:31 (4th, Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon 2019)

© 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Stefan said…
I've marked this event on my calendar as a must watch. Hattori must be itching to break the national record time of Osako but I think it will be a very tall order. I hope he does it. We will find out soon!
October 27, 2020 at 3:37 AM
Andrew Armiger said…
Plenty of interesting angles, I'm not sure the race loses much with the current restrictions in place. Will definitely be watching with interest!
October 27, 2020 at 7:47 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

2026 Tokyo Marathon Elite Field

The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it. The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede , 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa , and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru , plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu , 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde , 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir , 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha , former WR holder Brigid Kosgei , and a lot more. Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda , 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore , American Sara Hall , a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia , Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson . The men's race has 5 of last year's top 1...
4 comments
Read more

Measuring Marathon Courses by Bicycle

http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2013&d=0110&f=column_0110_034.shtml translated by Brett Larner The full marathon is a sport where you compete over 42.195 km, but how do they go about measuring that distance?  Today we're going to look a little bit at how they go about certifying the distance of a marathon. The reality is that major international marathons use a bicycle to measure the distance.  This rule is an international standard, and the same method of measurement is used everywhere.  It was put into place in 1986.  In order to ensure that the same method is used everywhere, a bicycle that meets IAAF specifications must be used for measurement. In the case of Japan's major marathons, to be certain that the distance is correct a provisional measurement is first made.  Before the course is certified using a bicycle the course is measured using a 50 m-long length of wire to determine that it is in fact 42.195 km.  When a bicycle is u...
2 comments
Read more

Ai Hosoda Announces Retirement

photo © 2025 Victah Sailer/Photo Run, all rights reserved On Jan. 8 the Edion women's corporate team announced that Ai Hosoda , 30, will retire at the end of March this year. The Tokyo Marathon will be her last race. At Nagano Higashi H.S. Hosoda ran in the National High School Ekiden her 2nd and 3rd years. During her 3rd year at Nittai University she won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, going on to win the bronze medal in the 10000 m at the World University Games in her 4th year at Nittai. After graduating she joined the Daihatsu corporate team, debuting at the 2019 Nagoya Women's Marathon in 2:29:27. 2 years later she transferred to Edion. She qualified for the Paris Olympics marathon trials at the 2022 Nagoya Women's Marathon and finished 3rd in the trials in the fall of 2023, but was later bumped down to Olympic alternate after another athlete ran a faster time. Instead of the Olympics, Hosoda ran the 2024 Ber...
2 comments
Read more