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Uchida 4th at Chevron Houston Marathon

Making his international debut with support from JRN, Kenta Uchida (SID Group) took 4th in the Chevron Houston Marathon in a tight pack race to the end. The debuting Frank Lara (U.S.A.) did most of the work throughout the race, leading the front group through halfway in 1:05:30 before things slowed to mid-2:12 territory. When another first-timer, Luke Caldwell (Great Britain) caught up just after 25 km and went right by into the lead the pace picked up, but at 40 km it was still a group of 6 all right together.

James Ngandu (Kenya), yet another runner doing his first marathon, had the strongest kick, finishing in 2:11:03 to run almost even splits. 2nd placer Abdi Abdo (Bahrain) was 8 seconds behind by the end, but just 9 seconds separated him from 5th. Elisha Barno (Kenya) edged Uchida for 3rd by 3 seconds 2:11:16 to 2:11:19, with 2020 winner Kelkile Gezahegn (Ethiopia) another second behind Uchida. Both Lara and Caldwell cleared 2:12 in 6th and 7th.

"For his first time racing overseas this was pretty good," said Uchida's coach Junichi Shibata. "He was right there until the end and didn't drop off or go too early. I'm happy with how he did." "I'm happy with how I did," said Shibata, "but more than happy I'm just really tired." Shibata's result moved him up to 5th in the Japan Marathon Championship rankings, where a top-8 ranking at the end of March qualifies the athletes for the 2024 MGC Olympic marathon trials.

In the women's race Keira D'Amato (U.S.A.) soloed a male-paced 2:19:12 national record, winning by almost 10 minutes over runner-up Alice Wright (Great Britain) and exactly tying Olympic gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi's Japanese national record. The American record also fell in the accompanying half-marathon where Sara Hall ran 1:07:15 for 2nd behind Vicoty Chepngeno (Kenya), who set an American all-comers record of 1:05:03. Milkelsa Tolosa (Ethiopia) won the men's race in 1:00:24 by 3 seconds over John Korir (Kenya). 8th-placer Rory Linkletter set a Canadian national record of 1:01:08.

50th Chevron Houston Marathon

Houston, Texas, U.S.A., 16 Jan., 2022

Men
1. James Ngandu (Kenya) - 2:11:03 - debut
2. Abdi Abdo (Bahrain) - 2:11:11
3. Elisha Barno (Kenya) - 2:11:16
4. Kenta Uchida (Japan/SID Group) - 2:11:19
5. Kelkile Gezahegn (Ethiopia) - 2:11:20
6. Frank Lara (U.S.A.) - 2:11:32 - debut
7. Luke Caldwell (Great Britain) - 2:11:33 - debut
8. Josh Izewski (U.S.A.) - 2:12:45 - PB
9. Augustus Maiyo (U.S.A.) - 2:13:17
10. Rodgers Ondati Gesabwa (U.S.A.) - 2:14:46

Women
1. Keira D'Amato (U.S.A.) - 2:19:12 - NR, CR
2. Alice Wright (Great Britain) - 2:29:08
3. Maggie Montoya (U.S.A.) - 2:29:08
4. Roberta Groner (U.S.A.) - 2:32:02
5. Atsede Tesema (Ethiopia) - 2:32:38
6. Brittney Feivor (U.S.A.) - 2:32:39
7. Kathya Mirell Garcia Barrios (Mexico) - 2:32:54
8. Christina Welsh (U.S.A.) - 2:33:00
9. Molly Bookmyer (U.S.A.) - 2:33:19
10. Andrea Pomaranski (U.S.A.) - 2:33:35

Men's Half Marathon
1. Milkelsa Tolosa (Ethiopia) - 1:00:24
2. John Korir (Kenya) - 1:00:27
3. Wilfred Kimitei (Kenya) - 1:00:44
4. Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) - 1:00:44
5. Shadrack Kimining (Kenya) - 1:00:53
6. Patrick Tiernan (Australia) - 1:00:55
7. Biya Simbassa (U.S.A.) - 1:01:03
8. Rory Linkletter (Canada) - 1:01:08 - NR
9. Sydney Gidabuday (U.S.A.) - 1:01:09
10. Scott Fauble (U.S.A.) - 1:01:11

Women's Half Marathon
1. Vicoty Chepngeno (Kenya) - 1:05:03 - ACR
2. Sara Hall (U.S.A.) - 1:07:15 - NR
3. Dominique Scott (South Africa) - 1:07:32
4. Fiona O'Keefe (U.S.A.) - 1:07:42
5. Jessica Judd (Great Britain) - 1:07:52
6. Emily Durgin (U.S.A.) - 1:07:54
7. Caren Maiyo (Kenya) - 1:08:41
8. Dakotah Lindwurm (U.S.A.) - 1:09:36
9. Nell Rojas (U.S.A.) - 1:09:42
10. Annie Frisbie (U.S.A.) - 1:10:27

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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