The Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon returns Apr. 24 with a mostly Japan-based field that at least on the men's side is still just about the best in its 11-year history.
On the women's side, 2022 National Corporate Half Marathon winner Dolphine Nyaboke Omare is the heavy favorite after running 1:07:56 to win the corporate title. Australian Sinead Diver, a DNF at last month's Nagoya Women's Marathon, is the only other woman in the field to have broken 70 minutes in the last 3 years with a 1:08:50 in Marugame 2 years ago. Along with Eloise Wellings and Natalie Rule Diver is part of an Australian trio that is the only segment of the race coming from outside Japan. Yuma Adachi (Kyocera) and Anna Matsuda (Denso) are the top Japanese women, Adachi with a 1:10:21 in Osaka in January and Matsuda a 1:10:29 behind Omare in February.
Nobody is coming from overseas to run in the men's race, but the Japan-based Kenyan field is just about as good as Gifu could hope for any year. Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) leads them all with a 57:59 best in Valencia 2020, followed by sub-60 men Joseph Karanja (Aichi Seiko) and Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki) and sub-28 track 10000 m runners Benard Kibet Koech (Kyudenko), Philip Mulwa (Soka Univ.), Joseph Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko), Simon Saidim (Chuo Hatsujo) and Josphat Ledama Kisaisa (Kanebo).
At the front of the domestic field are sub-61 men Yuki Sato (SG Holdings), Yuta Shitara (Honda) and Takahiro Nakamura (Kagoshima Kyocera). But with 9 other 61-minute runners and dozens more at the 62 and 63-minute level it could be another super-deep half in the works. Gifu Seiryu can be warm and its mid-race hills don't make it the fastest course around, but in terms of depth this could be its biggest year yet.
JRN will be on-site in Gifu race weekend. Look for more on following the race live as we get closer to race date.
11th Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Elite Field Highlights
Gifu, 24 Apr. 2022
times listed are best within last 3 years except where noted
Women
Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (Kenya/U.S.E.) - 1:07:56 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Sinead Diver (Australia) - 1:08:50 (Marugame 2020)
Yuma Adachi (Kyocera) - 1:10:21 (Osaka 2022)
Anna Matsuda (Denso) - 1:10:29 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Reia Iwade (Adidas) - 1:10:59 (Olympic Test Event 2021)
Eloise Wellings (Australia) - 1:11:48 (Nagoya 2022 first half)
Kasumi Yoshida (Aichi Denki) - 1:12:30 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) - 1:13:06 (Nagoya 2022 first half)
Miharu Shimokado (SID Group) - 1:13:06 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Chizuru Oi (Nara-X Athletes) - 1:13:20 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Aika Nakashima (Kyocera) - 1:13:32 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Aiko Fujita (Aichi Denki) - 1:13:53 (Sanyo Ladies 2021)
Natalie Rule (Australia) - debut - 32:46 (Hobart 10km 2022)
Men
Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 57:59 (Valencia 2020)
Joseph Karanja (Kenya/Aichi Seiko) - 59:48 (Madrid 2021)
Vincent Raimoi (Kenya/Suzuki) - 59:51 (Ras Al Khaimah 2020)
Yuki Sato (SG Holdings) - 1:00:46 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Yuta Shitara (Honda) - 1:00:49 (Marugame 2020)
Takahiro Nakamura (Kyocera Kagoshima) - 1:00:57 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Emmanuel Maru (Kenya/Toyota Boshoku) - 1:01:16 (Valencia 2021)
Hidekazu Hijikata (Honda) - 1:01:22 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Takayasu Hashizume (SG Holdings) - 1:01:27 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Ryu Takaku (Yakult) - 1:01:30 (Marugame 2020)
Masao Kizu (Kanebo) - 1:01:45 (Marugame 2019)
Yuji Onoda (Toyota Boshoku) - 1:01:46 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Hiromasa Kumahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 1:01:47 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Kai Takeshita (SG Holdings) - 1:01:50 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Daisuke Higuchi (Chuo Hatsujo) - 1:01:59 (Nat' Corp. Half 2022)
Benard Kibet Koech (Kenya/Kyudenko) - 27:02.39 (Nat'l Corp. Champs 2020)
Philip Mulwa (Kenya/Soka Univ.) - 27:35.29 (Hachioji Distance 2021)
Joseph Macharia Ndirangu (Kenya/Aichi Seiko) - 27:41.30 (HDC Chitose 2020)
Simon Saidim (Kenya/Chuo Hatsujo) - 27:46.01 (Hachioji Distance 2020)
Josphat Ledama Kisaisa (Kenya/Kanebo) - 27:47.17 (Hachioji Distance 2021)
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