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Kipkemoi and Nyaga Win Inaugural Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon


Tokyo's newest elite-level road race happened Sunday on the course used for Japan's 2020 Olympic marathon trials and the 2020 Paralympic Games marathon, with the first edition of the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon bringing 15,000 to the streets.

Kenyan Vincent Kipkemoi outran Japan-based world all-time #4 Alexander Mutiso for the win 1:00:10 to 1:00:29, with 3rd and 4th-placers Benard Kimeli and Vincent Raimoi also getting under 61 minutes despite the tough uphill finish. With prize money running 8 deep Kenyans took the top 8 spots. Winning a three-way sprint finish on the track for 9th and top Japanese honors was Kenta Murayama, outkicking marathoners Daisuke Uekado and Yusuke Nishiyama by 1 second in 1:02:14.

In the women's race, unknown Caroline Nyaga outran 2022 National Corporate Half Marathon champ Dolphine Omare Nyaboke for the win, breaking her PB by over a minute and a half in 1:08:23. Nyaboke was 2nd in 1:09:46. On the climb back up to the stadium 2022 Hokkaido Marathon winner Haruka Yamaguchi broke away from American Betsy Saina to take 3rd in 1:10:35. Saina faded badly in the last 2 km but held off marathoner Mao Kiyota by 5 seconds for 4th in 1:11:13.

Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon

Tokyo, 16 Oct. 2022

Men
1. Vincent Kipkemoi (Kenya) - 1:00:10
2. Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) - 1:00:29
3. Benard Kimeli (Fujitsu) - 1:00:36
4. Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki) - 1:00:56
5. Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko) - 1:01:11
6. Joseph Karanja (Aichi Seiko) - 1:01:32
7. Joel Mwaura (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:02:04
8. Benson Tunyo (Kenya) - 1:02:07
9. Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 1:02:14
10. Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:02:15
11. Yusuke Nishiyama (Toyota) - 1:02:15

Women
1. Caroline Nyaga (Kenya) - 1:08:23
2. Dolphine Omare Nyaboke (U.S.E.) - 1:09:46
3. Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) - 1:10:35
4. Betsy Saina (U.S.A.) - 1:11:13
5. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 1:11:18
6. Natsuki Omori (Daihatsu) - 1:11:46
7. Kotona Ota (Japan Post) - 1:11:54
8. Beatrice Cheburet (Kenya) - 1:12:33
9. Ikumi Fukura (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:13:33
10. Rie Kawauchi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:14:47
11. Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 1:14:51
12. Ai Ikemoto (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 1:15:32

photo © 2022 Mika Tokairin, all rights reserved
text © 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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