Skip to main content

Osaka Half Marathon Elite Field

Along with yesterday's announcement of the Jan. 29 Osaka International Women's Marathon elite field, organizers have also announced the fields for the simultaneous Osaka Half Marathon. With athletes from 9 countries it's the most international field in the event's history, a welcome sign as other races like the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon a week later continue to restrict entries to residents of Japan.

Osaka Half Marathon

Elite Field Highlights
Osaka, 29 Jan. 2023
times listed are best in last 3 years except where noted

Women
Zeyituna Husan (Denso) - 1:09:24 (Sanyo 2020)
Desta Burka (Denso) - 1:09:31 (Sanyo 2021)
Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:10:17 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Shuri Ogasawara (Denso) - 1:10:25 (Sanyo 2020)
Mirai Waku (Univ. Ent.) - 1:10:26 (Sanyo 2020)
Yukina Ueda (Daihatsu) - 1:10:49 (Osaka 2020)
Wuga He (China) - 1:10:54 (Philadelphia 2022)
Hanae Tanaka (Daiichi Seimei) - 1:11:08 (Sanyo 2021)
Hina Yanagitani (Wacoal) - 1:11:26 (Osaka 2022)
Rui Aoyama (Univ. Ent.) - 1:11:36 (Marugame 2020)

Men
Patrick Mathenge Wambui (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 1:00:12 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2021)
Yohei Ikeda (Kao) - 1:00:59 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) - 1:01:09 (Marugame 2020)
Simon Kariuki (Togami Denki) - 1:01:11 (Olympic Test Event 2021)
Boniface Mulwa (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:01:17 (Ageo 2022)
Akira Tomiyasu (Aisan Kogyo) - 1:01:23 (Osaka 2022)
Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:01:25 (Osaka 2022)
Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 1:01:26 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Takumi Kiyotani (Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:01:27 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:01:37 (Marugame 2020)
David Nilsson (Sweden) - 1:01:40 (World Half 2020)
Keita Sakamoto (Aichi Seiko) - 1:01:42 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Joseph Nganga Waweru (Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:01:44 (Osaka 2022)
Ryo Kuchimachi (Subaru) - 1:01:46 (Osaka 2022)
Tatsuya Sumide (Aichi Seiko) - 1:01:46 (Osaka 2022)
James Mwanzia Mutuku (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:01:49 (Shibetsu 2022)
Daisuke Momozawa (Sunbelx) - 1:01:50 (Houston 2020)
Hiroyuki Ishikawa (Aisan Kogyo) - 1:01:55 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Teruya Wada (Nishitetsu) - 1:01:57 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Kenji Yamamoto (Mazda) - 1:01:58 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...