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2023 Hakone Champ Komazawa University's Tsubura and Akahoshi to Make International Debuts at United Airlines NYC Half

The New York Road Runners have announced the elite women's and men's fields for the Mar. 19 United Airlines NYC Half. Alongside half marathon WR holder Jacob Kiplimo and 5000 m/10000 m WR holder Joshua Cheptegei, 2023 Hakone Ekiden champion Komazawa University's Kensuke Tsubura and Yuta Akahoshi will make their international debuts.

Tsubura and Akahoshi were the top two Japanese collegiate finishers at November's Ageo City Half Marathon, earning them places in NYC through a program JRN has run since 2012 in cooperation with the NYRR and Ageo city hall.

Tsubura finished 2nd on the opening leg at Hakone to get Komazawa off to a solid start, with Akahoshi maintaining Komazawa's lead on the second day of the race with a 4th-place finish on the eighth leg. Their win capped a 2022-23 season sweep of all three major university ekidens, the first-ever triple crown for head coach Hiroaki Oyagi. Oyagi will travel to NYC with his two athletes, and having announced post-Hakone that he is stepping down it will be his final appearance as Komazawa head coach.

United Airlines NYC Half

Elite Men's Field
New York, USA, 19 Mar. 2023
times listed are best within last 3 years

Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) - 57:31 - WR
Kennedy Kimutai (Kenya) - 58:28
Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) - 59:21
Edward Cheserek (Kenya) - 1:00:13
Galen Rupp (U.S.A.) - 1:00:23
Teshome Mekonen (U.S.A.) - 1:00:40
Maru Teferi (Israel) - 1:00:58
Frank Lara (U.S.A.) - 1:01:00
Chris Thompson (Great Britain) - 1:01:07
Rory Linkletter (Canada) - 1:01:08
Zouhair Talbi (Morocco) - 1:01:08
Nico Montanez (U.S.A.) - 1:01:13
Belay Tilahun (Ethiopia) - 1:01:22
Kensuke Tsubura (Japan) - 1:01:51
Yuto Akahoshi (Japan) - 1:02:00
Ben True (U.S.A.) - 1:02:10
Juan Luis Barrios (Mexico) - 1:02:27
Filmon Ande (Eritrea) - 1:02:51
Andrew Butchart (Great Britain) - 1:02:59
Marofit Maourad (Morocco) - 1:03:17
Jordan Guzman (Malta) - 1:03:41
Connor Winter (U.S.A.) - 1:03:43
Giovanni Grano (Italy) - 1:04:06

photo © 2022, text © 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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