Amos Kurgat and Dolphine Omare Win Again at Gifu Seiryu Half

2019 Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon men's winner Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) and last year's women's champ Dolphine Omare (U.S.E.) were back on top with repeat wins this time. Despite a good field with four sub-60 runners the men's race went out too slow for Kurgat's liking. Within the first 5 km he was away, leading by 6 seconds at 5 km and never looking back as he won by over a minute in 1:00:20. The pack behind him came down to a five-way sprint finish, with past Marugame Half winner Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) turning in one of his better runs in years with a 1:01:37 for 2nd. Former Soka University top man Philip Mulwa (GMO) was 3rd in 1:01:38 in his corporate league debut, with top Japanese man Kiyoshi Koga (Yasukawa Denki) 4th in 1:01:40.

Omare led start to finish in the women's race, initially with company from the debuting Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) and Ethiopian great Tirunesh Dibaba through 5 km in 16:06 but soon leaving both behind. Omare came up short of her goal of bettering her 1:07:56 PB, but she got close with a 1:08:18 for the win by over a minute and a half. Ekarare was 2nd in 1:09:53, just holding off Dibaba by 4 seconds. Dibaba's last 6 km was maybe the most surprising thing in the race, having dropped 35 seconds behind Ekarare and being run down by the chase group by 15 km but rallying for 3rd in 1:09:57. Canadian Malindi Elmore was the top finisher from the chase group at 4th in 1:10:11, a PB at age 43. Both Dibaba and Elmore ran in the 2004 Athens Olympics 19 years ago, Dibaba in the 5000 m and Elmore in the 1500 m, an impressive testament to their longevity and dedication.

Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon

Gifu, 23 Apr. 2023

complete results

Women

1. Dolphine Omare (U.S.E.) - 1:08:18

2. Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 1:09:53 - debut

3. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) - 1:09:57

4. Malindi Elmore (Canada) - 1:10:11 - PB

5. Isobel Batt-Doyle (Australia) - 1:10:16

6. Reia Iwade (Denso) - 1:10:23

7. Rose Davies (Australia) - 1:10:53 - PB

8. Genevieve Gregson (Australia) - 1:11:57 - debut

9. Nanami Aoki (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:14:14

10. Seika Ogata (Uniqlo) - 1:14:30

Men

1. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) - 1:00:20

2. Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) - 1:01:37

3. Philip Mulwa (GMO) - 1:01:38 - debut

4. Kiyoshi Koga (Yasukawa Denki) - 1:01:40

5. Simon Saidimu (Chuo Hatsujo) - 1:01:43 - PB

6. Joseph Karanja (Aichi Seiko) - 1:01:47

7. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Asahi Kasei) - 1:01:58

8. Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko) - 1:02:40

9. Joel Mwaura (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:03:09

10. Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki) - 1:03:09

World Championships Medalist Racewalking Coach Mizuho Sakai Recognized With Highest Coaching Honor

The 2023 Mizuno Sports Mentor Awards recognizing excellence in coaching were held Apr. 23 in Tokyo. Toyo University assistant coach and race walking coach Mizuho Sakai was given a gold award, the program's highest honor, and expressed her thanks and joy in a speech at the award ceremony. The coach of 2023 Budapest World Championships men's 35 km race walk bronze medalist Masatora Kawano , Sakai said, "This is an incredible honor and I'm truly grateful. As a child I wanted to be in the sporting world and I've spent my life in that world. My end goal was always to play a supporting role for other athletes, so I'm honored to be recognized in this way." Sakai's husband Toshiyuki Sakai , head coach of Toyo's three-time Hakone Ekiden champion team, attended the awards gala with her and was also introduced to the audience. After bowing he took a seat in front of her and watched with warmth as she received recognition for her outstanding work. The Mizun

Chesang and Kipkoech Win Hot Gifu Half

Hot conditions held back fast times at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Sunday, where Ugandan Stella Chesang and Kenya Hillary Kipkoech took the top spots over last year's winners Dolphine Nyaboke Omare and Amos Kurgat . In the women's race Chesang, Omare and Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chebichii Chumba went out as a trio, Japan-based Hellen Ekarare with them initially but eventually dropping out. After a 15:39 opening 5 km Chumba started to slip off, and by 15 km Chesang was on her own. Chesang won in 1:07:59, solid given the conditions, with Omare 2nd in 1:08:31 and Chumba 3rd in 1:09:10. Rinka Hida was the first Japanese woman, 5th overall in 1:12:06 behind Australian Genevieve Gregson . A lead men's pack of 11 went through 5 km in 14:31, but by 10 km it was down to Kipkoech, Kurgat, , Timothy Kiplagat , Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Japan-based Kenyans Patrick Mathenge Wambui and Anthony Maina . At 15 km in 43:40 only Kurgat and Kipkoech were left, and over the last 5

Okumoto and Kondo Score Silver and Bronze - U20 Asian Championships Day One

The U20 Asian Athletics Championships started Wednesday in Dubai, U.A.E. Narumi Okumoto (Hitachi) and Nozomi Kondo (Meijo Univ.) scored Japan's first two medals in the women's 3000 m, running behind leader Yaxuan Li of China over the first 1000 m. Kondo lost touch after the first 1000 m, while Okumoto lasted another 1000 m with Li. Li took gold in 9:12.79, Okumoto silver in 9:25.19 and Kondo bronze in 9:38.91. In qualifying rounds: Both Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) and Sari Kameda (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) won their women's 800 m heats and advanced to the next round, Nishida in a PB 2:07.36 and Kamei in 2:10.87, also a PB. Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) won his 400 mH heat in a PB 50.19 to make the final. Hiroto Shogomori (Chuo Univ.) was 2nd in his 400 m heat in 47.37, yet another athlete to run a PB, moving on to the semifinals. The lone female sprinter on the Japanese team, Misaki Morimoto (Sonoda Joshi Gakuen Univ.) won her 100 m heat in 12.20 (-1.4) and advance

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