Elite Field for Oct. 15 Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon

Scheduled to happen in parallel with the MGC Race Paris Olympic marathon trials, the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon has announced the elite fields for its second running Oct. 15. Straight from this spring's Barcelona Half Marathon, Gladys Chepkurui and Charles Langat are the top internationals coming in from abroad at 1:05:46 and 58:53.

Chepkurui's only real competition is Japan-based Dolphine Omare, winner at last year's National Corporate Half Marathon in 1:07:56. Langat has more serious competition from Japan-based Alexander Mutiso, 58:48 at last year's RAK Half among others, and another five in the mid-to-high 59-minute range. Sub-27:20 10000 m runners Evans Keitany, Jonathan Ndiku and Timothy Kibet should also factor in.

Given that the race will happen at the same time as the Olympic marathon trials there aren't a lot of high-level Japanese athletes in the race. The top woman in Mao Kiyota, 1:11:18 at this race last year, with Toyo University's Kazuki Matsuyama the only Japanese man with a current sub-61 time at 1:00:43 from last year.

The para fields are solid, with both the women's and men's races full of Paralympic medalists and national record holders in different categories. Top women include Tsubasa Kina, Wakako Tsuchida and Misato Michishita, with the men's field featuring Tomoki Suzuki, Tsutomu Nagata, Tadashi Horikoshi and Kenya Karasawa among others.

2nd Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon Elite Field

Tokyo, 15 Oct. 2023

complete elite field listing

times listed are best within last 3 years except where noted

Women

Gladys Chepkurui (Kenya) - 1:05:46 (Barcelona 2023)

Dolphine Omare (Kenya/U.S.E.) - 1:07:56 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)

Hellen Ekalale (Kenya/Toyota Jidoshokki) - 1:09:53 (Gifu Seiryu Half 2023)

Mao Kiyota (Suzuki AC) - 1:11:18 (Tokyo Legacy Half 2022)

Shiho Kaneshige (GRlab Yamaguchi) - 1:12:57 (Sanyo Ladies Half 2021)

Natsuki Ogawa (Suzuki AC) - 1:15:38 (Sanyo Ladies Half 2022)

Para Women

T54 - Tsubasa Kina (Ryukyu Sports Support) - 48:35 (Hamanasu 2023)

T54 - Wakako Tsuchida (Will Raise) - 48:46 (Hamanasu 2022)

T53 - Kazumi Nakayama (unattached) - 1:04:07

T20 - Ayami Takahashi (Miyagi TFC) - 1:33:15 (Sendai Half 2023)

T12 - Misato Michishita (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:26:58 (Hofu 2019)

T11 - Natsumi Inoguchi (Mizuho Financial Group) - 1:31:41 (Tokyo Legacy 2022)

Men

Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 58:48 (RAK Half 2022)

Charles Langat (Kenya) - 58:53 (Barcelona 2023)

Benard Kimeli (Kenya/Fujitsu) - 59:32 (Road to Records 2022)

Bedan Karoki (Kenya/Toyota) - 59:37 (Buenos Aires 2023)

Joseph Karanja (Kenya/Aichi Seiko) - 59:48 (Madrid 2021)

Tsegay Kidane (Ethiopia) - 59:49 (Antrim 2023)

Andrew Lorot (Kenya/YKK) - 59:54 (Marugame 2023)

Kazuki Matsuyama (Toyo Univ.) - 1:00:43 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)

Evans Keitany (Kenya/Toyota Boshoku) - 27:11.88 (Hachioji 2022)

Jonathan Ndiku (Kenya/Logisteed) - 27:12.84 (Nittai Univ. 2022)

Timothy Kibet (Kenya/Makes)- 27:17.41 (Hengelo 2021)

Jackson Kavesa (Kenya/Chuo Hatsujo) - 27:38.50 (Nittai Univ. 2022)

Para Men

T70 - Koichiro Yamanaka (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 1:08:41 (Yokohama 2008)

T54 - Tomoki Suzuki (Toyota) - 38:32 (Oita 2021)

T46 - Tsutomu Nagata (Niigata T&F Assoc.) - 1:10:57 (Beppu Oita 2022)

T20 - Yoshitatsu Hishinuma (Miyagi TFC) - 1:09:21 (National ID Half 2023)

T12 - Tadashi Horikoshi (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 1:08:19 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2013)

T11 - Kenya Karasawa (Subaru) - 1:08:30 (Tokyo Legacy Half 2022)

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."

Fukube Breaks 100 mH NR at All-Star Night Games - Japan's Olympians Make Final Tune-Ups

Getting stuck in the shinkansen cancelation headaches yesterday means we're a day late getting to the weekend's track roundup, but better late than never. At the top of the list, women's 100 mH national record holder Mako Fukube (NKK) took 0.04 off her own record to win in 12.69 (+1.2) at the All-Star Night Games in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa in her last race before the Paris Olympics. Other Paris team members won their races too: 4x400 m squad member Takuho Yoshizu (GK Line) took the win in the men's 400 m in 45.89. Men's 400 m hurdler Daiki Ogawa (Toyo Univ.) set a meet record 49.09 for the win. Sumire Hata (Sumitomo Denko) set a women's long jump MR of 6.61 m (+0.8). Marina Saito (Suzuki) and Momone Ueda (Zenrin) both threw over the old MR held by world champion and Paris teammate Haruka Kitaguchi , Saito getting the win with a final attempt of 58.45 m, Ueda next at 57.93 m and 3rd-placer Yuki Yamamoto (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) also going over the old MR at 57

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

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