Mwikali Breaks Own CR at Sanyo Ladies Road Race, Tesfaye Takes Kanto 10-Miler

Japan's last big non-ekiden road race of the year happened Sunday in Okayama at the Sanyo Ladies Road Race 10 km and half marathon. In the 10 km, CR holder Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera) soloed a 31:09 CR for the win. 2 seconds up on rival Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) at 5 km in 15:34, Mwikali held steady over the second half to cut 2 seconds off her old CR of 31:11 from 2021. Nyiva faded to 31:57 but held on to 2nd, with Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) passing Eva Cherono (Toto) for 3rd in 32:22.

In the half marathon, a lead group of four stayed together through 15 km before 2022 winner Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) surged over the last 5 km. Taking almost 2 minutes off her PB, Akidor took the top spot in 1:09:29, beating #1-ranked Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (U.S.E.) by 18 seconds. Joanne Kipkemoi (Kyudenko) was 3rd in 1:10:01, with Yuri Karasawa (Kyudenko) scoring the top Japanese spot at 5th in 1:10:48.

Also Sunday in Chiba was the 137th running of the Kanto 10-Miler. After a DNF at last month's Hachioji Long Distance meet, Eritrean Tesfaye Biniam Zeratsion (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) took the win in 47:56, narrowly out kicking marathoner Kensuke Horio (Kyudenko) by 4 seconds. Chuo University athletes took the next three spots, with two runners from Juntendo University close behind. Chuo and Juntendo meet next Jan. 2 on day one of the 100th Hakone Ekiden.

42nd Sanyo Ladies Road Race

Okayama, 17 Dec. 2023

complete results

10 km

1. Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera) - 31:09 - CR

2. Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) - 31:57

3. Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) - 32:22

4. Eva Cherono (Toto) - 32:38

5. Mitsu Ozaki (Sysmex) - 33:01

6. Misaki Hayashida (Kyudenko) - 33:01

7. Shiori Yoshizono (Tenmaya) - 33:04

8. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) - 33:09

9. Yuri Tasaki (Sysmex) - 33:19

10. Ayaka Kato (Uniqlo) - 33:30

Half Marathon

1. Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) - 1:09:29 - PB

2. Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (U.S.E.) - 1:09:47

3. Joanne Kipkemoi (Kyudenko) - 1:10:01

4. Desta Burka (Denso) - 1:10:16

5. Yuri Karasawa (Kyudenko) - 1:10:48

6. Ayano Ikemitsu (Kagoshima Ginko) - 1:10:57

7. Madoka Nakano (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:11:22

8. Honoka Tanaike (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:24

9. Hibiki Sakuragawa (Daiichi Seimei) - 1:11:28

10. Mizuki Tanimoto (Tenmaya) - 1:11:29

11. Chinatsu Takeda (Daihatsu) - 1:13:17

12. Nanami Aoki (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:13:18

13. Saya Nishitani (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:13:18

14. Yuko Kikuchi (Shimamura) - 1:13:19

15. Ayami Hirano (Noritz) - 1:13:22

137th Kanto 10-Miler

Narita, Chiba, 17 Dec. 2023

complete results

1. Tesfaye Biniam Zeratsion (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) - 47:56

2. Kensuke Horio (Kyudenko) - 48:00

3. Hinata Shirakawa (Chuo Univ.) - 48:12

4. Kanta Kotagiri (Chuo Univ.) - 48:16

5. Yuto Urata (Chuo Univ.) - 48:16

6. Yuki Murao (Juntendo Univ.) - 48:29

7. Kyota Iwashima (Juntendo Univ.) - 48:36

8. Yosuke Nagashima (Chuo Univ.) - 48:45

9. Shoto Horikoshi (Juntendo Univ.) - 48:49

10. Kotaro Suzuki (Chuo Univ.) - 48:53

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The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it. The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede , 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa , and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru , plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu , 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde , 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir , 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha , former WR holder Brigid Kosgei , and a lot more. Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda , 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore , American Sara Hall , a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia , Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson . The men's race has 5 of last year's top 1...

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