Skip to main content

Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon Elite Field


Sheila Chepkirui is the favorite in the Feb. 4 Marugame Half Marathon women's race, at 1:04:36 about three minutes up on her closest competition, Japan-based Kenyans Pauline Kamulu (Route Inn Hotels) and Dolphine Omare Nyaboke (U.S.E.). Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) leads the Japanese women at 1:08:53, but the most interesting person on the entry list is her teammate Ririka Hironaka, all-time Japanese #2 for 5000 m and 10000 m and making her half marathon debut here. When Hitomi Niiya set the current NR of 1:06:38 in early 2020 it seemed like a mark that would last a long time, but with a better understanding of how much shoe tech has inflated road times since then that has to be a realistic goal for Hironaka, if not this time then next.

Sub-58 man Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) has a recent best of 58:48 that puts him just ahead of Charles Langat, ranked #2 at 58:53. Cleophas Kandie (Mitsubishi Juko) is the only other runner under 60 minutes with a best of 59:18 from Marugame last year, but there are another five on the entry list under 60:30 and six more under 61, making for a strong pack up front. Kotaro Shinohara (Komazawa Univ.) leads the Japanese field with a 1:00:11 in Marugame 2023 and comes in fresh off almost equalling that in winning the First Stage earlier this month at the 100th Hakone Ekiden. Norwegian NR holder Sondre Nordstad Moen, Australian NR holder Brett Robinson and Japanese NR holder Yusuke Ogura (Yakult) also feature near the top of the entry list.

76th Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon

Marugame, Kagawa, 4 Feb. 2024
times listed are athletes' best within last 3 years except where noted

Women
Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) - 1:04:36 (Ras al Khaimah 2022)
Pauline Kamulu (Kenya/Route Inn Hotels) - 1:07:22 (Marugame 2023)
Dolphine Omare Nyaboke (Kenya/U.S.E.) - 1:07:56 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Kyungsun Choi (South Korea) - 1:08:35 (Marugame 2020)
Charlotte Purdue (Great Britain) - 1:08:49 (Great North Run 2021)
Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) - 1:08:53 (Sapporo 2021)
Sinead Diver (Australia) - 1:09:00 (Gifu Seiryu 2022)
Mao Uesugi (Starts) - 1:09:57 (Osaka 2022)

Debut
Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) - 30:39.71 (Oregon World Championships 2022)
Caroline Kariba (Kenya/Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 31:52 (2023 Tamana 10 km)

Men
Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 58:48 (Ras al Khaimah 2022)
Charles Langat (Kenya) - 58:53 (Barcelona 2023)
Cleophas Kandie Meyan (Kenya/Mitsubishi Juko) - 59:18 (Marugame 2023)
Victor Kipruto Togom (Kenya) - 1:00:04 (Madrid 2023)
Kotaro Shinohara (Komazawa University) - 1:00:11 (Marugame 2023)
Sondre Nordstad Moen (Norway) - 1:00:15 (Valencia 2021)
Shadrack Kipkemei (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) - 1:00:16 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2023)
Dennis Kipruto (Kenya/Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 1:00:17 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2023)
Reishi Yoshida (Chuo Gakuin University) - 1:00:31 (Marugame 2023)
Hiroto Hayashida (Mitsubishi Juko) - 1:00:38 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Yusuke Tamura (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:00:38 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Tomoya Ogikubo (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:00:43 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Masashi Nonaka (Toyota) - 1:00:48 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Yohei Ikeda (Kao) - 1:00:59 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Toshiya Sato (Toyota) - 1:01:06 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) - 1:01:14 (National Corporate Half 2020)
Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:01:16 (National Corporate Half 2021)
Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:01:25 (Osaka 2022)
David Shunqeya Neiyiai (Kenya/Reitaku Univ.) - 1:01:31 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2023)
Sodai Shimizu (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:01:41 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Naoki Aiba (Chudenko) - 1:01:42 (National Corporate Half 2020)
Ryo Kuchimachi (Subaru) - 1:01:46 (Osaka 2022)
Yusuke Ogura (Yakult) - 1:01:48 (Ageo 2022)
Kensuke Horio (Fukuoka T&F Assoc.) - 1:01:49 (National Corporate Half 2020)
Joseph Razini Lemeteki (Kenya/Yasukawa Denki) - 1:01:50 (Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 2022)
Tadashi Isshiki (GMO) - 1:01:50 (Marugame 2020)
Eikichi Kazaoka (JFE Steel) - 1:01:51 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Kento Otsu (Sunbelx) - 1:01:56 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Yohei Komatsu (Logisteed) - 1:01:57 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Tatsuya Maruyama (Toyota) - 1:01:58 (Osaka 2020)
Brett Robinson (Australia) - 1:01:59 (Launceston 2022)

Debut
Amos Bett (Kenya/Tokyo Kokusai University) - 27:59.45 (Sagamihara 2023)

© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Labels:

Comments

Stefan said…
This race will be an excellent indicator as to Ayuko Suzuki's fitness leading into her last ditch attempt to grab that Olympic 3rd position at Nagoya in March. An injury free, sub 1:09:00 time would give her confidence.

Super surprised to see Ririka Hironaka in this race. I welcome this and can see it benefiting her 10000m track speed endurance. It is a nice progression for her as I am sure she will gradually move onto the marathon distance post Olympics.

I'm hoping they have some good tv coverage of the women's field in this race.
January 13, 2024 at 4:24 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Shikama and Njeri Win Sendai International Half Marathon

Shunsuke Shikama (Logisteed) and Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) won the Sendai International Half Marathon Sunday in Sendai, Shikama in 1:01:31 and Njeri in 1:09:20. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) was the top Japanese woman at 2nd overall. The men's race went through 5 km in 14:34 and 10 km in 29:22. Shikama ran alongside top competition including Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.), who has been running well in half marathons this season, and Tokyo World Championships marathon team member Naoki Koyama (Honda). On a course with many small ups and downs, Shikama attacked on a downhill just after 15 km, quickly breaking free of the lead group of 7. 13 seconds up by 20 km, Shikama covered the last 1.0975 km in 3:06 to seal his first Sendai title. A graduate of Juntendo University , Shikama is in his 4th season with Logisteed. At the 2024 National Corporate Half Marathon he ran 1:00:41, and at last year's East Japan Corporate Ekiden he won the Third Stage. In his marathon d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
Post a Comment
Read more