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Yamaguchi, Matsunaga and Ito to Run United Airlines NYC Half



Waseda University's Tomonori Yamaguchi, Hosei University's Rei Matsunaga and Yamaguchi's Waseda teammate Taishi Ito are part of the men's field for the Mar. 17 United Airlines NYC Half announced today by the New York Road Runners. Yamaguchi and Matsunaga were the top two Japanese collegiate finishers at November's Ageo City Half Marathon, Yamaguchi running 1:01:16 for 3rd overall and Matsunaga 1:01:56 for 4th to score invitations to NYC. Since then Yamaguchi has run particularly well, placing 4th on the Hakone Ekiden's highly competitive 23.1 km Second Stage where he ran the equivalent of a 1:00:45 half marathon, and running a 28:17.87 PB for 10000 m.

Ito is also a sub-62 half marathoner, running 1:01:50 at last year's Marugame Half Marathon and setting a 28:37.34 PB for 10000 m in the same January race as Yamaguchi. All three have raced in other parts of Asia and both Yamaguchi and Ito in Europe, but for all of them it will be their first time racing in the U.S.

United Airlines NYC Half

Elite Men's Field Highlights
New York, 17 Mar. 2024
times listed are athletes' best within last 3 years except where noted

Abel Kipchumba (Kenya) - 58:07 (Valencia 2001)
Zerei Kbrom (Norway) - 1:00:01 (Copenhagen 2022)
Gabriel Geay (Tanzania) - 1:00:16 (Valencia 2001)
Connor Mantz (U.S.A.) - 1:00:55 (Hardeeville 2021) - withdrawn
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) - 1:01:01 (Great North Run 2022)
Zouhair Talbi (Morocco) - 1:01:08 (Houston 2023)
Tomonori Yamaguchi (Japan) - 1:01:16 (Ageo 2023)
Clayton Young (U.S.A.) - 1:01:18 (Hardeeville 2021)
Yemane Haileselassie (Eritrea) - 1:01:24 (Houston 2024)
Taishi Ito (Japan) - 1:01:50 (Marugame 2023)
Reed Fischer (U.S.A.) - 1:01:52 (Herzogenaurach 2023)
Rei Matsunaga (Japan) - 1:01:56 (Ageo 2023)
David Nilsson (Sweden) - 1:01:56 (Berlin 2022)
Filmon Ande (Eritrea) - 1:02:20 (Philadelphia 2023)
Matt Baxter (New Zealand) - 1:02:38 (San Jose 2021)
Tristan Woodfine (Canada) - 1:02:40 (Boston 2023)
Yenew Alamirew Getahun (Ethiopia) - 1:03:05 (Brooklyn 2023)
Shadrack Biwott (U.S.A.) - 1:03:35 (Duluth 2023)
Tim McGowan (U.S.A.) - 1:03:54 (Philadelphia 2023)
Eduardo Garcia (Virgin Islands) - 1:03:59 (Houston 2024)
Hillary Bor (U.S.A.) - 1:09:24 (Las Vegas 2015)

text and photos © 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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