In Sunday's marathons, Tomoki Suzuki lost out to China's Hua Jin in the race for T54 men's silver, Jin getting there first in 1:31:19 and Suzuki 4 seconds back in 1:31:23 for bronze. But both were far behind gold medalist Marcel Hug of Switzerland, who had a dominant run in 1:27:39 for the win. Ryota Yoshida clocked 1:37:15 for 8th. Wakako Tsuchida and Tsubasa Kina were off their best in the T54 women's race, Tsuchida 6th in 1:52:39 and Kina 12th in 2:04:53.
In the T12 women's marathon, Paralympic and world record holder Misato Michishita lost both records to Moroccans Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi and Meryem En-Nourhi. Both broke Michishita's 3:00:50 Paralympic record, with El Idrissi scoring an impressive gold in 2:48:36 to cut almost 6 minutes off Michishita's WR. Initially finishing 4th in 3:04:23, Michishita was elevated to bronze after Spain's Elena Congost was disqualified. Congost finished 3rd in 3:00:48, 2 seconds under Michishita's Paralympic record, but just steps before the finish line violated the rules by letting go of her guide runner's rope. Tadashi Horikoshi was the top Japanese man in the T12 race at 7th in 2:28:03, with Shinya Wada 9th in a PB 2:29:59 and Yutaka Kumagai 10th in 2:32:26.
At Sunday's Volksbank Muenster Marathon in Germany, 2:08:55 man Akira Tomiyasu was one of only two sub-2:10 runners in the field and the favorite to win. But although he ran comfortable through the first 15 km, near halfway Tomiyasu lost touch with the lead group and ultimately finished 5th in 2:22:55. "The turns and cobblestones in the first 10 km took more out of me than I thought they would," he told JRN post-race. Kenyans won both the men's and women's races, Collins Kemboi Kipsang taking the men's title in 2:10:52 and Rebecah Jeruto Cherop the women's in 2:32:25.
A large group of corporate leaguers was at the Great North Run in the U.K. but didn't make much of a dent on either race. 2:05 marathoner Kenya Sonota was the top Japanese man at 7th in 1:03:00, just over 3 minutes behind winner Abel Kipchumba's 59:52. 2:07 marathoner Shin Kimura was 22nd in 1:06:07, in sight of women's top 3 Mary Ngugi-Cooper, 1:07:40, Senbere Teferi, 1:07:41, and Alemu Megertu, 1:07:42. Mizuki Nishimura was the first Japanese woman across the line in 1:11:57, with Yuna Takahashi 10th in 1:12:13, Yuri Tasaki 12th in 1:13:20, and Mio Kuroda 15th in 1:14:50.
text and photo © 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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