Kurgat and Chemnung Solo New Course Records at Tokyo Legacy Half

Amos Kurgat and Loice Chemnung soloed new course records to win Sunday's Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon, with Paralympians Tomoki Suzuki and Wakako Tsuchida winning the wheelchair races.

A late addition to the field, Kurgat took off and immediately left it behind, going through 10 km in 27:48 and never looking back. Although he slowed on the uphill back up to Tokyo's National Stadium in the last 5 km, Kurgat was never in danger and won easily in a course record 59:52, 18 seconds under the old record set by Vincent Kipkemoi in the race's 1st edition two years ago.

Bedan Karoki was the first runner to break from the chase pack, taking 2nd in 1:00:38. The next four runners came into the stadium together, with last year's Ageo City Half winner Paul Kuira having the kick to take 3rd in 1:00:49. The top Japanese man at February's Tokyo Marathon in 2:06:31, Yusuke Nishiyama was the first Japanese man across the line here too, just off his PB in 1:01:13 for 8th.

Chemnung was just as alone throughout her race but had the benefit of picking off semi-elite Japanese men the whole way. Steady on mid-66 pace as she hit 10 km in 31:35, Chemnung also slowed on the uphill but still went under Gladys Chepkurui's 1:08:03 CR from last year, winning in a new record of 1:07:27.

Mongolian NR holder Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh and top-ranked Japanese woman Mao Kiyota ran the first half of the race together before Galbadrakh opened a small lead at 10 km, but in the second half Kiyota came back to pass her and take 2nd in 1:11:29. Running as a tuneup for next month's New York City Marathon, Galbadrakh held off the rest of the Japanese field for 3rd in 1:12:12, narrowly clearing the 5 minute margin behind the winner's time to avoid a reduction of her appearance fee.

Paralympians Tomoki Suzuki and Wakako Tsuchida won the wheelchair races, Suzuki over two minutes ahead of nearest competitor Hiroki Kishizawa in 43:57. Tsuchida had about the same margin over Tsubasa Kina, winning in 55:49.

3rd Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon

Tokyo, 20 Oct. 2024

complete results

Men

1. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) - 59:52 - CR

2. Bedan Karoki (Toyota) - 1:00:38

3. Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) - 1:00:49

4. Vincent Yegon (Honda) - 1:00:50

5. Benard Kimeli (Fujitsu) - 1:00:52

6. Cleophas Kandie (Mitsubishi Juko) - 1:00:54

7. Andrew Lorot (YKK) - 1:01:04

8. Yusuke Nishiyama (Toyota) - 1:01:13

9. Boniface Mulwa (ND Software) - 1:01:44

10. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 1:01:45

Women

1. Loice Chemnung (Kenya) - 1:07:27 - CR

2. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 1:11:29

3. Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (Mongolia) - 1:12:12

4. Kanako Takemoto (Daihatsu) - 1:12:37

5. Ayako Murao (Daihatsu) - 1:13:36 

6. Natsuki Ogawa (Suzuki) - 1:14:08 - PB

7. Shiho Kaneshige (GRlab Yamaguchi) - 1:16:20

8. Miyu Ota (Suzuki) - 1:16:30 - debut

9. Fuka Hirokawa (OBRS) - 1:16:47

10. Ayana Yamazaki (Saurus Japan RC) - 1:16:50

Men's Wheelchair

1. Tomoki Suzuki - 43:57

2. Hiroki Kishizawa - 46:01

3. Ryuta Yoshida - 47:20

Women's Wheelchair

1. Wakako Tsuchida - 53:43

2. Tsubasa Kina - 55:49

3. Kazumi Takimura 1:00:51

text and photos © 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved