Post-Hakone Aoyama Gakuin Half Marathon Action

In our post-Hakone Ekiden analysis of this year's record-breaking race we wrote that winner Aoyama Gakuin University head coach Susumu Hara excels at developing depth of quality and can usually fill gaps caused by graduation. It's a sign of how much depth he has that his B- and C-squad runners occupied podium places at two fast half marathons just a week after Hakone.

The Takanezawa Genki-Up Half Marathon in Tochigi is the usual destination for AGU benchwarmers and has seen some breakthrough performances from future A-squad stars. Local independent Ryuichi Yoshioka got the win in 1:03:00, but AGU runners took the next 6 spots, all under 1:03:40, led by Riku Anjima and Daiki Sasaki in 1:03:04 and 1:03:06. And they weren't even the fastest AGU people in action.

At the rebranded Tokyo New Year Half Marathon, previously the Hi-Tech Half, Kaito Nakamura and Kyosuke Hiramatsu went head-to-head with former 10000 m NR holder Kota Murayama from the GMO corporate team. Murayama, who announced that he will retire after running next month's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, got the win in a photo finish with Nakamura, both clocking 1:02:46. Hiramatsu was close behind in 1:02:49 for 3rd, with Toyo University's Koha Kuramoto 4th in 1:02:57 and independent Yudai Fukuda 5th in 1:02:58.

AGU is losing 6 of the 10 members of its Hakone-winning squad including 3 of its very best, but as the results here show there's plenty more coming down the pipeline, including Zen Kuroda, younger brother of Second Stage CR-breaker Asahi Kuroda, 6th in Takezawa in 1:03:16. It still won't be easy for Komazawa University and the other top-end competition to take AGU down come Jan. 2-3 next year.

Takanezawa Genki-Up Half Marathon

Takanezawa, Tochigi, 12 Jan. 2024

1. Ryuichi Yoshioka (Honda Tochigi) - 1:03:00

2. Riku Anjima (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:04

3. Daiki Sasaki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:06

4. Aito Sato (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:09

5. Taisei Endo (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:13

6. Zen Kuroda (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:16

7. Kaito Iida (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:38

8. Shumon Rohomon (Tokai Univ.) - 1:04:02

9. Junpei Nakano (Tokai Univ.) - 1:04:12

10. Shunto Hamakawa (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:04:23

Tokyo New Year Half Marathon

Kita-ku, Tokyo, 12 Jan. 2024

1. Kota Murayama (GMO) - 1:02:46

2. Kaito Nakamura (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:02:46

3. Kyosuke Hiramatsu (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:02:49

4. Koha Kuramoto (Toyo Univ.) - 1:02:57

5. Yudai Fukuda (Ishikawa T&F Assoc.) - 1:02:58

6. Chihiro Ono (GMO) - 1:03:09

7. Shuto Sugiura (Tokai Univ.) - 1:03:12

8. Shusei Ohashi (Kodaira T&F Assoc.) - 1:03:16

9. Kotaro Ito (Waseda Univ.) - 1:03:18

10. Hibiki Sawanaka (Hosei Univ.) - 1:03:19

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Marugame, Beppu-Oita and More - Weekend Preview

After the Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon last weekend Japan's winter road season rolls on with 3 big races Sunday. The Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon has a good field up front in the women's race with 5 runners, Eilish McColgan , Dolphine Omare , Isobel Batt-Doyle , Charlotte Purdue and Yuka Ando , with sub-1:09 bests and the debut of #1 collegiate runner Sarah Wanjiru of Daito Bunka University . 3 men in Marugame have recent sub-60 times, Emmanuel Maru , Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara leading the way. Shinohara was one of 2 Japanese men to break 60 at Marugame last year and missed the NR by 3 seconds in 59:30. After a 42:53 CR on his 15.3 km leg at the New Year Ekiden on Jan.1, 45:06 pace for 10 miles, he's looking to pick up at least another 4 seconds this time around. 14 other men in the field are at the 60-minute level, and Chuo University 's sub-28 10000 m runner Yamato Hamaguchi is making a highly anticip...

Etir Breaks Marugame CR, Catrofe Sets Uruguay NR, Omare 3rd-Straight Win

On the one hand it was too windy for really fast times at the Marugame Half , but on the other it wasn't, apparently. It was pretty much a strong tailwind over the first 10 km and just a strong a headwind over the last 10, so it wasn't a surprise that the lead group of men went through 5 km in 13:59 and 10 km in 27:51. Up front in it were 59:30 collegiate record co-holders Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara , and sub-59:30 guy Emmanuel Maru . But with the National University Half Marathon having moved to Marugame last year there were a million fast Hakone kids up in it to, Hiromichi Nonaka from Koku Gakuin University leading the way but lots more right behind. Etir and Maru opened up on the field after the turnaround, and by 15 km Etir was alone, 9 seconds ahead of Maru and on sub-59 pace running into the wind. Like everyone else he struggled to keep pace in the wind, sub-59 slipping away but easily taking the win in 59:07, a CR and new collegiate record by 23 seconds. Maru e...

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