Nyiva and Wolde Win Gifu Seiryu Half

Two good races happened Sunday at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon. The women's race was a head-to-head race between 2022 marathon world champion Gotytom Gebreslase and debuting Japan-based Janet Nyiva. Side-by-side through 15 km, Nyiva shattered Gebreslase with a massive surge over the last 5 km that ultimately put 52 second between them, Nyiva wining in 1:07:37 and Gebreslase next in 1:08:29.

2023 Asian marathon champion Eunice Chebichii Chumba held off the up-and-coming Kana Kobayashi, a member of Japan's marathon team for September's Tokyo World Championships, with a 1:09:07 for 3rd. Kobayashi's 1:09:09 for 4th was a PB by almost 5 minutes and the fastest time ever on the rolling Gifu course by a Japanese woman. Yumi Yoshikawa was 5th in 1:10:51.

Five men went out front on mid-59 pace. Dawit Wolde, debuting Kiprono Sitonik, Vincent Yegon and veteran Bedan Karoki all took turns leading, with only Richard Kimunyan tucking in and declining to share the load. As in the women's race Wolde and Sitonik broke away with a long surge over the last 5 km, and Wolde had the wheels in the final km to take the win in 1:00:06 to Sitonik's 1:00:13. Yegon and Kimunan were both under 62 minutes in 3rd and 4th, with Karoki just holding off 2025 corporate marathon champion Tsubasa Ichiyama for 5th in 1:02:12.

Out fast, Ichiyama settled into a comfortable solo pace after 10 km, only to be caught by Masashi Nonaka at 19 km. Ichiyama responded with a surge to reopen 19 seconds on for 6th and top Japanese in 1:02:21. Both Ichiyama and Yoshikawa will be running next month's Launceston Running Festival half marathon in Tasmania, Australia.

Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon

Gifu, 27 April 2025

complete women's results

complete men's results

Women

1. Janet Nyiva (Kenya/Pansonic) - 1:07:37 - debut

2. Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia) - 1:08:29

3. Eunice Chebichii Chumba (Bahrain) - 1:09:07

4. Kana Kobayashi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:09:09 - PB

5. Yumi Yoshikawa (Aichi T&F Assoc.) - 1:10:51

6. Mio Kuroda (Kyocera) - 1:11:26

7. Miu Yagi (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:11:40

8. Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) - 1:11:46

9. Yuna Arai (Sekisui Kagaku) - 1:12:47

10. Erina Yasui (Iwatani Sangyo) - 1:13:20

11. Mirai Waku (Universal Ent.) - 1:14:08

12. Rinka Hida (Daiichi Seimei) - 1:15:15

13. Natsuki Ogawa (Suzuki) - 1:15:32

14. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 1:16:45

15. Misaki Matsumoto (Chukyo Gakuin Univ.) - 1:17:15

Men

1. Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia) - 1:00:06

2. Kiprono Sitonik (Kenya/Kurosaki Harima) - 1:00:13 - debut

3. Vincent Yegon (Kenya/Honda) - 1:01:17

4. Richard Kimunyan (Kenya/Logisteed) - 1:01:57

5. Bedan Karoki (Kenya/Toyota) - 1:02:12

6. Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) - 1:02:21

7. Masashi Nonaki (Toyota) - 1:02:40

8. Yeneblo Biyazen (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:02:44

9. Benard Kimani (Kenya/Comodi Iida) - 1:02:45

10. Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:02:45

11. Yuta Shitara (Nishitetsu) - 1:02:53

12. Shun Sadakata (Mazda) - 1:02:56

13. Mizuki Higashi (Aisan Kogyo) - 1:03:07

14. Maru Teferi (Israel) - 1:03:09

15. Taisei Kato (Asahi Kasei) - 1:03:32

Hassan Runs NR/CR for Osaka Win, Dibaba Hits Women's CR, Yoshida and Shuley Earn Legends

This was maybe the most entertaining marathon in years. After rocking the 2nd leg at last year's Hakone Ekiden Hibiki Yoshida (Sunbelx) ran an incredible 1:01:01 CR for the 21.9 km New Year Ekiden 2nd leg last month, equivalent to a 58:47 half marathon. That predicted a 2:03:27 marathon if he ever ran one, and when Yoshida announced he was debuting at this year's Osaka Marathon he wasted no time in saying it'd be a shot at the 2:04:55 NR. Things went out fast enough with a 14:50 split through 5 km, 2:05:11 pace, but Yoshida just couldn't hold back and took off at 8 km. He clearly DGAF about what was probably going to happen as his projected finish kept getting faster, 2:04:41, 2:04:15, 2:03:51, 2:03:40, edging closer and closer to what his New Year time predicted, but not helped along by the fact that he missed 4 out of his first 5 drink bottles. People laughed, and then cheered him on. 30 km was the first time he slowed, his finish projection dropping to 2:03:53, an...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

M.I.A.

Sorry to have been silent for a while. JRN associate editor Mika Tokairin was in Taiwan for Ironman Penghu, where she won her age group to qualify for Kona for the first time. Right after that we moved for the first time in 14 years, and immediately after that I headed to the U.S. to help Keita Sato get settled in his new training base in Flagstaff. We'll be resuming normal operations shortly with a big roundup of results over the last 2 weeks. Brett Larner

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