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Rotich and Chelal Win Kobe Marathon, American Shuley 2nd in 2:11:30


Kenyans Elisha Rotich and Jackline Chelal made it a Kenyan double at the Kobe Marathon, Rotich outrunning American Ethan Shuley by 28 seconds for the win in 2:11:02 and Chelal with an almost 2-minute lead in 2:28:25.

The men's race started off with a lead group of 11, going through 10 km in 30:10 and halfway in 1:03:38. Wearing a mass-participation bib and starting 6 seconds back from the elites, Shuley, whose previous best was a 2:18:13 in Nagano this past April and who has only 2 other races on his World Athletics profile in the last 10 years, both indoor 3000 m, improbably led through 25 km in 1:15:19, 2:07:07 pace, before losing touch. Ethiopian Abay Alemu surged into the lead, only to get run down by Rotich just after 30 km and ultimately dropping out.

Rotich slowed after moving into the top spot but held his margin over Shuley to win 2:11:02 to 2:11:30. Hiromasa Kumahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) was 3rd in 2:11:45, closing on Shuley fast but running out of ground before getting to him.

The heavy favorite Chelal and the debuting Deborah Samum were together through 15 km in 51:16 before Chelal dropped Samum, steadily opening her lead the rest of the way to win in 2:28:25. Samum was 2nd in 2:30:16, with Kokone Sakai (Sysmex) debuting in 2:35:22 for 3rd. Further back, 67-year-old Mariko Yugeta set a new age group WR of 2:59:02, more than 2 minutes faster than her own 65-69 WR and the oldest-ever sub-3 by a woman.

Kobe Marathon

Kobe, Hyogo, 16 Nov. 2025

Men
1. Elisha Rotich (Kenya) - 2:11:02
2. Ethan Shuley (U.S.A.) - 2:11:30 - PB
3. Hiromasa Kumahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 2:11:45
4. Takuya Kumashiro (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 2:13:17 - PB
5. Taisei Kato (Asahi Kasei) - 2:15:37
6. Keisuke Yokota (Team Nitro) - 2:15:46
7. Daichi Atsuura (ND Software) - 2:15:52
8. Masami Nagakura (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:15:59 - PB
9. Tomohiro Kaijo (Kanazawa City Hall) - 2:16:24
10. Takeru Ikka (Jupiter RC) - 2:17:46 - PB
-----
DNF - Abay Alemu (Ethiopia)
DNF - Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya)
DNF - Martin Musau (Uganda)

Women
1. Jackline Chelal (Kenya) - 2:28:25
2. Deborah Samum (Kenya) - 2:30:16 - debut
3. Kokone Sakai (Sysmex) - 2:35:22 - debut
4. Natsuki Ogawa (Suzuki) - 2:36:24 - PB
5. Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 2:39:00
6. Haruna Takano (PTC) - 2:39:54
7. Catherine Wanjiru Njunge (Kenya) - 2:40:30 - PB
8. Riine Ringi (Estonia) - 2:41:24
9. Ayaka Furukawa (Saysky) - 2:44:16 - PB
10. Runa Toya (Josai Kokusai Univ.) - 2:47:11 - debut
-----
Mariko Yugeta - 2:59:02 - age group WR

© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
What a run by Ethan Shuley! It would be super awesome if you could get an interview with him. It seems training and living in Japan is treating him very well. Is he with a group/team?
November 18, 2025 at 4:04 AM
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