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Hagitani and Miyazaki Win Shibetsu Half


The Suffolkland Shibetsu Half Marathon took place on July 12 in Shibetsu, Hokkaido, with corporate league runners, collegiate athletes and amateur runners all taking to the city streets under breaks in the cloudy skies. A total of around 1900 people entered the event's 39th edition.

In the men's race, Yu Miyazaki of Toyo University won in 1:02:22, the 6th-fastest time in Shibetsu Half history. Kaede Hagitani, a 2021 Tokyo Olympian in the 5000 m, won in 1:13:02 as a step toward next month's Hokkaido Marathon. "This was a good run that helped me figure out what areas I need to work on for the Hokkaido Marathon," she said post-race. "The scenery along the course was relaxing."

Miyazaki, who took 3rd on the opening leg at the 2023 National High School Ekiden while at Ibaraki's Toyodai Ushiku H.S. and anchored Toyo at last fall's Izumo Ekiden, took 27 seconds off the PB he had run at November's Ageo City Half Marathon. It was his second PB in the last 2 months, having run a best of 28:53.82 for 10000 m at May's National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier. Further back, former marathon NR holder Kengo Suzuki was 8th in 1:03:27.

39th Suffolkland Shibetsu Half Marathon

Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 12 July 2026

Women
1. Kaede Hagitani (Saku T&F) - 1:13:02
2. Hiroko Yoshitomi (Memolead) - 1:19:01
3. Airi Nakamura (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:19:46

Men
1. Yu Miyazaki (Toyo Univ.,) - 1:02:22 - PB
2. Nicholas Kipchumba (Jobu Univ.) - 1:02:52
3. Evans Kibuni (Kokushikan Univ.) - 1:03:05
4. Kento Nishi (Osaka Gas) - 1:03:10
5. Yohei Urano (Fujitsu) - 1:03:14
6. Reishi Yoshida (Honda) - 1:03:17
7. Eikichi Kazaoka (JFE Steel) - 1:03:23
8. Kengo Suzuki (Yokohama T&F) - 1:03:27
9. Toru Kubota (Honda) - 1:03:31
10. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 1:03:34


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Comments

Anonymous said…
Is there a way to get deeper results of the Shibetsu Half-Marathon?
July 13, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Anonymous said…
With this performance by Kaede Hagitani I'd be reasonably confident she can make the MGC qualification time at the Hokkaido Marathon. I hope so. I'm glad to see her running again.
July 13, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Brett Larner said…
They haven't been posted yet. I'll update when they're public.
July 13, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Anonymous said…
Thanks mate!
July 14, 2026 at 12:32 AM
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