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Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

 

Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa, Ken Tansho and Masato Arao.

All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring.

Continuing a great season, Soka University's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but beating a lot of more experienced people. Yoshida ultimately faded to 9th in 2:13:16.

The women's race had a great matchup of past track stars, with 10000 m NR holder Hitomi Niiya, collegiate 10000 m NR holder Seira Fuwa, 5000 m Olympian Kaede Hagitani, and Shiori Yoshizono together on CR pace at halfway in 1:12:24. Hagitani lost touch right after that and Yoshizono was gone by 30 km, and when Niiya picked it up in the last 10 km the debuting Fuwa couldn't follow.

Having taken 2nd in Hokkaido way back in 2008, Niiya picked up the win in a 2:24:14 negative split CR. Fuwa held on for 2nd in 2:26:04, with Kaena Takeyama coming from 2 minutes behind at halfway to take 3rd in 2:28:08. All three were well under the generous 2:32:00 trials time standard. Sub-2:30 is relatively rare at Hokkaido, but the debuting Yoshizono and 5th-placer Madoka Nakano both got there too in 2:28:43 and 2:29:38.

Men's 3rd-placer Arao was the top Japanese finisher in the TCS Sydney Marathon last year on the first day of trials qualification. The same day in Hokkaido amateur runner Yudai Fukuda made the trials with a 2:11:59 for 3rd. This year with Arao in Hokkaido Fukuda was in Sydney, where he was the top Japanese finisher at 20th in 2:13:28, running a controlled pace that took down both of the corporate leaguers in the race who went out faster, Kosei Shiraishi and Yoshihiro Maeda. Last year's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon winner Mizuki Nishimura was the only elite Japanese woman in the race, going through halfway on PB pace in 1:12:42 but dropping to 12th in 2:31:01.

Hokkaido Marathon

Hokkaido, Sapporo, 30 August 2026

Men
1. Jin Yuasa (Toyota) - 2:10:46
2. Ken Tansho (Honda) - 2:10:55 - debut
3. Masato Arao (ND Software) - 2:10:59
4. Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.) - 2:11:47
5. Ken Yokote (Fujitsu) - 2:11:57
6. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 2:12:03
7. Masahiro Fukumoto (Kraftia) - 2:12:46 - debut
8. Toru Kubota (Honda) - 2:13:03 - debut
9. Hibiki Yoshida (Sunbelx) - 2:13:16
10. Kento Nishi (Osaka Gas) - 2:13:22

Women
1. Hitomi Niiya (Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:24:14 - CR
2. Seira Fuwa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:26:04 - debut
3. Kaena Takeyama (Toto) - 2:28:08 - PB
4. Shiori Yoshizono (Tenmaya) - 2:28:43 - debut
5. Madoka Nakano (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:29:38
6. Hikaru Kitagawa (Univ. Ent.) - 2:30:37
7. Kaede Hagitani (Saku T&F Assoc.) - 2:31:20
8. Amisa Murayama (Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) - 2:32:51 - PB
9. Sakiho Tsutsui (Univ. Ent.) - 2:32:54
10. Yukari Nagatomo (Memolead) - 2:33:13

Sydney Marathon

Sydney, Australia, 30 August 2026

Men
1. Addisu Gobena (Ethiopia) - 2:04:42 - CR
2. Chimdessa Debele Gudeta (Ethiopia) - 2:04:46 (CR)
3. Tebello Ramakongoana (Lesotho) - 2:04:57 (CR)
4. Alphonce Simbu (Tanzania) - 2:04:57 (CR)
5. Jemal Mekonnen (Ethiopia) - 2:04:59 (CR)
6. Haiemaryam Kiros Kebedew (Ethiopia) - 2:05:16 (CR)
7. Vincent Ngetich (Kenya) - 2:05:28 (CR)
8. Dawit Wolde Arega (Ethiopia) - 2:06:41
9. Kennedy Kimutai (Kenya) - 2:06:50
10. Gilbert Kibet (Kenya) - 2:07:13
-----
13. Ethan Shuley (U.S.A.) - 2:08:34
20. Yudai Fukuda (Japan) - 2:13:28
23. Kosei Shiraishi (Japan) - 2:15:00
24. Yoshihiro Maeda (Japan) - 2:15:19
28. Yusuke Shibuya (Japan) - 2:18:22
31. Gen Hachisuka (Japan) - 2:19:37

Women
1. Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) - 2:18:31
2. Irine Cheptai (Kenya) - 2:22:11
3. Shure Demise Ware (Ethiopia) - 2:22:33
4. Haven Hailu Desse (Ethiopia) - 2:22:57
5. Meseret Abebayehu (Ethiopia) - 2:23:40
6. Priscah Cherono (Kenya) - 2:23:49
7. Stella Chesang (Uganda) - 2:23:52
8. Fikrte Wereta Admasu (Ethiopia) - 2:25:18
9. Ellie Pashley (Australia) - 2:28:28
10. Aberu Ayana Mulisa (Ethiopia) - 2:28:30
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12. Mizuki Nishimura (Japan) - 2:31:01

© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
Solid debut by Seira Fuwa! She did very well. I hope she can train injury free and have good health from here on because if she can, I expect she will improve enormously. I was ever so slightly disappointed with Kaede Hagitani and Amisa Murayama as I thought they both have the potential to run much faster. I'm sure they will both improve but I think it will be difficult to hit that faster MGC qualification time and this was a golden opportunity.
Regarding the Sydney Marathon, I'm not sure what to make of Mizuki Nishimura's time and if she was treating the race as a training exercise. It would seem strange given it is a World Major and you would want to perform at your best. Ai Hosoda did so well last year to finish in 2:23:27. A good 8 minutes faster than Mizuki's time this year.
September 1, 2026 at 4:53 PM
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