by Brett Larner The organizers of the Dec. 16 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon released their 2012 elite field on Nov. 28. While Hofu has evidently cut its small international field, for the second year in a row it will star the great Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) in an inexplicably suicidal double just two weeks after the Fukuoka International Marathon. Last year Kawauchi ran 2:09:57 for 3rd in Fukuoka in an inspirational performance, then followed up in Hofu with a head-to-head battle with Mongolian defending champion Serod Batochir where he placed 2nd in 2:12:33. This year Kawauchi is shooting for 2:07 in Fukuoka, and with no Batochir to push him the best you could probably say is that a slower time seems likely in Hofu. Kawauchi's strongest competition should come from Taiga Ito (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC). Ito holds a 2:13:16 best from last year's Gold Coast Marathon but has struggled with frequent injury problems since then. A 2:18:55 at t...
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