Teferi Becomes Fukuoka's First Israeli Winner, Robinson Breaks de Castella's AUS NR, Nakamura Wins in Hofu
Japan had not one but two top-level men's marathons happening at the same time today. Conditions were a little too windy at the rescendent Fukuoka International Marathon to produce the kind of times organizers were hoping for, but there was still a great race up front. Almost dead-even on 3:00/km pace the entire way despite a building headwind from around 11 km to 18 km and again from 25 km to 32 km, and a strong tailwind from 32 km to the track finish, by 35 km a lead pack of 30 dwindled down to just 2021 winner Michael Githae (Suzuki), debuting teammate Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki), 40-year-old double world champ Abel Kirui (Kenya) and Ethiopian Israeli Maru Teferi.
Teferi didn't really break it apart as much as he held steadier than everyone else. From 30 to 35 km he clocked 15:01 and from 35 to 40 km 14:59, while the other three slowed to the 15:17~15:23 range on the way to 40 km. Teferi kept that pace all the way to the end, winning in a PB 2:06:43. Raimoi had the final gear to drop Githae for 2nd in 2:07:01, while Githae held on to 3rd in a PB 2:07:28. "This was another step for me," Githae told JRN post-race. "I'm happy with how I did."Kirui slowed further, bringing him into range of fast-closing Australian Brett Robinson. 18 seconds back at 40 km, Robinson closed the 3rd-fastest in the field to run Kirui down for 4th in 2:07:31. That was good enough to take 20 seconds off past Fukuoka champ Rob de Castella's 2:07:51 Australian record, another piece of history from sub-60 Marugame Half winner Robinson. Kirui was 5th in 2:07:38.
Kazuma Kubo (Nishitetsu) was the last Japanese man to stay with the top group, making it as far as 30 km before dropping off. In the end the top Japanese spot went to Kiyohito Akiyama (Aichi Seiko), 7th in 2:08:43. He, 8th-placer Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko), 2:09:01, and 9th-placer Minato Oishi(Toyota), 2:09:08, all qualified for next year's MGC Race 2024 Olympic marathon trials. Kubo hung on for 10th in 2:09:19 and 11th-placer Koki Takada (Sumitomo Denko) made it five under 2:10 in 2:09:45, but both missed out on qualification. And in terms of the domestic results, Fukuoka lost out to Hofu.
At the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon the pace went out at 3:02/km, on track for 2:08-flat and, with a start 90 minutes before Fukuoka's, mostly avoiding the rising winds. Like Fukuoka it came down to a question of who slowed the least. In Hofu's case that was Yuki Nakamura (Sumitomo Denko), who held on as others faded and was rewarded with a 2:08:29 win and a spot at the trials. 2nd-placer Shoma Yamamoto (NTT Nishi Nihon), 2:08:52, also made the trials, as did 2021 Olympic team alternate Ryo Hashimoto (GMO), 3rd in a PB 2:09:12. 4th through 6th all broke 2:10 but missed trials qualification, but even so with a faster top Japanese time and more Japanese men under 2:10 Hofu came out ahead of Fukuoka. Was it the wind? A better field? More sensible pacing? Hard to say. If it had been one race then 17 men sub-2:10, 11 of them Japanese, would have been a pretty big day, even if it were eclipsed by Valencia.
The women's race in Hofu was relatively modest, with Momoko Watanabe(Tenmaya) pulling away from a pack that accordioned between 3 and 6 people to win in 2:32:05. One of the favorites with a 2:25 best, Rie Kawauchi (Otsuka Seiyaku) ran down unattached amateur Ai Ikemoto in the last 5 km for 2nd in 2:34:10, Ikemoto taking 3rd in a PB 2:34:17. T-13 class Toshiharu Takai (Miyoshi T&F Assoc.) was right behind Kawauchi and Ikemoto to win the men's IPC division in 2:34:25, T-11 class Natsumi Inouchi (Mizuho Financial) taking the women's IPC race in 3:16:15.
posted Sunday December 4th