Running News Daily

After seven week break Kawauchi runs another sub 2:12 marathon - his 26th

After a seven-week break from the marathon, Yuki Kawauchi scored his third-straight marathon win, second-straight course record and came just shy of a third-straight negative split as he ran a completely solo 2:11:46 to take almost six minutes off the Kitakyushu Marathon course record.

Following up on negative split wins at December's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon and January's Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon, the latter a course record by half an hour, Kawauchi was on his own in Kitakyushu the whole way.

After a 1:05:51 split at halfway he slowed slightly finishing the second half in 1:05:55. Along with the course record, Kawauchi extended his record for most career sub-2:12 marathons to 26 as he continues to prepare for the Boston Marathon.