Running News Daily

Yuki Kawauchi snags second BMO Vancouver Marathon victory

Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi claimed his second BMO Vancouver Marathon title on Sunday, finishing in 2:17:05–just over two minutes slower than his course-record-setting time of 2:15:01 in the 2019 marathon, and good enough to secure the 36-year-old a decisive victory against Toronto’s David Mutai (20:20:05) and Mississauga’s Sergio Raez Villanueva (2:23:21). Vancouver was just one of a number of marathons in Canada and Europe on Sunday.

With his latest victory, Kawauchi adds to an impressive list of accomplishments as a marathoner. The 2018 Boston Marathon champion was recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2021 for becoming the first person to run 100 sub-2:20 marathons.

Vancouver’s own Dayna Pidhoresky won the women’s marathon in 2:34:27, ahead of fellow Canadian Rozlyn Boutin (2:48:09) and U.S. marathoner Callahan McKenzie (2:49:28). Highlights of Pidhoresky’s running resume include winning the Canadian Olympic Trials Marathon in 2019 and being a four-time winner of the Around the Bay 30K race in Hamilton, Ont.

BMO Vancouver Marathon delayed by ‘suspicious device’ on course

Vancouver’s 50th BMO Marathon got off to a rocky start Sunday morning when the event was delayed due to a suspicious device found along the course near Science World. CTV News reports that Vancouver police feel “the device was ‘strategically placed’ to disrupt the BMO Vancouver Marathon Sunday morning, but has been ‘rendered inert.'” Due to the incident, the race started an hour behind schedule.

Police think the device, which was spotted just after 5 a.m. by a volunteer, was planted to cause panic and disrupt the event. 

Thankfully, it was a false alarm and the 18,500 runners were able to race safely. 

In elite results, Chris Balestrini took the win for the men in 2:23:56. On the women’s side, 2020 Olympian Dayna Pidhoresky won in a new course record of 2:34:30, surpassing Kim Doerksen’s 2:37:00 from 2014. Also under the former record was 2016 Olympian Lanni Marchant, who was second in 2:36:42. Post-race, Pidhoresky said, “It was a bit of a rollercoaster, mentally. Lanni and I were together for most of the first half of the race. She’s a tough competitor, so in no way did I ever think that I had it in the bag. I was working hard the whole time.”

Of his win, Balestrini mentioned the incredible views: “It’s so scenic and so fun. Going along the seawall is just amazing.”

In the half-marathon, Justin Kent and Olympian Ben Preisner crossed the finish line together in 1:04:54. Preisner, who was the top Canadian performer in the men’s marathon in Tokyo, has run consistently well since his first Games.

Post-race, Kent said he’s thrilled to see the running community back together: “It’s always a top-notch event. I heard that there are 3,000 volunteers–it’s amazing–we are super appreciative just to be here.”

In the women’s race, 2:28 marathoner Leslie Sexton continued her winning streak, taking the title in 1:14:56. Sexton, who has currently run the fastest marathon time within the qualifying period, has her eye on the World Championships marathon this summer. Olympian Natasha Wodak was also entered in the half on Sunday, but this time in the role of pacer. She helped her friend Julie Pelly to a personal best of 1:30.

Yuki Kawauchi and fiance Yuko Mizuguchi, yes fiance won the BMO Vancouver Marathon titles

An engaged couple from Japan won the BMO Vancouver Marathon, the first time two Japanese runners who have taken home gold in 20 years.

And attendance was at an all-time high, with 18,000 runners from around 65 countries participating in one of three distances.

Yuki Kawauchi and Yuko Mizuguchi came out the champions with finishing times of (02:15:01) and (02:41:28) for the marathon.

The recently-engaged couple arrived in Vancouver last week for their first Canadian marathon, and won.

2018 Boston Marathon winner Kawauchi broke the course record of 2:18:37 set by Luka Chelimo from Kenya in 2015.

“They really pushed me to this record,” Kawauchi says in a press release, speaking of second and third-place finishers Feyera Gemeda Dadi and Chelimo. “It’s not an easy course, but it’s a very beautiful course, I would definitely recommend coming here to enjoy it and get the most out of it, it’s a great event.”

He was impressed by the scenery and support from the crowd, as was women’s title winner and fiancee Mizuguchi.

“Running around Stanley Park in the midst of all that nature really gave me a nice boost,” she says in a release. “Being able to see the ocean and the mountains – at some parts of the race, I found myself kind of distracted looking at how beautiful the ocean was.”

Yuki Kawauchi will race on Canadian soil for the first time at this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon

2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi will race on Canadian soil for the first time at this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon, to be held on Sunday, May 5, the race organization announced today. The marathon is less than three weeks after Boston, which Kawauchi has said he will also race again in 2019.

Kawauchi, who says he will become a full-time professional runner in 2019, was the first Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon since 1987. 23 elites dropped out in appalling weather conditions that featured driving rain and freezing winds.

Fans speculate Kawauchi may even contest the Vancouver course record of 2:18:37, set by Kenya’s Luka Chelimo in 2015. (Kawauchi’s personal best is 2:08:14.)

2018 winner Zheng Zhiling of China and second-place finisher Margarita Quintero of Mexico have said they will also be back this year. 2018 winner Rob Watson indicates he will “probably” return also.

A Japanese man has not won the Vancouver marathon since Atsunari Saito’s victory in 1999.