Flanagan, Kamino, Koech, Makikawa and Mathathi Headline Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon – translated by Brett Larner – Japan Running News

 

Former Toyo University Hakone Ekiden star twins Keita Shitara (Team Konica Minolta) and Yuta Shitara (Team Honda) feature in the domestic men's field after making big impacts in their corporate league debuts at this year's New Year Ekiden.  Several members of New Year Ekiden 3rd-placer Nissin Shokuhin also lead the large corporate contingent in the general division.

London Olympics marathoner Arata Fujiwara (Miki House) will return again this year.  Top collegiate names scheduled to run include Daichi Kamino, whose course record run on the 2015 Hakone Ekiden's uphill Fifth Stage set the stage for Aoyama Gakuin University's first-ever Hakone win, Hakone First Stage winner Shogo Nakamura (Komazawa Univ.) and 2013 Marugame Half runner-up Enock Omwamba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.).

The domestic women's field includes 2013 National Corporate Half Marathon 2nd-placer Hanae Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei), 2014 Asian Games marathon 4th-placer Eri Hayakawa (Team Toto), 2013 Yokohama International Women's Marathon runner-up Azusa Nojiri (Hiratsuka Lease), and, going for a second-straight win, Eri Makikawa (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC).

The overseas men's field is strong.  2013 Lisbon Half winner Bernard Koech (Kenya) and last year's winner Martin Mathathi (Suzuki Hamamatsu) lead 4 men with bests under 60 minutes.  With a best of 1:08, Shalane Flanagan (U.S.A.) tops the women's list alongside 2013 Honolulu Marathon winner Ehitu Kiros (Ethiopia).

Kagawa natives on the list include 2015 Hakone Ekiden First Stage runner Shinichiro Nakamura (Waseda Univ.) and Yuki Kiyama (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) along with Akane Sekino (Imabari Zosen) who represented Kagawa at the Jan. 11 National Women's Ekiden.

This year's race will also features an elementary school ekiden the day before the half marathon.  As usual, last-minute entries for all divisions except the elementary school ekiden will be accepted from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the race stage grounds. 

 

For more information contact the Marugame Civic Sports Center office at 0877-24-6274.