Kawauchi Wins Hofu in 2:09:46, Yoshimatsu Breaks Own Women’s CR by 2 Seconds – by Brett Larner – Japan Running News

With strong winds and erratic pacers in the early going a shot at the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon's 2:08:16 course record and his goal of a 2:07 was never in the works, but in his 13th marathon of 2014 Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) scored the win in 2:09:46. 

Kawauchi followed Kenyans Charles Wanjohi, Philip Kiplimo and Willy Kibor through 5 km splits that varied from 15:07 to 15:34, well off the target pace of 3:02/km, before dropping things to 2:55/km at 33 km to open a lead that took him away to the win.  Running 15:16 from 35 to 40 km, he faded slightly in the final 2.195 km to just miss the year-best 2:09:36 he ran in May's Hamburg Marathon.

Nevertheless, as his eighth career sub-2:10 Kawauchi's Hofu performance further solidified his position in the Japanese record books.  The only Japanese man to break 2:10 twice this year, as the eleventh Japanese sub-2:10 of the year Kawauchi's performance also adds to the net positive current trend in Japanese men's marathoning.  Kawauchi ends his year at the Dec. 31 Cursa dels Nassos 10 km in Barcelona.

In the women's race, course record holder and three-time winner Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) did it again, breaking her own record by 2 seconds for a fourth title in 2:37:55.  Yoshimatsu went out on 2:36-flat pace determined to get the record but gradually faded, drawing closer and closer to 2:38 but pushing hard on the last lap of the track to just clip her old record.

45th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon
Hofu, Yamaguchi, 12/21/14
click here for complete results

Men
1. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) – 2:09:46
2. Philip Kiplimo (Kenya) – 2:13:24
3. Willy Kibor (Kenya) – 2:13:28
4. Norimasa Nishina (Team Fujitsu) – 2:13:47
5. Sho Matsumoto (Team Nikkei Business) – 2:17:29
6. Yuko Matsumiya (Team Hitachi Butsuryu) – 2:17:37

Women
1. Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) – 2:37:55 – CR
2. Chika Tawara (Fukuoka T&F Assoc.) – 2:41:29
3. Sakiko Ishibashi (Dasewa) – 2:49:25

(c) 2014 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

by Brett Larner – Japan Running News

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