Athletics Australia – News – A PB for Birmingham to win in Marugame/JPN

The stellar start to 2013 for Collis Birmingham (Vic) has continued yesterday, with the 28-year-old Olympian winning the Marugame Half Marathon in a personal best time of 1:00:56.

Joined by Kenyan trio Enock Omwamba, Benjamin Gandu, and Micah Njeru, as well as local hopes Tsuyoshi Ugachi and Kenta Murayama, Birmingham passed through 10 kilometres in 28:33. The two-time national 10,000m champion Birmingham then surged away at 13 kilometres and was never threatened. He stretched his lead to ten seconds by the 15-kilometre mark, before extending it further to half a minute in the dying stages.

Birmingham only weeks ago won the Selection Trial for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Ensuring his sixth selection to compete at the event, Birmingham was joined on the automatic selection list for Bydgoszcz (POL) by his training partner Brett Robinson (ACT) and City2Suerf winner Liam Adams (Vic).

Birmingham, who is coached by Nic Bideau, will now shift his attention to a Chiba (JPN) hosted cross-country event next weekend.

MARUGAME HALF MARATHON: Men’s Results

1. Collis Birmingham (AUS) 1:00:56
2. Enock Omwamba (KEN) 1:01:15
3. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (JPN) 1:01:16
4. Kenta Murayama (JPN) 1:01:19
5. Benjamin Gandu (KEN) 1:01:21
6. Micah Njeru (KEN) 1:01:33
7. Masaki Ito (JPN) 1:02:00
8. Abel Kirui (KEN) 1:02:04
9. Ryo Yamamoto (JPN) 1:02:05 – 10. Johana Maina (KEN) 1:02:14

Athletics Australia – News