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With Budapest happening Aug. 19-27 everyone on the Budapest team will have to either double high-level marathon performances seven weeks apart or try to steal the 3rd spot on the Paris team by running a fast time at one of the major winter 2023-24 domestic marathons. With Hangzhou happening Sept. 23 to Oct. 5 it’s not likely anyone named to that team will try to double, meaning either a shot at something ambitious next winter or giving Paris a miss.
Between the two teams, the two fastest Japanese men at both the Osaka Marathon and Tokyo Marathon this year have been chosen. Heading to Budapest are Ichitaka Yamashita (Mitsubishi Juko), 2:05:51 for 7th in Tokyo, Kenya Sonota (JR Higashi Nihon), 2:05:59 for 8th in Tokyo, and Kazuya Nishiyama (Toyota), 2:06:45 for 6th in Osaka.
Hangzhou-bound are Yohei Ikeda (Kao), 2:06:53 for 7th in Osaka, and Toshiki Sadakata (Mitsubishi Juko), 2:07:24 for 10th in Osaka. Sadakata was the 4th Japanese man in Osaka, meaning the 3rd men there, Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko), 8th in 2:06:57, and in Tokyo, Suguru Osako (GMO), 9th in 2:06:13, both passed on the chance to run in Hangzhou.
On the women’s side, Japan’s top finisher at last summer’s Oregon World Championships Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) leads the Budapest team with a 2:21:44 for 6th and top Japanese in Tokyo. Rika Kaseda (Daihatsu) and Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) were chosen off strong performances at last year’s Berlin Marathon, where Kaseda was the top Japanese woman at 7th overall in 2:21:55 and Sato 3rd Japanese in 2:22:13 for 9th.
Things go further down the list for the women’s team in Hangzhou. Hikari Onishi (Japan Post) was named off a 2:25:54 for 19th and 5th Japanese woman in Berlin, with Mirai Waku (Universal Entertainment) picking up the second spot thanks to a 2:25:58 for 7th overall and 5th Japanese at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon earlier this month.
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Brett Larner – Japan Running News
