Yamaguchi 10th at United Airlines NYC Half – Weekend Overseas Results – Brett Larner – Japan Running News

2024 national cross-country champion Tomonori Yamaguchi was the top Japanese finisher in the men’s race at the United Airlines NYC Half, taking 10th in 1:04:36.

A 2nd-year at Waseda University, Yamaguchi was one of three collegiate runners running New York in the 11th year of JRN’s development program collaboration between the Ageo City Half Marathon and the New York Road Runners, a program that has seen people like future half marathon and marathon NR breaker Yuta Shitara and Paris Olympic team member Akira Akasaki make their international debuts.

Yamaguchi’s Waseda teammate Taishi Ito started fast, going with the leaders through 5 km in 14:29 before losing touch. Hosei University senior Rei Matsunaga went through in 14:42 in his last race before joining the JR Higashi Nihon corporate team in April. Yamaguchi, who caught COVID after winning last month’s National Cross-Country Championships, started more conservatively with a 15:11 first 5km. But where both Ito and Matsunaga slowed, Yamaguchi held more or less even through 15 km, splitting 15:18 and 15:16 for the next two 5 km sections.

By that point he’d overtaken Matsunaga, and around Times Square near 18 km he passed Ito to move into the top Japanese position. „That course was crazy!“ he told JRN immediately after finishing. „I had trouble getting ready for this race, and I couldn’t go with the lead pack at all. But even though it wasn’t a good performance, I learned a lot from doing it.“ Yamaguchi next races the World Cross-Country Championships at the end of the month.

Ito was 11th in 1:04:54 after slowing to 16:03 from 15 to 20 km. „I gave it a go with the lead pack in the first half, and I think that took some guts,“ he said. „But the middle and last part didn’t go well. Still, I’m really glad I had the chance to run against some world-class competition for the first time.“ Matsunaga struggled throughout the second half of the race, ending up 17th in 1:06:17. „A lot of things happened when I was getting ready for this,“ he said, „but thanks to everyone who cheered me on all the same.“

A few hours earlier, another 2nd-year, Komazawa University’s Keita Sato, took a shot at the 27:09.80 national record at The TEN in California. One of six Japanese men in the Paris 10000 m fast section, Sato stayed at 12th in the lead group of men pursuing 27-flat pace past 7000 m before starting to slip back. In the end

United Airlines NYC Half Men’s Race
New York, 17 Mar. 2024

1. Abel Kipchumba (Kenya) – 1:00:25
2. Zouhair Talbi (Morocco) – 1:00:41
3. Yemane Haileselassie (Eritrea) – 1:01:37
4. Hillary Bor (U.S.A.) – 1:01:47
5. Reed Fischer (U.S.A.) – 1:03:06
6. Tristan Woodfine (Canada) – 1:03:50
7. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) – 1:03:59
8. Matthew Baxter (New Zealand) – 1:04:12
9. Zerei Kbrom (Norway) – 1:04:31
10. Tomonori Yamaguchi (Japan/Waseda Univ.) – 1:04:36
11. Taishi Ito (Japan/Waseda Univ.) – 1:04:54
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17. Rei Matsunaga (Japan/Hosei Univ.) – 1:06:17

text and photo © 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Brett Larner – Japan Running News