Kenya’s Betsy Saina pulled away from Japan’s Ayuko Suzuki in the final kilometre of the Marugame Half Marathon to successfully defend her title at the IAAF Silver Label road race in 1:07:49 yesterday.
Ethiopia’s Abdi Nageeye, meanwhile, caught front-running Kenya’s Simon Kariuki just before the 20-kilometre point and went on to win in 1:00:24, taking 46 seconds off the Dutch record set 20 years ago by Greg van Hest.
Saina and Suzuki ran together, passing five kilometres in 16:02, 10km in 32:06 and 15km in 48:15. They were still together at 20km, reached in 1:04:25, but Saina then made her move and pulled away from Suzuki to win in 1:07:49, smashing her previous best of 1:09:17 set in Marugame last year.
The Kenyan became the fifth woman to win back-to-back Marugame Half Marathon titles, joining Eunice Kirwa ( 2016 and 2017 ), Tiki Gelana ( 2012 and 2013 ), Kayoko Fukushi ( 2006, 2007 and 2011 ) and Yasuko Hashimoto ( 2003 and 2004 ). Her time is also the third fastest time in Marugame. Despite missing out on victory, Suzuki was still pleased with her 1:07:55 half marathon debut.
“I am bit disappointed to be out-kicked at the end of the race, but it was good that I was able to keep the steady pace all the way,” said Suzuki.
Australian 41-year-old Sinead Diver finished third in 1:08:55, improving her half marathon best by 25 seconds. Charlotte Purdue was fourth in 1:09:46, her first sub-70-minute performance. Mao Ichiyama, who will be running the Tokyo Marathon in four weeks, was sixth in 1:10:49, about a minute shy of her PB.
The lead group in the men’s race went through 5km in 14:16 and then Japan-based Kenyan Kariuki pulled away from the pack. He went through 10 kilometres in 28:24, about 20 seconds ahead of the chase pack, and managed to maintain that lead up to 15 kilometres, which he reached in 42:46.
Nageeye then started to reel in Kariuki and took the lead just before 20 kilometres, which he passed in 57:18. The 29-year-old continued to pull away from his competitors in the closing stages to win in 1:00:24, improving his PB by one minute and 44 seconds.
Kariuki finished second in 1:00:43, a PB by 42 seconds. Australia’s Jack Rayner was third in 1:01:36, while fourth-placed Takato Suzuki was the first Japanese finisher, just ahead of Masao Kizu, both credited with PBs of 1:01:45. Yuki Sato and Kenta Murayama, who will both be contesting the Tokyo Marathon in four weeks, fell during the early stages and withdrew from the race.