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Kentaro Ito Returns to Hofu Yomiuri Marathon

http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/news/national/20101130-OYS1T00214.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On Nov. 29 the organizing committee of the 41st Hofu Yomiuri Marathon, scheduled for Dec. 19, announced the field of ten invited elites at this year's race. Eight domestic runners and two overseas athletes will compete for the win, while the general division will see its largest-ever field including 1692 men and 156 women.

At the top of the field is Kurao Umeki (Team Chugoku Denryoku), who set his PB of 2:09:52 at the 2003 Berlin Marathon. 2008 Hofu champion Kentaro Ito (Team Kyowa Hakko Bio) returns to seek a second title. Young rising stars seeking to make a name include Takuro Yamashita (Team Fujitsu), Takashi Yamauchi (Team Aisan Kogyo) and Kiyotaka Shimamura (Tokyo T&F Assoc.). Kenyan Samuel Ganga (Team Mazda) will make his marathon debut.

Invited overseas elites include Mongolian Serod Batochir, who set a PB of 2:12:42 at September's Berlin Marathon and returns for his third-straight Hofu, and Korean Chon Un San who last ran Hofu in 2008.

2010 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field
Kurao Umeki (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:09:52
Serod Batochir (Mongolia) - 2:12:42
Chon Un-San (South Korea) - 2:13:39
Kentaro Ito (Team Kyowa Hakko Bio) - 2:13:44
Kiyotaka Shimamura (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 2:15:34
Akira Kiniwa (Team S&B) - 2:16:36
Hiroyuki Kamiguchi (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:17:21
Takuro Yamashita (Team Fujitsu) - 2:17:30
Takashi Yamauchi (Team Aisan Kogyo) - 2:17:38
Samuel Ganga (Kenya/Team Mazda) - debut - 1:03:18 half marathon
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