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Mathathi Wins Sixth Kumamoto Kosa 10-Miler

http://kumanichi.com/news/local/main/20111204005.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

At the Rikuren-certified 36th annual Kumamoto Kosa 10 Mile Road Race on Dec. 4, 2009 World Championships 10000 m runner Yuki Iwai (Team Asahi Kasei) ran 47:08 to win for the second time, five years after his first win.  In the international division, Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) won his third-straight and sixth-total Kosa title in 46:20.

With the international division starting together with the general division for the first time, Mathathi picked up the pace at the halfway mark.  Iwai went with him, leaving all over Japanese runners behind.  He slowed dramatically near the end but still held off 2nd-place Kenichi Shiraishi (Team Asahi Kasei) by 9 seconds.  Kohei Matsumura (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) was 3rd.

Daegu World Championships marathoner Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei) started off in the lead pack, but he fell behind after only 3 km and finished 19th in 47:45.  His World Championships teammate Yukihiro Kitaoka (Team NTN) was only 93rd.  Yoshikazu Kawazoe (Team Asahi Kasei), 7th in 47:21, was the top finisher from Kumamoto.

In the high school boys' 10 km race, Kazuma Kubota (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) won in 29:35.  Yohei Sakai (Hondo J.H.S.) won the junior high school boys' 5 km in 15:47, while Ai Ishida (Izumi Chuo H.S.) ran 16:57 to win her second-straight women's 5 km title.  Conditions at the start were sunny, 15.5 degrees, with 4 km/hr NNE winds and 48% humidity.

Translator's note: The title of the original article was, "Iwai Wins After 5 Years - Kosa 10-Mile Road Race"  Iwai was actually 3rd  behind Mathathi and Alex Mwangi (Kenya/Team YKK) who were scored in the separate "International Division."

2011 Kumamoto Kosa 10-Mile Road Race
Kumamoto, 12/4/11
click here for complete results

Men's 10-Miler
1. Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 46:20
2. Alex Mwangi (Kenya/Team YKK) - 47:05
3. Yuki Iwai (Team Asahi Kasei) - 47:08
4. Kenichi Shiraishi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 47:17
5. Kohei Matsumura (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) - 47:17
6. Kazuharu Takai (Team Kyudenko) - 47:18
7. Kohei Ogino (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 47:21
8. Satoru Sasaki (Team Asahi Kasei) - 47:21
9. Yoshikazu Kawazoe (Team Asahi Kasei) - 47:21
10. Yuki Oshikawa (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 47:22

High School Boys' 10 km
1. Kazuma Kubota (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 29:35
2. Shogo Higashijima (Tosu Kogyo H.S.) - 29:44
3. Kentaro Inoue (Tosu Kogyo H.S.) - 29:56

Women's 5 km
1. Ai Ishida (Izumi Chuo H.S.) - 16:57

Junior High School Boys' 5 km
1. Yohei Sakai (Hondo H.S.) - 15:47
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