Skip to main content

Batochir and Simon Win Osaka, Takahashi and Ouchi Take Kobe

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/other/athletic/marathon/osaka/2012/headlines/20121125-00000004-spnavi-spo.html
http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/general/2012/11/25/0005553103.shtml

translated and edited by Brett Larner

In their second editions the Osaka Marathon and Kobe Marathon moved to the same day, Nov. 25, meaning that one greater metropolitan area held two large-scale marathons simultaneously with combined fields of 50,000.

In Osaka, men's winner Serod Batochir (Mongola) ran 2:11:52 to set a new course record.  The top Japanese finisher, Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC), was 2nd in a PB 2:15:37, while half-marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) was 3rd in 2:16:26.  Defending men's champion Elijah Sang (Kenya) faded badly after running the first part of the race in the lead pack, finishing 8th in 2:33:33.

Defending women's champion Lidia Simon (Romania) won in 2:33:12 by more than one minute over Kenyan Julia Mumbi, with Yuki Ino (Team Noritz) the top Japanese woman in 3rd.

In Kobe, local Hyogo native Kensuke Takahashi (Team Toyota) set a new course record of 2:21:14 for the men's win.  Takahashi, with a PB of 2:11:25, was alone in the lead by the first km mark and steadily built his lead the entire race, winning by a final margin of more than 4 minutes.  Last year's runner-up Masahiro Taguchi (Mitsubishi Kagaku) was 2nd again.

After the race winner Takahashi commented, "I decided to do this race back in June and my training since then has been solid.  I ran for the win, so even though I didn't break 2:20 I'm glad to have won.  I had figured I'd probably end up running alone, but I would have been glad to have someone else there to help keep things on track for a better time.  It was hard being by myself from the start but again I'm glad I could keep it going alone.  I thought the course was going to be flat but there were some tough little ups and downs in there.  My face never gives it away when I'm hurting, but I was today.  I have to say thanks to all the spectators for the best cheering I've ever had."

In the women's race, Yui Ouchi (Team Noritz) set a new course record of 2:39:52 after running much of the race with her teammate Kaori Oyama, who ultimately faded to 4th.  Defending champion Satoko Uetani (Kobe Gakuin Univ.) ran the entire race in 3rd, catching Oyama late in the race but run down by last year's runner-up, mid-40's local amateur Chihiro Tanaka (AthleC AC) who took 2nd in 2:42:21 just two weeks after finishing 7th at the Athens Classic Marathon.

2nd Osaka Marathon
Osaka, 11/25/12
click here for complete results

Men
1. Serod Batochir (Mongolia) - 2:11:52 - CR
2. Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:15:37 - PB
3. Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 2:16:26
4. Oleg Kulkov (Russia) - 2:16:53
5. Brandon Mull (U.S.A.) - 2:19:21 - PB

Women
1. Lidia Simon (Romania) - 2:33:12
2. Julia Mumbi (Kenya) - 2:34:16
3. Yuki Ino (Team Noritz) - 2:43:24
4. Christina Overbeck-Crawford (U.S.A.) - 2:44:04
5. Yumiko Hara (Team Univ. Ent.) - 2:44:24

2nd Kobe Marathon
Kobe, 11/25/12
click here for complete results

Men
1. Kensuke Takahashi (Team Toyota) - 2:21:14 - CR
2. Masahiro Taguchi (Mitsubishi Kagaku) - 2:25:19
3. Yoshiteru Tano (Hyogo Pref.) - 2:27:54

Women
1. Yui Ouchi (Team Noritz) - 2:39:52 - CR
2. Chihiro Tanaka (AthleC AC) - 2:42:21
3. Kaori Oyama (Team Noritz) - 2:42:41
4. Satoko Uetani (Kobe Gakuin Univ.) - 2:42:52
5. Kumi Saito - 2:43:48

Comments

TokyoRacer said…
Wow, how old is Lydia Simon? Must be well into her 40s.
Nick said…
Could you post a link to the full results - can't seem to find one.
Thanks
Brett Larner said…
Simon turns 40 next July.

Osaka results: http://www.moviecloud.jp/osaka2012/
Anonymous said…
Looks like 4th in Osaka actually went to Christina Overbeck-Crawford from Portland, OR.
Brett Larner said…
Thanks, the results website I linked did not initially list her. I've updated the results here.

Most-Read This Week

Chesang and Kipkoech Win Hot Gifu Half

Hot conditions held back fast times at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Sunday, where Ugandan Stella Chesang and Kenya Hillary Kipkoech took the top spots over last year's winners Dolphine Nyaboke Omare and Amos Kurgat . In the women's race Chesang, Omare and Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chebichii Chumba went out as a trio, Japan-based Hellen Ekarare with them initially but eventually dropping out. After a 15:39 opening 5 km Chumba started to slip off, and by 15 km Chesang was on her own. Chesang won in 1:07:59, solid given the conditions, with Omare 2nd in 1:08:31 and Chumba 3rd in 1:09:10. Rinka Hida was the first Japanese woman, 5th overall in 1:12:06 behind Australian Genevieve Gregson . A lead men's pack of 11 went through 5 km in 14:31, but by 10 km it was down to Kipkoech, Kurgat, , Timothy Kiplagat , Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Japan-based Kenyans Patrick Mathenge Wambui and Anthony Maina . At 15 km in 43:40 only Kurgat and Kipkoech were left, and over the last 5

Okumoto and Kondo Score Silver and Bronze - U20 Asian Championships Day One

The U20 Asian Athletics Championships started Wednesday in Dubai, U.A.E. Narumi Okumoto (Hitachi) and Nozomi Kondo (Meijo Univ.) scored Japan's first two medals in the women's 3000 m, running behind leader Yaxuan Li of China over the first 1000 m. Kondo lost touch after the first 1000 m, while Okumoto lasted another 1000 m with Li. Li took gold in 9:12.79, Okumoto silver in 9:25.19 and Kondo bronze in 9:38.91. In qualifying rounds: Both Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) and Sari Kameda (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) won their women's 800 m heats and advanced to the next round, Nishida in a PB 2:07.36 and Kamei in 2:10.87, also a PB. Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) won his 400 mH heat in a PB 50.19 to make the final. Hiroto Shogomori (Chuo Univ.) was 2nd in his 400 m heat in 47.37, yet another athlete to run a PB, moving on to the semifinals. The lone female sprinter on the Japanese team, Misaki Morimoto (Sonoda Joshi Gakuen Univ.) won her 100 m heat in 12.20 (-1.4) and advance

Drury and Mashiko Lead Four Japanese Golds - U20 Asian Championships Day 4

The closing day of the Dubai U20 Asian Athletics Championships saw Japan go out big, with four gold medals led by dominant runs by Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) and Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.). Making her international debut, the 16-year-old Drury led start to finish in the women's 1500 m final, grinding down the rest of the field and putting over 4 seconds on runner-up Sandilea Vinod of India over the last 300 m to win in 4:21.41. Drury's splits: 1:11-2:24-(3:19)-3:35-4:21. There's still a long way for Drury to go, but in terms of form and confidence this was the best she has looked since her legendary breakthrough CR at last year's National Women's Ekiden, and you could see more than a glimmer of what everyone is hoping is really there. Mashiko was even more dominant in the men's 3000 m. Coming out on the front end of some pushing and shoving in the first 50 m, Mashiko led the entire way. By 300 m he had a measurable gap that never got smaller, and af