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Kawauchi Completes Hat Trick With Win at Inaugural Chiba Aqualine Marathon

by Brett Larner

Continuing his solid buildup to a shot at 2:07 at December's Fukuoka International Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) ran 2:17:48 to win the first running of the Chiba Aqualine Marathon on Oct. 21, his third-straight marathon win following a victory at August's Hokkaido Marathon and a course record at September's Sydney Marathon.  With second place over ten minutes back Kawauchi ran most of the race, a new mass-participation event with 13946 finishers running partially across the Aqualine bridge over Tokyo Bay, solo, splitting 1:08:37 at halfway.  "This time I focused on kicking hard after 40 km," Kawauchi told JRN after the race.  "It was good preparation for my next big race."  Chiba represented his final marathon-length tuneup for Fukuoka, with three half marathons and a 30 km race still on the menu before his attempt at a 2:07.

2012 Gold Coast Marathon winner Kaori Yoshida (Puma AC) took the women's race in 2:32:11 just four weeks before her planned World Championships bid at the Yokohama International Women's Marathon.  Yoshida's margin of victory was even greater than Kawauchi's, with her nearest competition 26 minutes behind.

2012 Chiba Aqualine Marathon
Chiba, 10/21/12

Men -  11519 finishers
1. Yuki Kawauchi - 2:17:48 - CR
2. Tomoyuki Kawakami - 2:28:01
3. Koji Takahashi - 2:29:22

Women - 2427 finishers
1. Kaori Yoshida - 2:32:11 - CR
2. Yoshimi Kasezawa - 2:58:20
3. Mai Hanazawa - 2:58:58

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
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Comments

Anonymous said…
what was the prize Money in this race? why where there no Kenyans and Ethiopians?
October 23, 2012 at 3:41 PM
Brett Larner said…
The answers to those two questions are probably one and the same, or perhaps two different aspects of the same thing.
October 24, 2012 at 4:14 AM
Jason Mayeroff said…
As usual, the least insightful and most idiotic commentary from a eunuch who claims to know something about running, but actually knows nothing.
October 24, 2012 at 7:54 AM
Unknown said…
I know I'm just hopping onto the bandwagon, but I love seeing Kawauchi do so well. Thanks for sharing this news!
October 25, 2012 at 5:06 AM
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