Wikipedia

Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon

The Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon (香川丸亀ハーフマラソン, Kagawa Marugame Hāfu Marason) is an annual road running competition which takes place in early February in Marugame, Japan. It currently holds IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and the professional races attract over 1000 entries each year,[1] and hosted by the Sankei Shimbun, Sankei Sports, Okayama Broadcasting, BS Fuji.

Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon
Marugame Stadium is the start and finishing point of the race
DateEarly February
LocationMarugame, Japan Japan
Event typeRoad
DistanceHalf marathon
Primary sponsorSuzuki
Established1947
Course recordsMen: 59:47 (2015)
Kenya Paul Kuira
New Zealand Zane Robertson
Women: 1:07:26 (2006)
Japan Kayoko Fukushi
Official siteKagawa Marugame Half Marathon
Participants943 (2020)

The race in Marugame was first held in 1947 as a full-length marathon, known as the Kagawa Marathon. A companion 20 km race began in 1949 in addition to the scheduled marathon. The course lengths were gradually reduced over time: the main race lasted as a full marathon until 1961 when a 35 km race was held and the shorter race became a 10 km competition. The main race was again shortened in 1971, being reduced to a 20 km race. The competitions were known as the Kagawa Road Races until 1997, when the main race was slightly extended to the half marathon distance and the competition received its current moniker.[1]

Competitors in the professional races are largely Japanese athletes, supplemented by African athletes based in the country. In addition, a small number of foreign athletes are invited to compete each year.[2][3] The level of competition is strong: Kenyan runner Mekubo Mogusu recorded a sub-60 minute time in 2007 for the men's course record (59:48), while the women's course record of 1:07:26, set by Kayoko Fukushi in 2006, is the Asian record for the half marathon.[4] The course is AIMS-certified making performances at the course eligible for national and world records.[5]

The course of the half marathon is largely linear, beginning at the Marugame Stadium and heading eastwards before abruptly looping back to follow the same path back towards the finish point within the stadium.[6]

Past winners

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One of the many mountains that overlook the city of Marugame

Early distances

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Key:   Marathon   35 km   20 km

Edition Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s)
1st 1947   Toshio Fuke (JPN) 2:47:30
2nd 1948   Toshio Fuke (JPN) 2:39:54
3rd 1949   Giichi Noda (JPN) 2:40:08
4th 1950   Toshio Fuke (JPN) 2:39:21
5th 1951   Toshio Fuke (JPN) 2:39:41
6th 1952   Giichi Noda (JPN) 2:37:27
7th 1953   Fumio Kuramoto (JPN) 2:49:16
8th 1954   Giichi Noda (JPN) 2:35:08
— 1955 Not held —
9th 1956   Matsuichi Murakami (JPN) 2:54:56
10th 1957   Hideaki Nagai (JPN) 3:15:20
11th 1958   Muneyuki Maekawa (JPN) 3:00:54
12th 1959   Takayoshi Yokoi (JPN) 2:44:02
13th 1960   Takayoshi Yokoi (JPN) 2:45:43
14th 1961   Yukio Kimura (JPN) 2:12:18
15th 1962   Kazuo Tanisawa (JPN) 2:09:13
16th 1963   Yukio Kimura (JPN) 2:09:53
17th 1964   Ryuji Kobayashi (JPN) 2:03:43
18th 1965   Sumio Kohama (JPN) 2:01:47
19th 1966   Tsutomu Tsunei (JPN) 2:02:02
20th 1967   Kazuo Tanisawa (JPN) 2:01:57
— 1968 Not held —
21st 1969   Iwao Hamamoto (JPN) 1:55:15
22nd 1970   Iwao Hamamoto (JPN) 1:56:55
23rd 1971   Noboru Miyatake (JPN) 1:05:59
24th 1972   Yoshimitsu Nakamura (JPN) 1:07:06
25th 1973   Masatomo Seki (JPN) 1:08:50
26th 1974   Hiroshi Yamaguchi (JPN) 1:08:03
27th 1975   Masatomo Seki (JPN) 1:08:44
28th 1976   Masakazu Ichimura (JPN) 1:07:42
29th 1977   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:06:23
30th 1978   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:04:26
31st 1979   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:04:43
32nd 1980   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:03:53
33rd 1981   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:03:45
34th 1982   Sachi Utsunomiya (JPN) 1:04:09
35th 1983   Toshihiko Sasaki (JPN) 1:08:33
36th 1984   Yasumasa Takagi (JPN) 1:04:57
37th 1985   Shoji Nakanishi (JPN) 1:05:33
38th 1986   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:05:11
39th 1987   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:04:45
40th 1988   Shoji Nakanishi (JPN) 1:08:19
41st 1989   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:06:34
42nd 1990   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:06:16
43rd 1991   Minoru Kishimoto (JPN) 1:02:21
44th 1992   Masahiro Takebayashi (JPN) 1:08:30
45th 1993   Hiroshi Fujisawa (JPN) 1:04:09
46th 1994   Masayuki Arakawa (JPN) 1:08:11
47th 1995   Masayuki Arakawa (JPN) 1:05:36
48th 1996   Yoshihiro Hiramori (JPN) 1:04:20

Half marathon

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Key:   Course record

Edition Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner Time (h:m:s)
49th 1997   Yoshihiro Hiramori (JPN) 1:09:01 Not held —
50th 1998   Yoshihiro Hiramori (JPN) 1:09:00 Not held —
51st 1999   Daisuke Matsubara (JPN) 1:08:02 Not held —
52nd 2000   Kazuhito Yokota (JPN) 1:02:59   Rie Ueno (JPN) 1:09:57
53rd 2001   Hidemori Noguchi (JPN) 1:02:28   Ikumi Nagayama (JPN) 1:09:28
54th 2002   Laban Kagika (KEN) 1:01:43   Mari Ozaki (JPN) 1:09:33
55th 2003   Zakayo Ngatho (KEN) 1:00:21   Yasuko Hashimoto (JPN) 1:09:32
56th 2004   Pharis Kimani (KEN) 1:01:55   Yasuko Hashimoto (JPN) 1:10:46
57th 2005   Laban Kagika (KEN) 1:01:36   Takako Kotorida (JPN) 1:09:34
58th 2006   Takayuki Matsumiya (JPN) 1:02:13   Kayoko Fukushi (JPN) 1:07:26 AR
59th 2007   Mekubo Mogusu (KEN) 59:48   Kayoko Fukushi (JPN) 1:08:00
60th 2008   Harun Mbugua (KEN) 1:01:35   Philes Ongori (KEN) 1:07:57
61st 2009   Mekubo Mogusu (KEN) 1:00:37   Mara Yamauchi (GBR) 1:08:29
62nd 2010[7]   Daniel Gitau (KEN) 1:01:08   Nikki Chapple (AUS) 1:08:37
63rd 2011[8]   Samuel Ndungu (KEN) 1:00:55   Kayoko Fukushi (JPN) 1:09:00
64th 2012[9]   Mathew Kisorio (KEN) 1:00:02   Tiki Gelana (ETH) 1:08:48
65th 2013[10]   Collis Birmingham (AUS) 1:00:56   Tiki Gelana (ETH) 1:08:53
66th 2014[11]   Martin Mathathi (KEN) 1:00:11   Eri Makikawa (JPN) 1:10:27
67th 2015[12]   Paul Kuira (KEN)

  Zane Robertson (NZ)

59:47   Eloise Wellings (AUS) 1:10:41
68th 2016   Goitom Kifle (ERI) 1:00:49   Eunice Kirwa (BHR) 1:08:06
69th 2017[13]   Callum Hawkins (GBR) 1:00:00   Eunice Kirwa (BHR) 1:08:07
70th 2018   Edward Waweru (KEN) 1:00:31   Betsy Saina (KEN) 1:09:17
71st 2019   Abdi Nageeye (NED) 1:00:24   Betsy Saina (KEN) 1:07:49
72nd 2020   Brett Robinson (AUS) 59:57   Helalia Johannes (NAM) 1:08:10
Editions 73rd (2021) and 74th (2022) were not held due to COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
75th 2023   Alexander Mutiso (KEN) 59:17   Pauline Kamulu (KEN) 1:07:22
76th 2024   Richard Etir (KEN) 59:32   Dolphine Omare (KEN) 1:06:07

Statistics

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  • Note: All statistics apply to international half marathon only

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ota, Shigenobu (2009-02-02). Marugame Half Marathon. ARRS. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  2. ^ Larner, Brett (2009-01-29). Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon - Preview. Japan Running News. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  3. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2010-02-05). Can Mogusu and Yamauchi repeat at Marugame Half Marathon? – Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  4. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2006-02-05). Fukushi sets Asian Half-Marathon record in Marugame. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  5. ^ AIMS Race Directory. AIMS. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  6. ^ Course Map Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese). Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  7. ^ Nakamura, Ken & Yamada, Tatsuya (2010-02-07). Gitau and Chapple pull off upsets at Marugame Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  8. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2011-02-06). Ndungu and Fukushi take victories at Marugame Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-06.
  9. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2012-02-05). Convincing wins for Kisorio and Gelana in Marugame. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-02-12.
  10. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2013-02-03). Gelana under pressure but retains Marugame Half Marathon title. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-11.
  11. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2014-02-02). Mathathi and Makikawa win in Marugame. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-02.
  12. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2015-02-02). Course record for Kuira at Marugame Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-02-02.
  13. ^ (in Japanese), Sankei Shimbun, 産経ニュース sankei.com 2017-02-05
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