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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

Kirui Sets Course Record at Vienna City Marathon

Posted April 27th, 2008 at 1:35 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Kenyan Abel Kirui set a course record winning today’s Vienna City Marathon in warm conditions, while Romanian Luminita Talpos defended her title.

Kirui crossed the finish line in 2:07:38, smashing Moroccan Lahoussine Mrikik’s 2006 course record of 2:08:20, and coming within five seconds of Ukrainian Aleksandr Kuzin’s Austrian all-comers record of 2:07:33 set in Linz in 2007. Kenyans took the top-6 positions, with debutant Duncan Kibet finishing second in 2:08:33 and Paul Biwott in third in 2:08:53.
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Japan Announces Olympic Marathon Teams

Posted March 11th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

In a widely anticipated announcement made earlier today, officials of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations announced their marathon teams for the Beijing Olympic Games. In Japan, this is big news, on a par with Americans learning which college football player will be drafted first by the NFL.

The men’s team will be made up of Tsuyoshi Ogata and Atsushi Sato, both of the Chuugoku Electric Power corporate team, and Satoshi Osaki of NTT. Ogata got the nod by being the top Japanese man at the hot and humid IAAF World Championships in Osaka last August, finishing fifth overall in 2:17:42. Sato, who set the Asian record for the half-marathon at last year’s IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships, made the team based on his excellent 2:07:13 (3rd place/top Japanese) at last December’s Fukuoka Marathon. Osaki was the top Japanese finisher at the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon earlier this month.
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Focus to Be on Japanese Women at Nagoya Marathon Next Sunday

Posted March 4th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Naoko Takahashi japanese marathon runner Next Sunday’s 28th Nagoya International Women’s Marathon will be the last of six qualifying marathons for the Japanese Olympic team, and the last of three for women. Competition for the one remaining team slot will be intense.

Reiko Tosa locked up the first team spot with her gutsy bronze medal finish at last summer’s IAAF World Championships, while reigning Olympic champion, Mizuki Noguchi, is almost assured a spot on the team by winning last November’s Tokyo International Women’s Marathon in 2:21:37. The third spot will go to either to Tomo Morimoto, who clocked 2:25:34 in second place (first Japanese) at the Osaka International Women’s Marathon last January, OR the top Japanese finisher in Nagoya who should top Morimoto’s mark.
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Japan’s Tomo Morimoto to defend Vienna Marathon title

Posted March 13th, 2007 at 12:34 PM by Ken Nakamura

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Tomo Morimoto, who became the first Japanese athlete to win the Vienna City Marathon when she broke the finish tape in 2:24:33 last year, has decided to return to the Austrian capital to defend her title on Sunday, April 29.

“We are happy and proud that our defending champion Tomo Morimoto will run the Vienna City Marathon again,” said race director Wolfgang Konrad in a media release today. “With her extraordinary performance and her charisma she has become very popular among the people in Vienna.”

Morimoto, who runs for the Tenmaya team, won by over four minutes last year, recording the second-fastest time ever in Vienna. It was also a personal best. Overall, she had a very strong year in 2006, also finishing fifth at the Osaka International Ladies Marathon in 2:27:46, her previous best time.
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