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
One of the many mountains that overlook the city of Marugame

Early distances

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

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
2023  Alexander Mutiso Munyao (Kenya) 59:17  Pauline Kamulu (KEN) 1:07:22

Statistics
  • Note: All statistics apply to international half marathon only

See also

References
  1. 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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