Japan’s distance working scene is among the many best on this planet. The highest distance runners are handled like A-list celebrities, and their performances are celebrated by followers and media alike. On Sunday, on the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon (one of many greatest races of the yr), in case you ran 65 minutes flat, you’ll have positioned two hundredth.
Robust runs from three Aussies within the males’s race on the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon
Andy Buchanan finishes with 60.28 – a PB & goes to 2nd finest all-time on the Australian record
5km splits of 14.08, 14.06, 14.30, 14.36Haftu Strintzos takes nearly 2 minutes off his PB to turn into… pic.twitter.com/bUTfiNJLpb
— athsSTATS (@athsstats) February 2, 2025
The Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon has lengthy been often called one of the aggressive races on this planet, attracting elite athletes from not solely Japan however throughout the globe. Even the perfect distance runners discover themselves in huge packs for many of the race, making each second depend. This yr’s version was no exception, because the depth of expertise delivered jaw-dropping outcomes.
The 2024 London Marathon champion, Alexander Mutiso of Kenya, was the highest finisher in Marugame, shaving one second off his course file of 59:17. Scorching on his heels, 4 different runners broke the elusive 60-minute barrier, together with Japan’s Tomoki Ota, who set a brand new Japanese nationwide file with a blazing 59:27.
To place the depth of efficiency into perspective, Calgary’s Rory Linkletter clocked 60:57—the third-fastest half-marathon ever run by a Canadian—but he completed twenty third total. Solely nationwide file holder Cam Levins has run quicker (60:18 and 60:38). The sheer depth of expertise on this race is unparalleled; even a 63-minute effort wouldn’t have cracked the highest 100. Japan’s Hoshina Yokota, who ran precisely 63:00, positioned 134th.
For these dreaming of competing within the males’s area on the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon, elite qualification is much from simple. Sometimes, runners want a private better of 60 to 65 minutes to even be thought of for the race. Race organizers set a excessive degree of entry to make sure the half-marathon stays one of many deepest and best races on the planet.
Initially a marathon, the race transitioned by way of a number of distances earlier than settling into the half-marathon format in 1997. It was additionally the primary half-marathon in Japan to obtain World Athletics’ Elite Label standing, solidifying its place as a premier worldwide occasion. With a high prize of 1 million yen (C$9,200) for the highest Japanese finisher, the stakes are excessive and the competitors is fierce.