In terms of quick races, the Ageo Metropolis Half Marathon in Japan is perhaps the quickest half-marathon on the planet. On Sunday, on the 2024 version of the race, 308 male runners broke the 70-minute mark for the half-marathon, with 116 of them operating underneath 65 minutes.
The Ageo Metropolis Half Marathon has turn out to be a magnet for fast half-marathon runners attributable to its function as an ekiden qualifier for a lot of Japanese universities, who use the race to find out their Hakone Ekiden relay groups. (If you happen to’re unfamiliar with the Hakone Ekiden relay, it’s a 10-leg, 217 km race, the place college groups from throughout Japan compete. The occasion yearly attracts an enormous viewership; greater than 10 million folks reportedly tune in annually.)
The profitable time at Ageo on Sunday was run by Kazura Munakata of Tokyo’s Daito Bunka College, clocking a brand new Japanese U20 nationwide file of 61:38. Munakata’s time surpassed the earlier U20 file, held by two-time Japanese Olympian Ryuji Miura, by simply three seconds.
Though the race predominantly options younger Japanese university-aged distance runners, it additionally tends to attract in worldwide athletes trying to chase private bests. Australia’s Ed Goddard, who represented his nation on the 2023 World Highway Operating Championships in Latvia, completed fourth at Ageo with a brand new private better of 62:01. In response to Japan Operating Information, 16 of the highest 20 finishers set new bests.
To place the depth of Japanese distance operating in perspective, solely 44 Canadian males in historical past have run underneath 65 minutes for the half-marathon. On Sunday, the time of 64 minutes and 59 minutes would have positioned 116th.
In addition to the depth of the sphere, the course can be quick and designed with minimal elevation modifications, making it conducive to operating at a gentle and excessive tempo all through. Flat programs typically end in fewer power fluctuations for runners, permitting them to take care of constant splits. The quick occasions additionally advantages from the realm’s cool, dry climate presently of yr, which is good for distance operating.