News29 Oct 2018


Tsegay, Kawauchi and Ghebreslassie lead Fukuoka Marathon field

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Yemane Tsegay wins the Fukuoka Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)

This year’s Fukuoka Marathon will have 2016 winner Yemane Tsegay, 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and Japanese hero Yuki Kawauchi on the start line for the IAAF Gold Label road race on 2 December.

Tsegay won two years ago in 2:08:48, exactly four minutes outside the PB he set when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. The Ethiopian wasn’t at his best last year but has returned to strong form in 2018, winning the Ottawa Marathon in May in 2:08:52.

Ghebreslassie won the 2015 world title ahead of Tsegay, but has failed to finish his two most recent marathons. The Eritrean, who won the 2016 New York City Marathon just six weeks after finishing fourth at the Olympic Games, has a PB of 2:07:46.

Boston Marathon champion Kawauchi has contested eight of the past nine Fukuoka Marathons. The prolific racer has finished third in Fukuoka on three occasions – in 2011, 2013 and 2016 – each time finishing within 2:10.

The field also includes Japan’s Yuta Shitara, who held the Asian marathon record for an eight-month spell this year, Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel, who has finished fifth in Fukuoka for the past two years, and Britain’s Callum Hawkins, who finished fourth at the IAAF World Championships London 2017.

Elite field

Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:04:48
Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:05:13
Yuta Shitara (JPN) 2:06:11
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:07:46
Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:08:14
Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17
Kentaro Nakamoto (JPN) 2:08:35
Satoru Sasaki (JPN) 2:08:56
Takuya Noguchi (JPN) 2:08:59
Takuya Fukatsu (JPN) 2:09:31
Hayato Sonoda (JPN) 2:09:34
Kohei Ogino (JPN) 2:09:36
Yuma Hattori (JPN) 2:09:46
Jo Fukuda (JPN) 2:09:52
Yoshiki Takenouchi (JPN) 2:10:01
Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:10:17
Daichi Kamino (JPN) 2:10:18
Tsuyoshi Ugachi (JPN) 2:10:50
Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) 2:10:52
Paul Kuira (KEN) 2:11:58
Hiroshi Ichida (JPN) 2:14:42
Takashi Ichida (JPN) 2:15:09

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