Betsy Saina wins the female edition of the 2018 Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon on Sunday. [Photo/ capitalfm.co.ke]
Kenyans Edward Waweru and Betsy Saina won the 2018 men and female Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon in Japan on Sunday.
Edward Waweru won the male race in a time of 1:00:31, ahead of Japan’s Yuta Shitara who came in second in a time of 1:01:13 while another Japanese Kenta Murayama finished in the third position in a time of 1:01:42.
Other Kenyans Dominic Nyairo and Joel Mwaura finished 6th and 7th respectively.In the female category, Betsy Saina emerged the winner in a time of 1:09:17.
Japanese Kaori Morita came in second in a time of 1:10:10, while Ethiopia’s Ftaw Zeray finished third in a time of 1:10:31.According to the International Association of Athletics Federations website (iaaf.org), Waweru who lives in Japan and runs for NTN Track and Field Club, took 97 seconds off his previous best.
The former track specialist had contested just one half marathon before, clocking a time of 1:02:08 at the 2014 Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon.Kenta Murayama, who was second at the 2014 edition with 1:00:50, covered the opening kilometre in a swift 2:40 and had built up a 12-second lead after two kilometres.
Waweru and Japanese half-marathon record-holder Yuta Shitara caught Murayama before eight kilometres, forming a three-man lead pack, and the trio passed 10 kilometres in 28:01.