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Oishi, Hoshi, Hattori to Make 30 km Debut at Feb. 15 Kumanichi Road Race

http://kumanichi.com/fsports/marathon/2015/kiji/20150117001.xhtml

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On Jan. 16 the organizing committee of the Kumamotojo Marathon announced the 18 men and women making up the elite field for the 59th running of the Kanaguri Hai Kumanichi 30 km Road Race scheduled for Feb. 15.  The list is packed with talent from this year's New Year Ekiden and Hakone Ekiden.

At the top of the corporate ladder are Minato Oishi, the Fifth Stage winner for New Year Ekiden national champion Toyota, and 2013's 5000 m national champion Sota Hoshi (Fujitsu).  Three-time Hofu Yomiuri Marathon winner Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia, NTN) and Kyushu Gakuin H.S. graduate Daiichi Motomura (Nissin Shokuhin) are also on the list.

At last year's Kumanichi 30 km Yuma Hattori (Toyo Univ.) won in a collegiate national record 1:28:52.  This year his younger brother Hazuma Hattori (Toyo Univ.) takes up the challenge, looking to establish a Hattori dynasty.  From Hakone Ekiden runner-up Komazawa University, Eighth Stage 2nd-placer Shohei Otsuka is also scheduled to run.

2014 Kobe Marathon winner Hiromi Saito (Kyocera) leads the women's field which also includes Saori Noda (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) of Kumamoto's podium-making team at last weekend's National Women's Ekiden, and Anna Hasuike of the local Higo Ginko corporate team.

A total of 81 corporate, university and amateur runners are entered, including 10 women.  The JAAF-certified race starts in Kumamoto at Kengun Denteimae at 9:00 a.m., heading through the southwestern parts of the city before finishing at Bipuresu Kumanichi Kaikan.

59th Kumanichi 30 km Road Race Elite Field
Kumamoto, 2/15/15

Men
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (33, Mongolia/NTN) - 2:08:50 (marathon)
Shota Yamaguchi (29, Fujitsu) - 1:32:46 (30 km)
Kosuke Murasashi (32, YKK) - 1:34:32 (30 km)
Sota Hoshi (27, Fujitsu) - 1:01:18 (half)
Minato Oishi (26, Toyota) - 1:02:06 (half)
Hazuma Hattori (20, Toyo Univ.) - 1:02:31 (half)
Shohei Otsuka (20, Komazawa Univ.) - 1:02:32 (half)
Hiroyuki Sasaki (24, Nissin Shokuhin) - 1:02:36 (half)
Hiroto Kanamori (21, Takushoku Univ.) - 1:03:14 (half)
Daichi Motomura (23, Nissin Shokuhin)- 1:03:14 (half)
Takayuki Tsuchiya (20, Tokai Univ.) - 1:03:47 (half)
Shoya Kurokawa (21, Komazawa Univ.) - 1:03:48 (half)
Shin Kimura (21, Meiji Univ.) - 1:04:52 (half)

Women
Kana Orino (22, Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:33:51 (marathon)
Hiromi Saito (23, Kyocera) - 2:38:23 (marathon)
Mao Kuroda (25, Wacoal) - 1:11:07 (half)
Anna Hasuike (26, Higo Ginko) - 1:13:19 (half)
Saori Noda (21, Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:15:15 (half)

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