Alexander Mutiso and Agnes Ngetich soared to a pair of course records at the Tokyo Legacy Half on Sunday to kick off a busy day of road racing that stretched from Tokyo to New Delhi, Amsterdam and Beijing.
Mutiso powered his way to a 59:51 to take the win in the men’s race after pulling away late near the 20km mark after working through the course alongside a large lead pack.
At the 5km point at 14:11, Mutiso was joined by a group of around 18 athletes that included Amos Bett, David Neiyiai, James Mutuku, Edwin Kisalak and Shota Shiode, with that number getting slightly smaller at 10km at 28:16.
But Mutiso, Mukutu, Amos Kiprotic and Kiprono Sitonik would eventually pull slightly ahead at 15km, crossing at 42:28 and pushing the pace. With the race approaching the closing stages, Mutiso found separation at 20km in 56:46 and opened a gap on Mutuku and Sitonik as he approached the main road leading to Japan National Stadium, entered the venue and cruised to a course record victory.
Sitonik took second in 59:56 and Mutuku was third in 1:00:09.
In the women’s race, Ngetich continued her trend of dominating from the start, with her 1:04:22 course record masterpiece on the streets of Tokyo echoing her performance just a month earlier in Copenhagen at the road running world championships.
Ngetich held an early 51-second lead after 5km in 15:07 and her gap would only increase as she simply refused to let off of her pace at any point during the competition.
By the 10km point, as she surged past at 30:23, Tabitha Njeri Kamau was a distant second at a nearly minute and a half deficit as the battle for the second and third spots on the podium were being sorted for the remainder of the race.
Flanked by her two pacers, Ngetich refused to ease off what would ultimately be a new record at the event and ripped through the final turns inside the stadium as she broke the finish line tape.
Kamau finished second in 1:08:28 while Kazuna Kanetomo was third in 1:10:17.
Ngetich has navigated an exceptional season that began with her commanding win at the world cross country championships in Tallahasse, Florida in January, with her only blemish in eight races coming in New York in July at the NYC Half.
Men’s Top Finishers
1. Alexander Mutiso (Kenya) – 59:51
2. Kiprono Sitonik (Kenya) – 59:56
3. James Mutuku (Kenya) – 1:00:08
4. Amos Kiprotich (Kenya) – 1:00:11
5. Ichita Tameike (Japan) – 1:00:13
6. Akira Aizawa (Japan) – 1:00:26
7. Shunya Kikuchi (Japan) – 1:00:35
8. David Neiai (Kenya) – 1:00:40
9. Shota Shiode (Japan) – 1:00:55
10. Edwin Kisalsak (Kenya) – 1:01:03
Women’s Top Finishers
1. Agnes Ngetich (Kenya) – 1:04:23
2. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Kenya) – 1:08:28
3. Rika Kanetomo (Japan) – 1:10:17
4. Frida Dinda (Kenya) – 1:10:29
5. Kaede Hagiya (Japan) – 1:10:49
6. Wakana Kabasawa (Japan) – 1:11:09
7. Ayaka Shimoyamada (Japan) – 1:12:10
8. Ai Kaneko (Japan) – 1:13:20
9. Sora Nobuzakura (Japan) – 1:14:37
10. Rebecca Mwangi (Kenya) – 1:14:57
Tola and Dessie Thrive in Beijing
Tamirat Tola bolted to a Chinese all-comers’ record and Anchinalu Dessie successfully defended her title on Sunday at the Bejing Marathon.
Tola led an Ethiopian podium sweep as he took the race in 2:03:10, which is also the fastest time ever at a marathon held in China. He lowered the previous Chinese all-comers’ record of 2:05:35 that Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba clocked in Shanghai in 2023.
Meanwhile, Muktar Edris took second in 2:20:36 and Adane Kebede was third in 2:05:10 and world record holder Sabastian Sawe was on hand to present the podium prizes to the top finishers.
Dessie retained the women’s title in a strong 2:20:36 victory by over three minutes, which was also a massive improvement over her 2:26:08 win last year. Ciren Cuomu was second in 2:23:48 and Lu Ying finished third in 2:24:24.
Matata, Alemu win the Vedanta Delhi Half
Charles Matata won the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday in a course record 58:52, shaving a second off of the previous mark in conditions where reports noted that the humidity reached around 90 percent as temperatures soared to 70 degrees.
But Matata persisted and took the title in the same race his twin brother Alex won last year.
The podium was an all-Kenyan roster as Samwel Nyamai Mailu was second in 59:24 and Stanley Waithaka Mburu finished third in 59:33.
Wudinesh Alemu roared to a 1:06:35 personal best as she won the women’s race, pulling away late over Selah Busienei, who was second in 1:07:01 and Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony, who took third place in 1:07:32.
