March 2019 Race Results

• The big event for March, in fact the big event for the year, was the Tokyo Marathon on the 3rd. We had a good group running and many more out on the course cheering. A good time was had by all (mostly), despite the cold and rain. David Gonzalo Voltas 2:29:43 (PB and Namban Rengo record!), Colin Hickey 2:57, Paul Allen 2:59:43 (PB), Renaud Isman 3:02:03, Rika Homma 3:19:28, Eliza Swedberg 3:27:11, Quoc Nguyen Kien 3:29, Carol Cunningham 3:46:44, Yumi Kato 3:48:05, Tom Taaffe 3:53:22, Leng Leng Koh 3:54, Marek Behr 4:12:11, Hiroshi Sase 6:10, Marcus Kosins DNF (knee).
• Hiro Terada ran the Chiba Kenmin Half Marathon on the 3rd in 1:44:38.

• A huge turnout for the Koga Hanamomo Marathon and 10K on March 10. A good race for those who don’t get into Tokyo. The Namban contingent was: Emmanuel Obser 2:58:46, Eric Lebrasseur 2:59:22, Romain Demare 2:59:48, Padraig MacColgain 3:45:57, Kimura Yosuke 3:15:23, Yuichi Kanamori Yasuo Hayakawa 3:39:42, Hiro Terada 3:49:10, Justin Boyan 3:43:17, Andrew Farmer Kota Torii 3:51:47, Ayano Onodera 3:55:48 (PB), Glenn Rubin 3:56:09, Eric Wong David Sweet, Simon Jelfs, Yuko Takamuki 10K: Jay Johannesen Yoann Potiron 38:06, Arnaud DeHerrypon
• On the same day was the largest women’s only marathon in the world (20,000), the Nagoya Women’s Marathon. Namban was represented by Faith Geraghty 3:16:56, Chika Kanai 3:18:11, Satohi Numasawa 3:28:24, Yuka Rayner 3:43:40 and Celine Bouny 4;11:10.
• Also on the 10th, the Tachikawa Half, where Ryudo Tsukizaki raced to a 73:13, his second best time since college. Satoshi Hashimoto was also there. And at the Oyama Tozan race (9.1k up a mountain) Yoko Kubo made it to the top in 1:14:43 and Yukari Oimatsu was right behind her in 1:14:59.
• Lots of action on the 17th. Opting for the Itabashi Marathon, Daigo Asada ran to a PB of 2:54:32 (PB) and Rie Onodera struggled to a 3:56:37.. At the Tokushima Marathon, Alan Cannon ran a 3:13. In Tachikawa, Roselle Kingsbury ran the Flower Half Marathon in 1:55:31, good for 5th place. Her baby was popular at the awards ceremony. Over at the Seoul Marathon there were some good results. Stan Chow 2:48:10 (PB), Yuki Fukushima 2:50:12, Nick Coyle 3:45:20, Rika Homma 3:39:53, Mika Tokairin 3:39:53, SeungGi Hong 4:16:05 (PB). And another overseas racer — Vidya Rasthi, who was in Hong Kong for a 100K, which she finished in 22:45:52 — Wow, great effort!
• On Thursday the 21st, a holiday, 8 Namban men took part in the Tamako Ekiden (35 mins. west of Shinjuku). 4-person teams, each person doing 7.24k around the lake. Our A team of Yuta Suda, Phil English, Yoann Potiron and Jay Johannesen was very strong (average 3:36/k) and finished 11th out of 354 in a high-level field. The B team of Matt Thomas, Yasuo Hayakawa, Mark Shrosbree and Youri Lavoine placed a very respectable 27th.
• Nothing like 100K on a cool spring morning. Eric Lebrasseur and Don Roxbourgh were at the flat but windy Ibaraki 100K, where Eric ran a PB of 9:23:49 (48/665)
• Yuta Suda was at the Kumagaya Sakura Half Marathon, where he placed second. Congratulations!
• Terry Minegishi, Hang Yu and Rui Natsuka were at another sakura run (even though sakura were not out yet), the windy Sakura Asahi Kenko Marathon, which they finished in 3:35, 3:42 and 4:35:04. Mika Kume was also there.
• Yumi Kato was at the brutally hilly Kesennuma 10K on the 31st, where she ran well enough to place 2nd and win a big trophy! Ayano Onodera also ran it. Same day – Eric Lebraaseur ran the Hasestsune 30K, (actually 32k) finishing in 3:24:51, 81st out of 1600. Also running were Taras Koochin, Satohi Numasawa, Rieko Trees and Rie Onodera.
• Dan Hewins ran the Miura International Marathon (Half) in 1:57, his first race!
• And last but definitely not least, Paul Redbourne ran a Running the Planet 250km event in New Zealand over 7 days, through wind and rain and hot sun, over a few mountains, on rough terrain, and finished strong by kicking in the last 5k!! Awesome. Congratulations!

Pink cherry blossoms

Burst open to fill the sky

And fill my spirit.