FUKUOKA (JPN, Dec 7): Former world record holder Patrick Makau ran what he needed to score the win in his return to the 68th marathon in Fukuoka, sitting back in the pack throughout the race before dropping the competition in the last 4 km to win in 2:08:22. But the star of the show did not hail from Kenya, or Africa, or Japan, informs Brett Larner. It was Mongolian record holder Ser-Od Bat-Ochir who pushed for the pace (30 km 1:31:10). At the end he was third in another national record 2:08:50. Winning Makau clocked 2:08:22 and second Ethiopian Raji Assefa 2:08:48. Fourth best Japanese Masazaku Fujiwara 2:09:06, fifth Tomoya Adachi 2:09:59 PB and sixth best European Henryk Szost of Poland 2:10:02 ahead of Chiharu Takada 2:10:03 PB and Eritrean Yared Asmerom 2:10:09. Also to note US Sean Quigley 14th with 2:13:30 PB, Kenyan Johana Maina debuted in 2:13:46 as 15th ahead of Joseph Gitau 2:15:13. Among non-finishers Ukraine Dmytro Baranovskyy, US Jeff Egglestone and Kenyan Isaac Macharia. With info from Brett Larner and Ken Nakamura.
Author
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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