Kawauchi wins his seventh Kushiro Shitsugen 30K
Boston winner's packed race schedule continues, with two full marathons and one half-marathon scheduled before Chicago
Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi, winner of this year’s Boston Marathon, won the 46th running of the Kushiro Shitsugen 30K on Sunday. His time was 1:34:34, and it was Kawauchi’s seventh win at this event.
His nearest rival was Yoshiki Koizumi, who finished in 1:35:05, and finishing in third place was Hiroki Kai, in 1:35:51.
RELATED: Chicago to reinstate pace rabbits as Kawauchi joins lineup
Kawauchi skipped this race last year to prepare for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, where he finished ninth, in 2:12:19. Geoffrey Kirui was the winner of that event, as well as last year’s Boston Marathon, and it was Kirui who Kawauchi defeated at Boston this year, in torrential rain and driving wind.
Kushiro Shitsugen is a national park on Hokkaido, the more northerly of Japan’s two main islands. The capital, Sapporo, was the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics. The island is home to several active volcanoes and features hot springs and popular ski areas.
Kawauchi holds off Koizumi for 7th Kushiro Shitsugen 30 km win: https://t.co/UoGU1S1l6G
— Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) July 29, 2018
Kawauchi’s upcoming race schedule includes the Nemuro Seaside Half-Marathon on Hokkaido on August 19, the New Caledonia International Marathon on August 26, the Wakkanai Heiwa Marathon on Hokkaido on September 2, and the Chicago Marathon on October 7, where he will face American defending champion Galen Rupp and the U.K.’s Sir Mo Farah.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
