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Lake Biwa Marathon

Lake Biwa Marathon
2015 Lake Biwa Marathon
DateEarly March
LocationŌtsu, Shiga, Japan Japan
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorSEI
K-Opticom Corporation (2010–)
Established1946
Course records2:04:56 (2021)
Japan Kengo Suzuki
Official siteLake Biwa Marathon
Participants325 (2021)

The Osaka-Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon (びわ湖毎日マラソン, Biwako Mainichi Marason) was a marathon race held in Otsu, Shiga, Japan. It was one of the prominent marathons in Japan. It was a male only competition and had IAAF Gold Label status.[1] It was first held in 1946 and, having taken place every year since then, it was Japan's oldest annual marathon race.[2] The early editions of the race were held in Osaka until a switch to Tokyo occurred for the 1963–64 marathons, and all subsequent races thereafter were held in Shiga Prefecture, starting in Ōtsu fronting Lake Biwa, where the race received its name. It was sponsored by Mainichi and was known simply as the Mainichi Marathon for a period.[3] The final race was held in 2021.[4]

The race began and ended at the Ojiyama Stadium.[1] The Lake Biwa Marathon was selected as the Japanese national marathon championships on dozens of occasions, starting in 1960.[3] The course record for the competition was 2:04:56 hours, set by Kengo Suzuki at the final 2021 edition.[4] The 2021 race was also noteworthy for having 29 runners finish in under 2:09:00 and 42 runners finish under 2:10:00.[5]

The race was merged into the Osaka Marathon by the JAAF. The elite men's race at the Osaka Marathon for 2022 was designated by officials as the 77th Annual Lake Biwa Marathon, while the other races were billed as the Osaka Marathon.

Winners

Key:   Course record   Japanese championship race   Asian Marathon Championship race

Record holder Kengo Suzuki (pictured in 2019)
Paul Tergat won the 2009 competition
Martín Fiz of Spain is a three-time winner of the race
Samuel Ndungu
Edition Date Winner Time
77th 27 February 2022  Gaku Hoshi (JPN) 2:07:31
76th 28 February 2021  Kengo Suzuki (JPN) 2:04:56
75th 8 March 2020  Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:07:29
74th 10 March 2019  Salah-Eddine Bounasr (MAR) 2:07:52
73rd 4 March 2018  Joseph Ndirangu (KEN) 2:07:53
72nd 5 March 2017  Ezekiel Chebii (KEN) 2:09:06
71st 6 March 2016  Lucas Rotich (KEN) 2:09:11
70th 1 March 2015  Samuel Ndungu (KEN) 2:09:08
69th 2 March 2014  Bazu Worku (ETH) 2:09:10
68th 3 March 2013  Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:08:34
67th 4 March 2012  Samuel Ndungu (KEN) 2:07:04
66th 6 March 2011  Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:06:13
65th 7 March 2010  Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:09:34
64th 1 March 2009  Paul Tergat (KEN) 2:10:22
63rd 2 March 2008  Mubarak Hassan Shami (QAT) 2:08:23
62nd 4 March 2007  Samson Ramadhani (TAN) 2:10:43
61st 5 March 2006  José Ríos (ESP) 2:09:15
60th 6 March 2005  Joseph Riri (KEN) 2:09:00
59th 7 March 2004  José Ríos (ESP) 2:07:42
58th 2 March 2003  Japhet Kosgei (KEN) 2:07:39
57th 3 March 2002  Ryūji Takei (JPN) 2:08:35
56th 4 March 2001  Antoni Peña (ESP) 2:07:34
55th 5 March 2000  Martín Fiz (ESP) 2:08:14
54th 7 March 1999  Martín Fiz (ESP) 2:08:50
53rd 1 March 1998  Muneyuki Ojima (JPN) 2:08:43
52nd 2 March 1997  Martín Fiz (ESP) 2:08:05
51st 3 March 1996  Joaquim Pinheiro (POR) 2:09:32
50th 19 March 1995  Yūji Nakamura (JPN) 2:10:49
49th 6 March 1994  Kenichi Suzuki (JPN) 2:11:05
48th 14 March 1993  Mike O'Reilly (IRL) 2:11:01
47th 15 March 1992  Mike O'Reilly (IRL) 2:13:15
46th 10 March 1991  Simon Mrashani (TAN) 2:11:34
45th 11 March 1990  Eddy Hellebuyck (BEL) 2:13:03
44th 12 March 1989  Tōru Kozasu (JPN) 2:14:31
43rd 13 March 1988  Toshihiko Seko (JPN) 2:12:41
42nd 8 March 1987  Fumiaki Abe (JPN) 2:11:08
41st 9 March 1986  Toshihiro Shibutani (JPN) 2:14:55
40th 10 March 1985  Fumiaki Abe (JPN) 2:11:04
39th 11 March 1984  Tetsuji Iwase (JPN) 2:14:24
38th 13 March 1983  Kōshirō Kawaguchi (JPN) 2:13:22
37th 14 March 1982  Michio Mizukubo (JPN) 2:15:23
36th 15 March 1981  Masao Matsuo (JPN) 2:14:38
35th 23 March 1980  Hiroshi Yuge (JPN) 2:14:33
34th 15 April 1979  Shigeru So (JPN) 2:13:26
33rd 23 April 1978  Takeshi So (JPN) 2:15:15
32nd 17 April 1977  Karel Lismont (BEL) 2:14:08
31st 18 April 1976  Akio Usami (JPN) 2:15:22
30th 20 April 1975  Akio Usami (JPN) 2:12:40
29th 21 April 1974  Akio Usami (JPN) 2:13:24
28th 18 March 1973  Frank Shorter (USA) 2:12:03
27th 19 March 1972  Akio Usami (JPN) 2:20:24
26th 21 March 1971  Yoshiaki Unetani (JPN) 2:16:45.4
25th 12 April 1970  Bill Adcocks (GBR) 2:13:46
24th 11 May 1969  Kazuo Matsubara (JPN) 2:22:44
23rd 14 April 1968  Akio Usami (JPN) 2:13:49
22nd 14 May 1967  Yoshiro Mifune (JPN) 2:25:53
21st 5 June 1966  Yoshiro Mifune (JPN) 2:26:01.6
20th 9 May 1965  Abebe Bikila (ETH) 2:22:55.8
19th 12 April 1964  Kenji Kimihara (JPN) 2:17:11.4
18th 12 May 1963  Kenji Kimihara (JPN) 2:20:24.8
17th 13 May 1962  Masayuki Nagata (JPN) 2:27:37
16th 25 June 1961  Abebe Bikila (ETH) 2:29:27
15th 15 May 1960  Nobuyoshi Sadanaga (JPN) 2:34:57
14th 10 May 1959  Kurao Hiroshima (JPN) 2:30:06
13th 11 May 1958  Takayuki Nakao (JPN) 2:25:51
12th 3 May 1957  Kurao Hiroshima (JPN) 2:31:20
11th 6 May 1956  Yoshiaki Kawashima (JPN) 2:27:45
10th 8 May 1955  Kurao Hiroshima (JPN) 2:26:32
9th 16 May 1954  Hideo Hamamura (JPN) 2:27:56
8th 10 May 1953  Hiroshi Uwa (JPN) 2:41:28
7th 4 May 1952  Yoshitaka Uchikawa (JPN) 2:29:54.4
6th 6 May 1951  Tadashi Asai (JPN) 2:32:41
5th 7 May 1950  Giichi Noda (JPN) 2:37:25
4th 4 May 1949  Saburō Yamada (JPN) 2:40:32
3rd 9 May 1948  Shinzō Koga (JPN) 2:40:05
2nd 18 May 1947  Shinzō Koga (JPN) 2:43:17
1st 10 February 1946  Shinzō Koga (JPN) 2:44:57

Statistics

Qualifications

The runners needed to meet both of the following requirements, or have a special recommendation from the JAAF, to enter the competition. 1, The runner must be at least 19 years old on the day of competition. 2, The runner should have achieved one of the following time within two years from the date of the competition.

  • (1)Marathon: 2 hours 30 minutes or less
  • (2)Half Marathon: 1 hour 10 minutes or less
  • (3)30km: 1 hour 40 minutes or less
  • (4)20km: 1 hour 5 minutes or less
  • (5)10000m: 31 minutes or less

References

  1. ^ a b Nakamura, Ken (2010-03-07). Tsegay takes Lake Biwa crown. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-08.
  2. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2010-03-05). Course record in jeopardy at Lake Biwa Marathon? - Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-03-08.
  3. ^ a b Biwa-ko Mainichi Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-02-08.
  4. ^ a b "Kengo Suzuki wins last Biwako marathon with Japan record", The Asahi Shimbun, February 28, 2021
  5. ^ Perelman, Rich (February 28, 2021), "Highlights: Gut-Behrami on fire on snow; A&M frosh Mu runs 1:58.40; 42 sub-2:10 finishers in Lake Biwa Marathon!", The Sports Examiner

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