Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon
The race passes the Zenkō-ji temple
DateMid-April
LocationNagano, Japan
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Established1999
Course recordsMen's: 2:09:05 (2012)
Kenya Francis Kibiwott
Women's: 2:26:38 (2008)
Russia Alevtina Ivanova
Official siteNagano Marathon
Participants5,613 finishers (2022)

The Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon (Japanese: 長野オリンピック記念 長野マラソン) is an annual marathon road race which takes place in mid-April in Nagano, Japan. It is an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race competition.[1] The Nagano Marathon has races for both elite and amateur runners. It is named in honour of the 1998 Winter Olympics which were held in Nagano.[2]

The course has a point-to-point style and it has received accreditation from the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and AIMS. The route begins at the Nagano Sports Park and heads in a generally southern direction, passing the Zenkō-ji temple before finishing at the Nagano Olympic Stadium. The route incorporates four of the former Olympic venues into the race.[3]

History

Francis Kibiwott and Alevtina Ivanova are the current men's and women's course record holders. The 1999 route was aided by a downhill net drop of 4.27 m/km (just under the allowable limit), while the editions from 2000 to 2003 had an excessive drop of over 5 m/km, making them ineligible for record performances.[4] The current route is relatively flat, however, with the race having an overall total incline of 5 m from start to finish.[5]

The historical root of the competition lies with the Shinmai Marathon which was first held in 1958. The marathon came under its current moniker in 1999. The elite race is international in nature, with a number of foreign runners being invited each year, although prominent Japanese athletes also take part.[6] Kenyans have won the majority of the men's races while Russians have dominated the women's race. Nephat Kinyanjui of Kenya won the race a record three times consecutively between 2006 and 2008. Since its rebirth in 1999, only two Japanese runners have won the race (Akiyo Onishi in 1999 and Yuki Kawauchi in 2013).[7]

Past winners

Key:   Course record   Downhill course

Lisa Weightman was the winner of the 2010 women's race.

Nagano Marathon era

Edition Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner Time (h:m:s)
23rd 2024  Keigo Yano (JPN) 2:15:53  Rie Kawauchi (JPN) 2:33:16
22nd 2023  Kento Nishi (JPN) 2:10:01  Haruna Takano (JPN) 2:42:44
21st 2022  Junichi Ushiyama (JPN) 2:14:42  Akane Sekino (JPN) 2:41:20
– 2021 Did not held due to COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
– 2020
20th 2019  Jackson Kiprop (UGA) 2:10:39  Meskerem Hunde (ETH) 2:33:32
19th 2018  Abdela Godana (ETH) 2:13:54  Asami Furuse (JPN) 2:34:09
18th 2017  Taiga Ito (JPN) 2:14:39  Rachel Mutgaa (KEN) 2:33:00
17th 2016  Jairus Chanchima (KEN) 2:15:31  Shasho Insermu (ETH) 2:34:19
16th 2015  Henry Chirchir (KEN) 2:11:39  Beatrice Toroitich (KEN) 2:34:02
15th 2014  Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 2:13:56  Alina Prokopeva (RUS) 2:30:56
14th 2013  Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:14:27  Natalya Puchkova (RUS) 2:30:40
13th 2012  Francis Kibiwott (KEN) 2:09:05  Pauline Wangui (KEN) 2:34:22
– 2011 Did not held due to Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami[8]
12th 2010  Nicholas Chelimo (KEN) 2:10:24  Lisa Weightman (AUS) 2:28:48
11th 2009  Isaac Macharia (KEN) 2:11:21  Irina Timofeyeva (RUS) 2:30:07
10th 2008  Nephat Kinyanjui (KEN) 2:14:17  Alevtina Ivanova (RUS) 2:26:38
9th 2007  Nephat Kinyanjui (KEN) 2:13:32  Alevtina Ivanova (RUS) 2:27:49
8th 2006  Nephat Kinyanjui (KEN) 2:11:18  Albina Ivanova (RUS) 2:28:52
7th 2005  Isaac Macharia (KEN) 2:10:59  Albina Ivanova (RUS) 2:28:21
6th 2004  Moges Taye (ETH) 2:13:09  Fatuma Roba (ETH) 2:28:05
5th 2003  Erick Wainaina (KEN) 2:12:00  Madina Biktagirova (RUS) 2:28:23
4th 2002  Josia Thugwane (RSA) 2:13:23  Madina Biktagirova (RUS) 2:26:09
3rd 2001  Maxwell Musembi (KEN) 2:12:20  Akiyo Onishi (JPN) 2:31:20
2nd 2000  Erick Wainaina (KEN) 2:10:17  Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:24:55
1st 1999  Jackson Kabiga (KEN) 2:13:26  Valentina Yegorova (RUS) 2:28:41

Shinmai Marathon era

Edition Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner Time (h:m:s)
41st 1998  Yoshifumi Miyamoto (JPN) 2:17:34
40th 1997  Isamu Sennai (JPN) 2:17:24
39th 1996  Koichi Haraguchi (JPN) 2:19:20
38th 1995  Fumiaki Makino (JPN) 2:17:22  Mineko Yamanouchi (JPN) 2:36:35
37th 1994  Yukiyasu Ogura (JPN) 2:16:10
36th 1993  Takashi Kondo (JPN) 2:15:43
35th 1992  Toshinobu Sato (JPN) 2:14:05
34th 1991  Takashi Murakami (JPN) 2:16:33
33rd 1990  Kazuya Nishimoto (JPN) 2:13:52
32nd 1989  Yoshihiro Ohashi (JPN) 2:17:25
31st 1988  Hideo Takamura (JPN) 2:14:44  Kumiko Fukuzawa (JPN) 2:41:39
30th 1987  Yoshizo Morita (JPN) 2:17:21
29th 1986  Takashi Sato (JPN) 2:25:52
28th 1985  Hiromi Nishi (JPN) 2:20:52  Tokiko Fukuhara (JPN) 3:30:26
27th 1984  Masaaki Shibusawa (JPN) 2:19:13
26th 1983  Shuzo Nakajima (JPN) 2:17:47  Hideko Miyashita (JPN) 3:28:01
25th 1982  Fumio Inoue (JPN) 2:21:21
24th 1981  Tadashi Matsumoto (JPN) 2:16:59  Shizue Takayama (JPN) 3:35:38
23rd 1980  Atsuhide Maeda (JPN) 2:15:23  Chie Matsuda (JPN) 2:57:07
22nd 1979  Osamu Kitahara (JPN) 2:21:10 Not held
21st 1978  Tomio Ito (JPN) 2:22:04
20th 1977  Haruki Okubo (JPN) 2:25:18
19th 1976  Kaneo Hikima (JPN) 2:17:31
18th 1975  Osamu Kitahara (JPN) 2:21:43
17th 1974  Kunio Miura (JPN) 2:21:28
16th 1973  Seiji Fukada (JPN) 2:21:27
15th 1972  Kimio Otsuka (JPN) 2:21:03.4
14th 1971  Kimio Otsuka (JPN) 2:18:17.6
13th 1970  Kunio Miura (JPN) 2:21:29.0
12th 1969  Toru Terasawa (JPN) 2:21:02.2
11th 1968  Juichi Sato (JPN) 2:20:50.6
10th 1967  Kunio Miura (JPN) 2:21:27.8
9th 1966  Tadaaki Ueoka (JPN) 2:22:36.6
8th 1965  Kimio Karasawa (JPN) 2:22:31.6
7th 1964  Susumu Noro (JPN) 2:23:11.6
6th 1963  Tadayoshi Shiozuka (JPN) 2:27:05
5th 1962  Nobuyoshi Sadanaga (JPN) 2:27:43
4th 1961  Katsuyoshi Ito (JPN) 2:28:41
3rd 1960  Hidenori Baba (JPN) 2:29:11
2nd 1959  Tadaichi Ishibuchi (JPN) 2:32:07
1st 1958  Kikuo Ono (JPN) 2:30:15

References

  1. ^ Mulkeen, Jon (2018-04-15). Godana and Furuse land first career marathon victories in Nagano. IAAF. Retrieved on 2019-04-03.
  2. ^ The Aim of Nagano Marathon. Nagano Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-05-01.
  3. ^ Course Route. Nagano Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-05-01.
  4. ^ Ota, Shigenobu (2010-04-19). Nagano Olympic Memorial Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-04-30.
  5. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2008-04-18). Can Kinyanjui three-peat? – Nagano Marathon PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-05-01.
  6. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2009-04-18). Breakthrough time for Tola and Ozaki? – Nagano Marathon preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-05-01.
  7. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2013-04-21). Kawauchi and Puchkova win snowy Nagano Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-04-22.
  8. ^ Nakamura, Ken (2011-03-22). Nagano Marathon cancelled. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-23.
List of winners

External links

Marathon races in Japan
World Athletics Label Road Races
Categories