Fukuoka International Marathon - Preview

The 2004 Fukuoka International Marathon will be held on the flat and fast course in Fukuoka, Japan, on its traditional day, the first Sunday of December (5th), with Kenyan Sammy Korir and Japan’s Tsuyoshi Ogata the main protagonists.

Unlike during its heyday in the 1970’s when the fastest marathon runner of the year along with Olympic medallists were always invited, none of the podium finishers from Athens will be running this year in the largest metropolis in the western Japan, where the 2006 World Cross Country Championships will also take place.

However, the field which includes three 2:06 marathon runners is still loaded.  The race doubles as a national qualifying race for the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and some of the best Japanese marathon runners will be taking part. 

Fukuoka Marathon is an elite race. Traditionally one must qualify by running a sub-2:27 marathon. However, this year 500 runners, from those who ran a sub-2:50 marathon, were selected to join the elite group. 

Ogata is in awesome shape

Tsuyoshi Ogata who ran his best time of 2:08:37 when competing in the 2003 Fukuoka is one of the main national hopes.

“Ogata has moved up to a different level since last year. His determination is awesome. I won’t be surprised if he runs a 2:07 marathon,” said Yasushi Sakaguchi, who has been coaching Ogata since his graduation from a college. 

After dueling with 2000 Olympic champion Gezahegne Abera in the 2002 Fukuoka Marathon, Ogata finished a close second in 2:09:15, then a personal best.  He was selected for the 2003 World Championships marathon team, and went on to finished twelfth in Paris.  Last year he attempted to qualify for the Olympic Marathon team in the Fukuoka Marathon but  despite recording another personal best, 2:08:47, Ogata was only sixth in the race and thus failed to make the Olympic team.

Ogata has shown that he is truly in awesome shape in a recent Ekiden where he covered his 17.9Km course in 52:59, three minutes faster than anybody else.

Korir, the second fastest ever

The fastest runner in the field is Kenyan Sammy Korir, who ran the second fastest time ever, 2:04:56, at 2003 Berlin Marathon. He was only one second behind Paul Tergat, who set the Marathon World Record in Berlin.  More recently, Korir was second in the 2004 London Marathon, when he finished second in 2:06:48.  Korir has run in Japan before, winning the 2002 Beppu-Oita Marathon with 2:11:45. 

Gert Thys and Michael Rotich have the identical second fastest times, 2:06:33, in the field.  South African Thys won the 1999 Tokyo Marathon, while Kenyan Rotich won the 2003 Paris Marathon in the process setting their personal bests.  More recently Thys won the 2004 Seoul Marathon with 2:07:06, while Rotich was second in 2004 Rotterdam Marathon with 2:09:07. 

Both Mohamed Ouaadi and Hailu Negussie recorded personal bests in Japan.  In the 1999 Fukuoka Marathon Ouaadi of France was a close second to the future Olympic Champion, Abera, with a 2:07:55 clocking.  Negussie of Ethiopia won the 2002 Hofu Marathon with 2:08:16. Historically they have run well in Japan.  Ouaadi was second in the 2002 Lake Biwa Marathon with 2:09:00, while Negussie was fifth in the 2003 Fukuoka Marathon with 2:08:21.

Other national hopes

Turning our attention to the Japanese once more, Ogata is not the only runner reported to be in great shape. For Satoshi Osaki and Kurao Umeki, the Fukuoka is the race to test whether they can join the rank of truly elite marathon runners. 

After recording 2:09:38 at the 2002 Hofu Marathon, Osaki ran with the leaders for the first half of the 2003 Berlin Marathon to finish in 2:12:08.  Still a relative unknown and working full time, Osaki when competing in the 2004 Tokyo International Marathon, surged away from the field at 30Km.  Although he was overhauled by a 2:06 marathon runner Daniel Njenga, Osaki still recorded a personal best of 2:08:46.

Kurao Umeki was a star of his college Ekiden team, and his future was expected to be bright. However, after graduation, not getting anywhere with his running, he moved up to the marathon, but failed in the first several attempts.  Umeki’s mini-breakthrough came in the 2002 Hofu Marathon when he recorded 2:14:50.  He followed it up with a real breakthrough at 2003 Berlin Marathon where he recorded 2:09:52.  However, in his attempt to qualify for the Olympic marathon team, Umeki finished a disappointing 27th in 2:19:29 in the 2004 Tokyo Marathon. Umeki seems to be rounding into shape now, for he ran the fastest stage in a recent Ekiden. He covered his 13.5Km stage in 39:16. 

For Asian Games silver medalist Koji Shimizu, Fukuoka is very significant. In the 2004 Tokyo Marathon, where he tried to qualify for the Olympic Marathon team, Shimizu lost his shoes at the start and was forced to play catch up.  Apparently he tried to catch up with the leaders too fast and paid for that effort, finishing a disappointing 25th.  Shimizu, who has run three World Championship Marathons (1997 Athens, 1999 Seville and 2003 Paris) finished seventh in Seville.  Shimizu was the oldest ever Japanese to break a 2:09 barrier when at 33 years of age, he recorded a personal best of 2:08:28 in the 2003 Lake Biwa Marathon.  He has broken 2:10 barrier four times. 

Ken Nakamura for the IAAF

Invited runners for Fukuoka Marathon

Name-Personal Best-Venue

Sammy Korir   2:04:56 2003 Berlin
Gert Thys    2:06:33  1999 Tokyo
Michael Rotich 2:06:33 2003 Paris
Mohamed Ouaadi 2:07:55 1999 Fukuoka
Hailu Negussie 2:08:16  2002 Hofu
Luc Krotwaar  2:10:13 2003 Fukuoka
Artur Osman  2:11:46 2001 Frankfurt

Japanese
Tsuyoshi Ogata 2:08:37 2003 Fukuoka
Satoshi Osaki 2:08:46 2004 Tokyo
Kurao Umeki  2:09:52 2003 Berlin
Koji Shimizu  2:08:28 2003 Lake Biwa
Tadakatsu Mukae 2:11:01  2004 Lake Biwa
Masatoshi Oike 2:12:15 2004 Lake Biwa

Pace Makers
Joseph Kariuki  2:12:56 2001 Milano
Luis Jesus   2:09:08 2004 Berlin
Isaac Macharia  2:11:26 2004 Berlin