Hirabayashi was fast to assault after the pacers stopped at 30 km, shaking off everybody besides Kipchumba, 2:06:57 man Shohei Otsuka, and debuting Hakone Fifth Stage CR breaker Hiroki Wakabayashi from Aoyama Gakuin. From 30 to 35 km they ran 14:48, the quickest cut up of the race, however a transfer from Kipchumba on a brief climb onto a bridge close to 37 km that solely uphill specialist Wakabayashi may comply with dropped each Otsuka and Hirabayashi. Wakabayashi made one transfer to the entrance with 2 km to go, however Kipchumba timed his response and surged once more simply earlier than a pointy flip with 1 km to go and pulled away for the win.
Kipchumba set a brand new CR of two:06:01, his first marathon end since taking 2nd on the 2021 London Marathon in 2:04:28 and solely his second end in a street race of any distance since then. Now 34, he was very comfortable in post-race interviews and stated he and his supervisor could be evaluating what comes subsequent based mostly on at the moment’s outcomes.
Wakabayashi was proper behind him in 2:06:07, taking each the collegiate and debut information away from Hirabayashi. Wakabayashi had stated pre-race that he does not plan to maintain working after graduating subsequent month and that was a one-and-done shot on the marathon. Questioned on that after his sensible efficiency he insisted that it is true, that this was it and that there would not be one other one. Yuya Yoshida, one other Hakone stage report breaker whereas a 4th-year at Aoyama Gakuin, had stated the identical factor 5 years in the past round his debut at Beppu-Oita, and he has gone on to win Fukuoka twice. We’ll see if Wakabayashi actually follows by way of.
Anticipated to be Hirabayashi’s major home competitors, Otsuka was strong with a 2:06:38 PB for third, with Atsumi Ashiwa and Workneh working PBs of two:07:11 and a pair of:07:46 for 4th and fifth. Wakabayashi’s Aoyama Gakuin teammate Kosei Shiraishi took sixth in a 2:08:42 debut, with Hirabayashi’s Koku Gakuin teammate Goki Takayama shut behind in a 2:08:50 debut. Shaken off by Hirabayashi’s massive transfer, company leaguer Keijiro Mogi got here again to run Hirabayashi down within the final km with a 2:09:06 PB. Hirabayashi shuffled in 7 seconds later in 2:09:13, having paid a heavy value for happening the assault and splitting 16:27 and eight:11 at 40 km and the end.
73rd Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon
Oita, 2 Feb. 2025
Males
1. Vincent Kipchumba (Kenya) – 2:06:01 – CR
2. Hiroki Wakabayashi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) – 2:06:07 – collegiate / debut NR
3. Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) – 2:06:38 – PB
4. Atsumi Ashiwa (Honda) – 2:07:11 – PB
5. Derese Workneh (Ethiopia) – 2:07:46 – PB
6. Kosei Shiraishi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) – 2:08:42 – debut
7. Goki Takayama (Koku Gakuin Univ.) – 2:08:50 – debut
8. Keijiro Mogi (Asahi Kasei) – 2:09:06 – PB
9. Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) – 2:09:13
10. Dominic Nyairo (Kenya) – 2:11:21
11. Kota Murayama (Asahi Kasei) – 2:11:36 – debut
12. Yoshihiro Maeda (Kurosaki Harima) – 2:11:56
13. Yusei Tsutsumi (JFE Metal) – 2:12:08
14. Chihiro Ono (GMO) – 2:12:27
15. Yuki Muta (Logisteed) – 2:12:31
16. Madoka Takihara (Osaka Police) – 2:12:36
17. Ryu Takaku (Yakult0 – 2:14:19
18. Kazumoto Iwasa (Otsuka Seiyaku) – 2:14:23
19. Tesfahun Akalnew (Ethiopia) – 2:15:20
20. Ryota Ejima (Mitsubishi Juko) – 2:16:54
21. Kyosuke Mafune (Subaru) – 2:17:03
22. Taisei Kato (Asahi Kasei) – 2:17:18
23. Kaede Shinohara (Fujisan no Meisui) – 2:17:41
24. Ryan Gregson (Australia) – 2:17:55
25. Daiji Kawai (Toenec) – 2:18:05
Ladies
1. Rieko Koshi (Emoto Juku) – 2:42:20
2. Hodaka Shimizu (Nara-X) – 2:43:16
3. Ayana Yamazaki (PRC) – 2:43:26
4. Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan T&F Assoc.) – 2:46:15
5. Sonoka Nakayama (Uchida Chiryoin) – 2:47:28
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
