This race report comes to us from Jacob Bush at Gold Coast Events:
Japan reigns supreme at the 35th Gold Coast Airport Marathon
The Land of the Rising Sun dawned brightly again at the 2013 Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
Japanese runners won both the men’s and women’s marathons in course record times, while taking the top two spots in the men’s race.
School teacher Yuki Kawauchi, 26, took out the men’s race in a course record-equalling 2hrs10mins01secs with countryman Taiga Ito (2:11:52) second and Eritrea’s Tewelde Hidru (2:13:09) third.
However the highlight of the day was Japan’s Yukiko Akaba, 33, who smashed a 20-year-old record when she stormed home to win the women’s marathon in 2:27:17, easily eclipsing the old mark of 2:29:29, set back in 1993 by another Japanese runner Erico Asai.
Akaba finished ahead of Kenya’s Alice Ngerechi (2:29:48) with Russia’s Alevtina Ivanova (2:32:01) third.
The Japanese double in the men’s and women’s events of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon is the first since 2007.
The marathon also doubled as the Oceania Area Marathon Championships with the ACT’s Rowan Walker taking out the men’s title in 2:23:50 from NZ’s Tony Payne (2:27:25) and Victoria’s John Dutton (2:27:40) third.
Kiwis took the top two places in the women’s Oceania Championships with Alexandra Williams (2:42:30) taking that title from Sally Gibbs (2:42:59) and Wollongong’s Anita Keem (2:45:39).
Canberra’s Martin Dent, 34, had the perfect lead-in to the upcoming Moscow world marathon championships when he out-sprinted Japan’s Shinichi Yamashita to win the ASICS Half Marathon in 1:03:56.
Third in the race, which also doubled as the national half marathon championships, was British Olympic marathoner Ben Moreau (1:03:59).
In the women’s half marathon Melbourne’s Nikki Chapple cruised to a comfortable win (1:11:00) over Adelaide’s Jessica Trengove (1:11:51) with Melbourne’s Abigail Bayley (1:14:23) third.
New father Craig Mottram overcame a restless night to take out the Southern Cross University 10km Run.
The 33-year-old Mottram, a four-time Olympian, sprinted away from crowd favourite, Gold Coaster Michael Shelley, to win in 29min38sec.
Shelley, who holds the record in the event at 28:53, crossed in second (29:45) with fellow Gold Coaster Jackson Elliott in third (29:55).
In the women’s 10km race Sydney’s Lara Tamsett notched her second win on the course when she crossed the line first in 33:05. Tamsett is a previous winner of the Gold Coast ASICS Half Marathon (2011).She finished ahead of fellow Sydney-sider Milly Clark (34:25) with Bridey Delaney, also from Sydney, third (34:26).
The 2013 Southern Cross University 10km run attracted a total of 6389 starters while 1548 youngsters competed in the 2km and 4km Junior Dash races.
Reigning Queensland cross country age champion, Brisbane’s Justin Currie, 13, was pushed all the way to the line before winning the boys’ 4km dash in 13min20sec.
He edged out Adelaide’s Samuel Hargreaves (13:21) with Brisbane’s Jacob Bragg third.
In the girls’ 4km dash Brisbane’s Katrina Robinson, 12, (13:55) sizzled home to a comfortable win over Mackenzey Ormiston (14:31), from Ocean Shores, with Brisbane’s Cara Woolnough (14:33) third.
Casey O’Brien, 10, from Korora, near Coffs Harbour, made it two Gold Coast event wins in consecutive years when he took out the 2km boys’ race in a quick 6min 51sec just outside the 6:43 record.
Charging home second was Brisbane’s Jake Brooks (6:57) and Ethan Links (7:15) from the Gold Coast was third.
Gold Coast’s Bianca Jones took the girls’ 2km honours in 7:26. Second was Jazi Coventry (7:43), from Mudgeeraba, and third was Brisbane’s Dakota Farrell-Thomas (7:49).
27,638 participants took part in this year’s event, supported by 1100 volunteers.
The teams category attracted solid support with 121 teams taking part – 32 corporate teams, 25 fitness teams and 64 social teams.
Race Photos
Kawauchi – Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2013
Race Listing
Click here for more details of the 2013 Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
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