Japanese runner bides time before winning marathon

Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita bided his time before surging to a commanding Asian Games marathon gold on Saturday, thrilling home fans lining the streets on a wet morning in Nagoya before Shitaye Eshete rolled back the years to win the women’s race for Bahrain.

Nagasaki native Yamashita delivered Japan its seventh men’s marathon title at the Games after allowing his rivals to do the hard work at the front before a decisive move.

Part of a six-man breakaway at the halfway mark, Yamashita stayed tucked behind North Korea’s Hangzhou silver medallist Han Il Ryong and India’s Sawan Barwal as they set the pace with 10km remaining.

Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita celebrates after winning in the men’s marathon final in Nagoya yesterday.

Photo: AFP

As Han and Barwal began to fade, Yamashita struck and powered clear to the finish at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium with 2:10:49, 48 seconds clear of Barwal, who posted a personal best.

“While the runners from China and India were taking turns leading the pack, I was hardly doing any of the leading myself. So I felt a bit apologetic,” Yamashita said.

China’s Feng Peiyou produced a late burst to snatch bronze from Han.

Japan threatened a sweep of the marathon titles when Mikuni Yada challenged in the women’s race despite a tumble on the track after clashing with another runner.

Eshete, 36 years old and a mother of three, proved too strong and claimed gold 16 years after her 10,000m bronze at Guangzhou.

China’s Cuomu Ciren finished narrowly behind the Bahraini for silver, with Yada taking bronze.

“Maybe it is the time to stop. I am 36 years old,” Eshete said. “But my target for my last competition is the [2027] world championships ... I have three babies and my second, he said, ‘Mama, don’t run’. He wants me at home. But now he will be very happy.”