Press Release - Gold Coast Airport Marathon - 7/6/19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

        Race record smashed by Shitara in 41st Gold Coast Marathon

The second fastest Japanese marathon runner in history became the fastest 
runner in Gold Coast Marathon history when Yuta Shitara won the IAAF Gold 
Label race in 2:07:50 this morning.

The 27-year-old had an exciting duel with placegetters Barnabus Kiptum of 
Kenya and Zane Robertson of New Zealand over the final 12km before making 
his move with 2km remaining.

It was the eighth win by Japanese men in the 41-year history of the event 
and bettered the race record and Australian all comers record previously 
held by Kenyan Kenneth Mungara (2:08:42).

Shitara takes home $20,000 in victory prize money and an additional $10,000 
time bonus for his record-breaking effort today.

Kiptum, the winner of the Hong Kong Marathon in February, finished second 
in a personal best 2:08:02, while marathon debutant Robertson placed third 
in 2:08:19.

It was an extra special result for Robertson as his time was a New Zealand 
record, bettering the previous mark of his brother Jake (2:08:26, Lake 
Biwa, 2018), and he was crowned the IAAF Oceania Area Marathon Champion for 
2019.

The first Australian across the line was Victorian Liam Adams in sixth 
place clocking a PB 2:11:36 - a bittersweet result for the 32-year-old as 
it was an agonising six seconds outside the 2020 Olympic qualification 
standard.

Dual world champion over 1500m and 5000m on the track Bernard Lagat (USA) 
improved his marathon pb to 2:12:10 for seventh place, while 2013 race 
winner Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) placed 13th in 2:15:32.

In other races within a race, Isaias Beyn from Moorooka in Brisbane won the 
Queensland Marathon Championships, Matthew Ewing (Army) took out the 
Australian Defence Marathon Championships, Andrew Leigh (ACT) claimed the 
Australian Masters Athletics Marathon title and Aidan Hobbs was victor in 
the Queensland Masters Athletics Marathon Championships.

6,700 runners took part in the Gold Coast Marathon this morning.


Flash Quotes

1st - Yuta Shitara (JPN) - 2:07:50

On his performance:

"My training was really good. I think that the race really showed the 
quality of my training. It really brought out my performance today."

"I'm very happy. My training was great and I came here with confidence and 
that is why I was able to produce this result."

"It was pretty easy until 30km. I kept it very smooth and comfortable. 
After the turnaround at 37km, I dropped back from the leaders but then 
luckily around 39km they came back to me again. I just ran in my own rhythm 
and cruised on into the finish."

On his race tactics: 

"I didn't have any race plan. I just wanted to go in and run the race that 
happened."

On the weather:

"It was a little on the windy side but it was the same for everyone so it 
didn't get to me."

On his rivals towards end of the race:

"I dropped back from the leaders at one point but kept running in my own 
rhythm so I pushed past them."

On his confidence going into the Olympic trials:

"It's definitely a confidence builder and I have had a lot of things to 
make me confident but this is a big one heading into the Japanese Olympic 
trials."


3rd - Zane Robertson (NZL) - 2:08:19

On the conditions:

"I was pretty conservative at the start. We knew the wind would be tough 
and it was but I kept the pacemakers in check running nothing above 3:03 
(minutes per kilometre pace) and 2:58 at the beginning."

"On the turn we picked it up and around 28km to 32km it started to get 
really hard again with the gusts swirling."

On the winner:

"I think Yuta, the Japanese (runner), a world class athlete who played the 
game and played it smart."

"He expected to win and came through just when we were beginning to die. We 
had nothing left to go with him."

On returning to the Gold Coast:

"The (Gold Coast) Marathon next year is too close to the Olympic Games (to 
run the marathon)."

"I've already put it to the meet organisers that, if they pay well and get 
enough support to get me and my brother Jake out, we'll attack a sub 59 
(minute) half marathon here.

"Sub-60 has never been done here in Australia and a sub-59 has never been 
done by a non-East African so let's get it on next year."

                                    ###