The 39th Yaizu Minato Half Marathon happened Sunday, starting and finishing in the fishing port area of Yaizu, Shizuoka. In Yaizu Minato's unique Pair Marathon team competition that combines the two fastest times from competing universities to determine the winner, 2024 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University took the team title thanks to 4th-year Masaya Tsurukawa 's overall win in 1:02:49 and 3rd-year Daichi Kanda 's 1:03:04 for 3rd for a combined time of 2:05:53. Non-scoring member Sena Minawatari was 4th in 1:03:07, showing Aoyama Gakuin's depth of strength in Yaizu too. Toyo University was 2nd in 2:06:041, with Taiga Usune running 1:03:10 and Hiroto Baba 1:03:31. Koku Gakuin University took 3rd in 2:06:51, Toma Tanaka at 1:03:18 and Shoma Kamada 1:03:33. Tokai University 's Yuki Kani ran an excellent 1:02:59 for 2nd. But although the Yaizu Minato Half Marathon is a JAAF-certified course, a mistake by the organizers in placing a cone at the turnaro...
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