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Kawauchi to Run Last Marathon Before Asian Games at Perth Marathon

http://mainichi.jp/sponichi/news/20140813spn00m050012000c.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

2014 Incheon Asian Games men's marathon team member Yuki Kawauchi (27, Saitama Pref. Gov't) has confirmed that he will run the Aug. 31 City to Surf Marathon in Perth, Australia.  The race has been on his tentative schedule for some time but he did not officially commit to it until Aug. 12.  It will be Kawauchi's final marathon before the Oct. 3 Asian Games.

Kawauchi has run many Australian marathons in recent years, winning the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and Sydney Marathon and finishing 2nd at the Melbourne Marathon.  Famous for running while maintaining his career as a civil servant, interviews with him have been published in Australian running magazines.  A familiar and comfortable place for him, Kawauchi hopes that another quick spin through Australia will help him succeed in his ambitions for the Asian Games.

Before Perth, Kawauchi will run Sunday's Hoppo Ryodo Nosappu Misaki Half Marathon in eastern Hokkaido. At the beginning of September the Federation's new National Team training camp will begin in Shibetsu, Hokkaido. After returning from Australia Kawauchi will be using paid vacation days to take part in the training camp. The camp includes mandatory 40 km training runs alongside the best of the corporate leagues, but for Kawauchi it will all be part of a nonstop buildup to the peak of his season at the Asian Games.

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