FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Japanese runners dominate front row of men's marathon
at the 2022 Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast Marathon

After a worldwide pandemic and scant opportunity to race over the past two
years the Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast men's marathon is back
with vengeance.

And so are the overseas competitors who have shaken off their covid blues
and wasted no time in getting back to the Gold Coast to again shine a light
on the 42-year-old event's undeniable credentials as an international road
race magnet.

Leading this year's charge is a true star and friend of the Gold Coast
event, the seemingly unstoppable Yuki Kawauchi who heads the to the start
line he knows so well with the No.1 bib on his chest.

The ever-smiling 35-year-old Yuki has run eight Gold Coast Marathons for
four podium finishes, including taking in Broadwater views from the top
step in 2013.

He'll line up in the early morning of Sunday 3 July alongside another
Japanese runner who needs no introduction to the course.

NN Running Team member Jo Fukuda (31) was third on the Gold Coast in 2018,
which was a breakthrough performance for him and one that sets him up for a
serious tilt at the 2022 title.

In fact, that run was a lifetime best of 2:09:52, but he has since
consistently run in the 2:10s with another PB and breakthrough marathon
victory certainly not far away.

Akihiro Kaneko (28), who completes a Japan clean sweep of the top three
starters, is looking for his first victory in his fourth international
marathon, with Belgium's Amaury Paquet (31) and Australia's 41-year-old
Ethiopian-raised journeyman Samuel Gebremichael no doubt keen to go with
the early Japanese pace.

Tasmanian-based Englishman, Nick Earl and New Zealander-cum-Victorian David
Ridley add to the front-line international flavour.

Earl topped the UK marathon ranking list for 2019 after setting a new
personal best of 2:14:38 at the Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan, so he must be
considered a strong chance for a breakthrough Gold Coast placing.

Victorian trio Jaryd Clifford, Ben Kelly and Matt Gunther round out the top
10 while a local will hope to continue a fine family tradition in the race.

Following in the running steps of mum, Janet McAfee who won the 1987 Gold
Coast Marathon, 25-year-old Gold Coaster, Louis McAfee will make his
marathon debut with a string of half marathon successes under his belt.

And watch out for evergreen 35-year-old Aidan Hobbs from Brisbane who ran
9th in the recent Launceston Half Marathon as a tune up to this event.

The 2022 Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast Marathon also hosts the
Oceania and Queensland Marathon Championships.

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