Long term rivals Kenneth Mungara from Kenya and Yuki Kawauchi from Japan will, once again, face each other at the Gold Coast Marathon this July.

28,000 runners from 50 countries 

To be held on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July, the Gold Coast Marathon 2019 is set to attract 28,000 runners of all ages and abilities from over 50 countries across the event’s eight races – including the Gold Coast Marathon and Wheelchair Marathon (both 42.195km), ASICS Half Marathon (21.1km), Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Gold Coast Airport 5.7km Fun Run, and the Garmin 4km and 2km Junior Dash.

One of the closest finishes in history 

The two have produced one of the closest finishes in the event’s history in the 2016 edition, when Mungara edged out Kawauchi by one second, in a sprint finish that came down to the wire.

Said Cameron Hart, Gold Coast Marathon CEO, “I am thrilled to welcome both men back to the Gold Coast this year and along with the rest of the elite field, which will be announced soon, these great runners will put the race record under threat and vindicate our position as Australia’s fastest Marathon.”

He added, “The duels between these two on the Gold Coast have created one of the greatest rivalries in sport in this country and based on recent form, we will see another mouth-watering battle this year.”

The fifth year the two are meeting

This is the fifth year that the two will be meeting on Australian soil, with Mungara winning three of his last four appearances at the event while Kawauchi has been unable to add to his 2013 triumph.

Kawauchi’s first run as a professional 

Previously, Kawauchi had been known for running marathons outside of work hours whilst holding down a full-time job as an administrator at a high school near Tokyo, but he has recently turned professional and has begun accepting sponsorship deals, including with ASICS.

Said Kawauchi, “This coming Gold Coast Marathon is my first marathon as a professional runner, so I am coming into it having plenty of time to focus on my training.”

He added “I am challenging myself to achieve my personal best and I am confident that I can pace better than recent years as I am familiar with the course and know how to manage my race in the Gold Coast.”

Besides juggling his running with a full-time job, it is also Kawauchi’s prolific running schedule, with more than 80 sub 2hr 20min marathons in his career, as well as a penchant for costume running that has caught the attention of runners worldwide, most notably for having run half marathons in a business suit and a panda costume.

Mungara is still confident of taking the win

Mungara, on the other hand, is confident of warding off Kawauchi’s challenge to take the win again.

He said “I am looking forward to seeing Yuki again. It will not be an easy job defending my track record but the rivalry that we have built up on the Gold Coast keeps me wanting to come back to challenge him. The Gold Coast is one of my favourite places to run, because I’ve had such great results there.”

And if Mungara wins again this year, he will equal Margaret Reddan and Pat Carroll’s records of four Gold Coast Marathon titles.