New Year's Day Racing Recap

By Adam Kopet

The new year began with a bang on the domestic road racing circuit.

Reid Buchanan and Molly Seidel came away winners in the NYRR Midnight Run. The four-mile race in Central Park was held in frigid conditions.

Buchanan bested 2015 champion Daniel Winn by 50 seconds, running 19:08. Seidel pulled away from defending champion Sarah Pagano in the final mile to win by eight seconds, running 21:24.

David Monti of Race Results Weekly has a full race report.

Farther north and nine hours later, Yuki Kawauchi of Japan started the Marshfield Road Runners 37th New Year's Day Marathon in Marshfield, Mass.

Racing in temperatures that maxed out around four degrees Fahrenheit, according to Bob Fitzgerald of New England Runner, Kawauchi set a world record, not for speed, but for the most sub-2:20:00 marathons run. The New Year's Day Marathon was Kawauchi's 76th time under the 2:20:00 barrier. He finished in 2:18:59 and was the only finisher.

Kawauchi owns a personal best of 2:08:41. He is scheduled to race the Boston Marathon in April, but will race several more marathons before then.