Yuki KawauchiThe Land of the Rising Sun dawned brightly again at the 35th Gold Coast Airport Marathon as Japanese runners won both the men’s and women’s marathons in course record times, while taking the top two spots in the men’s race.

Yuki Kawauchi, 26, took out the men’s race in a course record-equalling 2:10:01 with countryman Taiga Ito second in 2:11:52 and Eritrea’s Tewelde Hidru third in 2:13:09.

However the highlight of the day was Japan’s Yukiko Akaba, 33, who smashed a 20-year-old record when she stormed home to win the women’s marathon in 2:27:17, easily eclipsing the old mark of 2:29:29, set back in 1993 by another Japanese runner Eriko Asai. Akaba finished ahead of Kenya’s Alice Ngerechi who posted 2:29:48 with Russia’s Alevtina Ivanova third in 2:32:01. Richard Nicholson took out the Wheelchair Marathon for the second consecutive year.

Canberra’s Martin Dent, 34, had the perfect lead-in to the 2013 Moscow world marathon championships when he out-sprinted Japan’s Shinichi Yamashita to win the ASICS Half Marathon in 1:03:56. In the women’s half marathon Melbourne’s Nikki Chapple cruised to a comfortable win in 1:11:00 over Adelaide’s Jessica Trengove who ran 1:11:51 with Melbourne’s Abigail Bayley third in 1:14:23.On the Saturday morning, new father Craig Mottram overcame a restless night to take out the Southern Cross University 10km Run. The 33-year-old four-time Olympian sprinted away from crowd favourite, Gold Coaster Michael Shelley, to win in 29:38. Shelley, who holds the record in the event at 28:53, crossed in second in 29:45 with fellow Gold Coaster Jackson Elliott in third in 29:55. In the women’s Southern Cross University 10km Run, Sydney’s Lara Tamsett notched her second win on the course when she crossed the line first in 33:05. She finished ahead of fellow Sydney-sider Milly Clark who posted 34:25 with Bridey Delaney, also from Sydney, third in 34:26.

Reigning Queensland cross country age champion, Brisbane’s Justin Currie, 13, was pushed all the way to the line before winning the boys’ 4km Junior Dash in 13:20. He edged out Adelaide’s Samuel Hargreaves with Brisbane’s Jacob Bragg third. In the girls’ 4km Junior Dash, Brisbane’s Katrina Robinson, 12, sizzled home to a comfortable win in 13:55 over Mackenzey Ormiston from Ocean Shores, with Brisbane’s Cara Woolnough third.

Of the 27,675 runners, more than 2200 travelled from overseas and over 7500 from interstate.