Sapporo Half Marathon
He attempted to defend his Sapporo Half Marathon title in 2006, but managed only fourth place, almost a minute behind winner Cyrus Gichobi Njui. He made a breakthrough in February the following year, winning the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon in a course record time of 59:48 – his first half marathon clocking under an hour. He continued his winning streak to take a second title at the Sapporo Half Marathon. He set another course record and his finishing time of 59:54 was the first sub-60-minute run of the course's 23-year history. His last road race of 2007 was the Ichinoseki International Half Marathon, which he won in another sub-hour clocking of 59:58.