Sysmex and the Kobe Marathon

Oxford, UK – 24 December 2018. For eleven years, The Kobe Marathon has taken place each November in Kobe, Japan, the hometown of the Sysmex headquarters. With a theme of “thanks and friendship” to express gratitude to the people who assisted in the reconstruction of the area following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, the Kobe marathon is now over 20,000 runners, with thousands cheering along the course. 

This year, OGT was proud to send CytoCell Product Manager Alex Hobbs to join the team of Sysmex runners representing Sysmex EMEA, APAC and JEA (pictured) at the 2019 Kobe Marathon on Sunday, November 19.

Finishing with a time of 3:38 hrs, Alex answered some questions after the event.

Q: Was this your first marathon?

Alex: This was my second marathon after running the Bournemouth Marathon in Oct-17’.

Q: Can you describe the course and the weather that day in Kobe? 

Alex: It was a cold start, we were given bright yellow gloves at the start but it warmed up very quickly, reaching around 18-20°C by mid-morning. It was a relatively flat course. The route was a loop around Kobe harbour, however the toughest section was the last 3 miles where we had to run over a very steep bridge! The views were incredible. We ran through the city and out into the suburbs.

Q: Were there lots of people cheering along the course?

Alex: Yes, thousands! It was really well supported with many families with young kids on stand by to high-five the runners.

Q: Are there any marathon traditions that were different than your experience with running road races in the UK?

Alex: I was surprised by the number of runners in fancy dress costumes, lots of men wearing dresses and Santa outfits. There were plenty of water stations, probably more than usual. Each stop did have an array of Japanese snacks to choose from, including fish paste sticks, salted kelp and bean jam sandwiches.

About OGT

OGT, a Sysmex Group company, is a leading global provider of clinical and diagnostic genomic solutions that are created for scientists by scientists - including CytoCell^®, CytoSure^® and SureSeq™ ranges of FISH, microarray and NGS products. The company is dedicated to creating products that enable researchers and clinical decision makers to reach the right care decisions for each patient, every time. OGT strives to unlock the future of genetic clinical care with a commitment to working in partnership with its customers - not only by sharing its expertise of 25 years at the forefront of genetic endeavour, but also by working closely with scientists to understand their unique challenges, and to customise its approach to meet their exact needs. Dedicated to improving clinical care, OGT believes that through partnership—together—we’ll achieve more.

For more information on the Company, please visit our website at ogt.com

CytoSure^®, SureSeq™ and myProbes^®: For Research Use Only, not for use in diagnostic procedures. CytoCell: Some products may not be available in your region.

About Sysmex Corporation

Sysmex Corporation is a world leader in clinical laboratory systemization and solutions, including laboratory diagnostics, laboratory automation and clinical information systems. Serving customers for more than 50 years, Sysmex focuses on technological leadership in diagnostic science and information tools that make a difference in the health of people worldwide. The company is also exploring emerging opportunities in the life science field. Its R&D efforts focus on the development of high-value-added testing and diagnostic technologies that are innovative, original and optimize individual health. Sysmex also seeks to leverage its state-of-the-art technologies for cell, gene and protein analysis. The company, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, has subsidiaries in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China and Asia Pacific and employs more than 9,000 employees worldwide. Sysmex Corporation is listed in the top tier of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

For more information about Sysmex Corporation and its affiliate companies, please visit www.sysmex.co.jp/en/.