by Brett Larner
click here for race photos
The Men`s Race
Mekubo Mogusu of Yamanashi Gakuin University successfully defended his title at the 2008 Sapporo International Half Marathon, winning in a time of 1:00:52. Mogusu, in peak shape after a recent 10000 m PB of 27:27 and a half marathon course record at the Kanto University Championships, set out hard and gapped the entire field within the first 100 m. Only Chuo Gakuin University senior Masato Kihara pursued Mogusu, hanging behind the course record holder through the first 4 km. It was a familiar pattern as Kihara had also pursued Mogusu at last year`s Yosenkai 20 km road race and this year`s Hakone Ekiden 2nd stage.
Although Mogusu showed signs of maturity in his running during 2007 after two years of spectacular failures, in Sapporo he fell victim to a fatal flaw he has displayed time and again, an inability to cope with competitors running near him. While he claimed afterwards to have been pursuing a world record, Mogusu responded to Kihara`s presence by running 8:04 for the first 3 km, an uncontrolled sub-57 minute pace. To his credit, Mogusu admitted after the race that he had responded badly to the pressure he felt from Kihara, but the damage was done. Kihara, the holder of the all-time 2nd fastest half marathon time by a Japanese university student, 1:01:50, also started too fast, but for his part Kihara had said before the race that he did not care about the time he ran. His only goal was to stay with Mogusu. As with previous attempts, he fell off the Kenyan`s suicidal pace after only 4 km. In his post-race interview Kihara has deeply disappointed that he could not stay with Mogusu longer.
Further back, a moderate pack of Japan-based Kenyans pursued the two leaders, with only Japanese national record holder and Beijing Olympic marathoner Atsushi Sato tagging along. When Kihara fell back from Mogusu the chase pack broke apart as several Kenyans went after the university student. Sato was the first to fall, dropping back rapidly. As eight Kenyans overtook Kihara, Sato was in turn overtaken by the large chase pack which included his Olympic marathon teammates Tsuyoshi Ogata and Satoshi Osaki as well as their Swiss rival, Osaka World Championships bronze medalist and 2008 Tokyo Marathon winner Viktor Rothlin.
Sato settled in with the pack and led comfortably through 13 km. Rothlin then moved up to take the lead position, followed by Ogata, Osaki, Athens Olympics marathon 5th place finisher Shigeru Aburaya, Helsinki World Championships marathoner Satoshi Irifune, Irifune`s teammate Tomohiro Seto, and Team Fujitsu rookie Koichi Sakai, who memorably took the lead for eventual winners Komazawa University on the 9th stage of this year`s Hakone Ekiden. Rothlin held the lead for several kilometers until Aburaya launched a vicious attack at the 16.3 km point. Only Ogata, Seto and Sakai were able to follow. Rothlin and Team Suzuki`s Masafumi Kitagawa gradually made up the gap as the pack began to disintegrate, leaving Sato trailing far in the distance. The small lead group of Japanese runners began to overtake struggling Kenyans who had gone out hard in the early stages. At 17.5 km Kitagawa passed Aburaya to take over the lead position in the pack, but within a kilometer he was in turn dropped as Rothlin returned to push hard against Ogata and Sakai.
Ahead, Mogusu was visibly struggling as he hit the long uphill to the finish. He uncharacteristically looked back several times as his pace plummeted, disturbed to see the oncoming Harun Njoroge. Njoroge, a younger Kenyan who began running for Team Komori in January and won this spring`s Marugame and Sendai half marathons, ran an intelligently-paced race, hanging well back in the Kenyan pack and only gradually moving up through the field before attacking in the final few kilometers. He fell just short of catching Mogusu, who finished well off his own course record in 1:00:52. Njoroge was just 12 seconds back in 1:01:04, his first loss of the year but a new PB performance.
Kihara was the top Japanese man, 5th overall in 1:02:07. Although he had been overtaken by eight Kenyans, Kihara stayed with them and rallied to a strong finish over the final uphill to retake five spots. His time was just seconds off his PB despite the self-destructive early pace and uphill finish.
Further back, Rothlin and Ogata entered the track together in a near replay of the end of last year`s World Championships marathon. Sakai was just a step behind. Rothlin managed to edge Ogata by a step, while Sakai put on an impressive spurt to catch Ogata at the line. Aburuya was shortly behind, with Olympian Osaki fading to 18th in 1:03:10. Sato had the weakest day, finishing a poor 35th in 1:04:01. Ogata and Rothlin amicably shook hands and chatted after finishing.
Mekubo Mogusu was pleased to win the race for the 3rd time but visibly disappointed in his performance. He said that he plans to run the Kenyan Olympic selection 10000 m race in early July and will make his marathon debut at next year`s London Marathon. While he has the physical ability to succeed, this year`s Sapporo demonstrated that he is still too accustomed to running either unchallenged or from behind in an ekiden. To succeed on the world-class level to which he aspires he must develop the psychological aspects of his running to allow himself to handle the stress of focusing on his goals in the face equal or superior competition. Harun Njoroge`s performance by contrast showed sophistication and judgment in addition to pure ability. Njoroge is on an upward curve and will be someone to watch in the next few years as he gains experience.
While all three were effectively training through the race, Japan`s Olympic marathoners showed mixed results. Satoshi Osaki turned in a solid if unremarkable performance. Atsushi Sato`s mediocre time was not of itself cause for concern, but his pace trajectory and the degree to which he slowed in the final raise a few questions about his fitness in light of the minor injuries he sustained during the spring. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Tsuyoshi Ogata`s run was his first major result since finishing 5th at last summer`s World Championships and did much to resolve any worries about his condition as the Olympics approach. Combined with his proven experience in heat and championship events, Ogata`s performance in Sapporo arguably makes him Japan`s best chance for a medal in the men`s marathon.
Of the entire men`s field, Masato Kihara`s performance was the most impressive. Since making a spectacular debut as an unknown first-year at the 2006 Hakone Ekiden, Kihara has shown again and again that he is Japan`s best university runner. The fragile aces Keisuke Takezawa of Waseda University and Yuki Sato of Tokai University attract the media`s attention with occassional fast performances in the brief periods between their injuries, but Kihara has quietly and repeatedly demonstrated his strength, durability and reliability over the last three years. His Sapporo run unquestionably showed that Kihara possesses not only these physical abilities but, like the American Ryan Hall, the confidence, fearlessness and ambition to run with the best Africa can offer. Kihara`s spot as the top Japanese finisher in Sapporo ahead of countless professionals earns him a spot on the Japanese team for October`s World Half Marathon Championships, his first major international competition. He may or may not have a breakthrough debut, but there is little doubt that in the next five years he will take the very top place in the Japanese men`s distance world.
Women`s Race
Yuri Kano of Second Wind AC won the women`s division in a sizeable PB of 1:08:57. A pack of seven women including Kano, Sendai International Half Marathon runner up Julia Mombi, 2007 World Road Running Championships competitor Chisato Osaki, Osaki`s teammate Miki Ohira, and Kanto University Championships 5000 m and 10000 m winner Yui Sakai of Josai University, set out together in the midst of a larger group of men. By 5 km it was already down to three contenders, Kano, Mombi, and Osaki, along with nine men. At least one of the men provided direct aid to Osaki, handing her water at aid stations.
Kano was noticeably in control of the race, running with focus and poise even when trailing Osaki. By 11 km Mombi fell off the pace along with two of the men. From 12 km through 17 km, Kano and Osaki staged an exciting duel, switching the lead and pushing the pace every kilometer. By 17 km Kano truly took over, pushing the pace and dropping one of the male competitors. Osaki was unable to follow, eventually finishing 19 seconds behind Kano. Kano`s time of 1:08:57 broke her 5-year old PB by over 90 seconds. Like Masato Kihara in the men`s race, Kano`s victory secures her a spot on the Japanese team at this year`s World Half Marathon Championships, where she will join Mizuki Noguchi, Yukiko Akaba, and two more teammates yet to be determined. It was also a major breakthrough which signals great things for her future in the marathon.
Osaki`s 1:09:16 will also likely result in a trip to the World Half Marathon Championships. Mombi was disappointed with her 1:10:39 3rd place finish; Sakai was likewise unhappy to struggle home 5th in 1:11:23. Both athletes were most likely still contending with the after-effects of their excellent May performances. Kano`s teammates Kiyoko Shimahara and Kaori Yoshida also had poor days, while former course record holder and defending marathon world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was 11th in 1:12:37.
Men`s Results (click for complete results)
1. Mekubo Mogusu (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:00:52
2. Harun Njoroge (Team Komori) - 1:01:04 (PB)
3. Julius Gitau (Team JFE Steel) - 1:01:19
4. Joseph Mwaniki (Team Konica-Minolta) - 1:02:04
5. Masato Kihara (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 1:02:07
6. John Kariuku (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 1:02:29
7. Ombeche Mokamba (Team Aidem) - 1:02:43
8. Micah Njell (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 1:02:44
9. Viktor Rothlin (Switzerland) - 1:02:45
10. Tsuyoshi Ogata (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:02:46
10. Koichi Sakai (Team Fujitsu) - 1:02:46
12. Shigeru Aburaya (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:02:53
Women`s Results (click for complete results)
1. Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) - 1:08:57 (PB)
2. Chisato Osaki (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:16
3. Julia Mombi (Team Aruze) - 1:10:39
4. Miki Ohira (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:10:52
5. Yui Sakai (Josai Univ.) - 1:11:23
6. Ikuyo Yamashita (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:11:31
7. Takami Ominami (Team Toyota Shatai) - 1:11:33
8. Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC) - 1:12:10
9. Jeon Eyun (South Korea) - 1:12:16
10. Sayo Takemoto (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 1:12:32
11. Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) - 1:12:37
12. Miyuki Ando (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 1:12:41
(c) 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
click here for race photos
The Men`s Race
Mekubo Mogusu of Yamanashi Gakuin University successfully defended his title at the 2008 Sapporo International Half Marathon, winning in a time of 1:00:52. Mogusu, in peak shape after a recent 10000 m PB of 27:27 and a half marathon course record at the Kanto University Championships, set out hard and gapped the entire field within the first 100 m. Only Chuo Gakuin University senior Masato Kihara pursued Mogusu, hanging behind the course record holder through the first 4 km. It was a familiar pattern as Kihara had also pursued Mogusu at last year`s Yosenkai 20 km road race and this year`s Hakone Ekiden 2nd stage.
Although Mogusu showed signs of maturity in his running during 2007 after two years of spectacular failures, in Sapporo he fell victim to a fatal flaw he has displayed time and again, an inability to cope with competitors running near him. While he claimed afterwards to have been pursuing a world record, Mogusu responded to Kihara`s presence by running 8:04 for the first 3 km, an uncontrolled sub-57 minute pace. To his credit, Mogusu admitted after the race that he had responded badly to the pressure he felt from Kihara, but the damage was done. Kihara, the holder of the all-time 2nd fastest half marathon time by a Japanese university student, 1:01:50, also started too fast, but for his part Kihara had said before the race that he did not care about the time he ran. His only goal was to stay with Mogusu. As with previous attempts, he fell off the Kenyan`s suicidal pace after only 4 km. In his post-race interview Kihara has deeply disappointed that he could not stay with Mogusu longer.
Further back, a moderate pack of Japan-based Kenyans pursued the two leaders, with only Japanese national record holder and Beijing Olympic marathoner Atsushi Sato tagging along. When Kihara fell back from Mogusu the chase pack broke apart as several Kenyans went after the university student. Sato was the first to fall, dropping back rapidly. As eight Kenyans overtook Kihara, Sato was in turn overtaken by the large chase pack which included his Olympic marathon teammates Tsuyoshi Ogata and Satoshi Osaki as well as their Swiss rival, Osaka World Championships bronze medalist and 2008 Tokyo Marathon winner Viktor Rothlin.
Sato settled in with the pack and led comfortably through 13 km. Rothlin then moved up to take the lead position, followed by Ogata, Osaki, Athens Olympics marathon 5th place finisher Shigeru Aburaya, Helsinki World Championships marathoner Satoshi Irifune, Irifune`s teammate Tomohiro Seto, and Team Fujitsu rookie Koichi Sakai, who memorably took the lead for eventual winners Komazawa University on the 9th stage of this year`s Hakone Ekiden. Rothlin held the lead for several kilometers until Aburaya launched a vicious attack at the 16.3 km point. Only Ogata, Seto and Sakai were able to follow. Rothlin and Team Suzuki`s Masafumi Kitagawa gradually made up the gap as the pack began to disintegrate, leaving Sato trailing far in the distance. The small lead group of Japanese runners began to overtake struggling Kenyans who had gone out hard in the early stages. At 17.5 km Kitagawa passed Aburaya to take over the lead position in the pack, but within a kilometer he was in turn dropped as Rothlin returned to push hard against Ogata and Sakai.
Ahead, Mogusu was visibly struggling as he hit the long uphill to the finish. He uncharacteristically looked back several times as his pace plummeted, disturbed to see the oncoming Harun Njoroge. Njoroge, a younger Kenyan who began running for Team Komori in January and won this spring`s Marugame and Sendai half marathons, ran an intelligently-paced race, hanging well back in the Kenyan pack and only gradually moving up through the field before attacking in the final few kilometers. He fell just short of catching Mogusu, who finished well off his own course record in 1:00:52. Njoroge was just 12 seconds back in 1:01:04, his first loss of the year but a new PB performance.
Kihara was the top Japanese man, 5th overall in 1:02:07. Although he had been overtaken by eight Kenyans, Kihara stayed with them and rallied to a strong finish over the final uphill to retake five spots. His time was just seconds off his PB despite the self-destructive early pace and uphill finish.
Further back, Rothlin and Ogata entered the track together in a near replay of the end of last year`s World Championships marathon. Sakai was just a step behind. Rothlin managed to edge Ogata by a step, while Sakai put on an impressive spurt to catch Ogata at the line. Aburuya was shortly behind, with Olympian Osaki fading to 18th in 1:03:10. Sato had the weakest day, finishing a poor 35th in 1:04:01. Ogata and Rothlin amicably shook hands and chatted after finishing.
Mekubo Mogusu was pleased to win the race for the 3rd time but visibly disappointed in his performance. He said that he plans to run the Kenyan Olympic selection 10000 m race in early July and will make his marathon debut at next year`s London Marathon. While he has the physical ability to succeed, this year`s Sapporo demonstrated that he is still too accustomed to running either unchallenged or from behind in an ekiden. To succeed on the world-class level to which he aspires he must develop the psychological aspects of his running to allow himself to handle the stress of focusing on his goals in the face equal or superior competition. Harun Njoroge`s performance by contrast showed sophistication and judgment in addition to pure ability. Njoroge is on an upward curve and will be someone to watch in the next few years as he gains experience.
While all three were effectively training through the race, Japan`s Olympic marathoners showed mixed results. Satoshi Osaki turned in a solid if unremarkable performance. Atsushi Sato`s mediocre time was not of itself cause for concern, but his pace trajectory and the degree to which he slowed in the final raise a few questions about his fitness in light of the minor injuries he sustained during the spring. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Tsuyoshi Ogata`s run was his first major result since finishing 5th at last summer`s World Championships and did much to resolve any worries about his condition as the Olympics approach. Combined with his proven experience in heat and championship events, Ogata`s performance in Sapporo arguably makes him Japan`s best chance for a medal in the men`s marathon.
Of the entire men`s field, Masato Kihara`s performance was the most impressive. Since making a spectacular debut as an unknown first-year at the 2006 Hakone Ekiden, Kihara has shown again and again that he is Japan`s best university runner. The fragile aces Keisuke Takezawa of Waseda University and Yuki Sato of Tokai University attract the media`s attention with occassional fast performances in the brief periods between their injuries, but Kihara has quietly and repeatedly demonstrated his strength, durability and reliability over the last three years. His Sapporo run unquestionably showed that Kihara possesses not only these physical abilities but, like the American Ryan Hall, the confidence, fearlessness and ambition to run with the best Africa can offer. Kihara`s spot as the top Japanese finisher in Sapporo ahead of countless professionals earns him a spot on the Japanese team for October`s World Half Marathon Championships, his first major international competition. He may or may not have a breakthrough debut, but there is little doubt that in the next five years he will take the very top place in the Japanese men`s distance world.
Women`s Race
Yuri Kano of Second Wind AC won the women`s division in a sizeable PB of 1:08:57. A pack of seven women including Kano, Sendai International Half Marathon runner up Julia Mombi, 2007 World Road Running Championships competitor Chisato Osaki, Osaki`s teammate Miki Ohira, and Kanto University Championships 5000 m and 10000 m winner Yui Sakai of Josai University, set out together in the midst of a larger group of men. By 5 km it was already down to three contenders, Kano, Mombi, and Osaki, along with nine men. At least one of the men provided direct aid to Osaki, handing her water at aid stations.
Kano was noticeably in control of the race, running with focus and poise even when trailing Osaki. By 11 km Mombi fell off the pace along with two of the men. From 12 km through 17 km, Kano and Osaki staged an exciting duel, switching the lead and pushing the pace every kilometer. By 17 km Kano truly took over, pushing the pace and dropping one of the male competitors. Osaki was unable to follow, eventually finishing 19 seconds behind Kano. Kano`s time of 1:08:57 broke her 5-year old PB by over 90 seconds. Like Masato Kihara in the men`s race, Kano`s victory secures her a spot on the Japanese team at this year`s World Half Marathon Championships, where she will join Mizuki Noguchi, Yukiko Akaba, and two more teammates yet to be determined. It was also a major breakthrough which signals great things for her future in the marathon.
Osaki`s 1:09:16 will also likely result in a trip to the World Half Marathon Championships. Mombi was disappointed with her 1:10:39 3rd place finish; Sakai was likewise unhappy to struggle home 5th in 1:11:23. Both athletes were most likely still contending with the after-effects of their excellent May performances. Kano`s teammates Kiyoko Shimahara and Kaori Yoshida also had poor days, while former course record holder and defending marathon world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was 11th in 1:12:37.
Men`s Results (click for complete results)
1. Mekubo Mogusu (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:00:52
2. Harun Njoroge (Team Komori) - 1:01:04 (PB)
3. Julius Gitau (Team JFE Steel) - 1:01:19
4. Joseph Mwaniki (Team Konica-Minolta) - 1:02:04
5. Masato Kihara (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 1:02:07
6. John Kariuku (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 1:02:29
7. Ombeche Mokamba (Team Aidem) - 1:02:43
8. Micah Njell (Team Toyota Boshoku) - 1:02:44
9. Viktor Rothlin (Switzerland) - 1:02:45
10. Tsuyoshi Ogata (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:02:46
10. Koichi Sakai (Team Fujitsu) - 1:02:46
12. Shigeru Aburaya (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 1:02:53
Women`s Results (click for complete results)
1. Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) - 1:08:57 (PB)
2. Chisato Osaki (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:16
3. Julia Mombi (Team Aruze) - 1:10:39
4. Miki Ohira (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:10:52
5. Yui Sakai (Josai Univ.) - 1:11:23
6. Ikuyo Yamashita (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:11:31
7. Takami Ominami (Team Toyota Shatai) - 1:11:33
8. Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC) - 1:12:10
9. Jeon Eyun (South Korea) - 1:12:16
10. Sayo Takemoto (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 1:12:32
11. Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) - 1:12:37
12. Miyuki Ando (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 1:12:41
(c) 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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