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Time Trials Japanese Style: The 199th Nittai University Kirokukai

by Brett Larner



Several universities around Tokyo hold monthly open time trials. Anyone from beginner joggers to Olympians is free to run distances from 1500 m to 10000 m in heats seeded by personal best time. The Nihon Taiku University* Kirokukai series of time trials is perhaps the most popular. The November 22nd edition, the 199th in Nittai's series, focused on the 5000 m, with 26 heats of 5000 m and 4 heats of women's 3000 m stretched out over 12 hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 30 to 45 runners ran in each heat, some of which included designated pacemakers. Heats early in the day were slower and featured mostly amateurs, while the later heats were filled with high school, university and jitsugyodan professionals tuning up for their championship ekidens.



Among the noteworthy runners on hand was Arata Fujiwara (Team JR Higashi Nihon), a 2:08:40 marathoner who was the alternate for the Beijing Olympics men's marathon team. Fujiwara is competing in the Fukuoka International Marathon on Dec. 7 in an attempt to make the Japanese men's marathon team for the 2009 Berlin World Championships. He ran the Nittai Kirokukai as a tuneup for Fukuoka, running 14:34.73 in Heat 27 at 7:30 p.m., then returning 5 minutes later to run 14:28.75 in Heat 28 at 7:50 p.m. Fujiwara looked loose and relaxed, practicing a long push finish in both heats. His lack of a last kick suggested he has been running high mileage in the leadup to Fukuoka.



Other interesting heats included number 24, a women's 5000 m heat which saw Team Uniqlo's Kenyan Danielle Filomena Cheyech battle Team Hitachi's new 18 year old Kenyan Doricah Obare. Obare won in a PB of 15:21.08 despite fading in the final kilometers. Cheyech, who has been in poor form during the fall after a superb spring season, dropped to 5th, clipped at the line by Ritsumeikan University's outstanding first year Michi Numata.



Sendai Ikuei, Japan's top running high school and alma mater of Kenyan greats Samuel Wanjiru and Daniel Njenga, dominated Heat 29, with Wataru Ueno and Kenyan Steven Karuno frontrunning a field made up almost entirely of professionals. Surprisingly Karuno faded, while Ueno held off several challenges in the last lap to with with an impressive sprint finish in 14:13.34.



Sendai Ikuei rival Aomori Yamada High School fielded its Kenyan Michael Getange against the fastest field of the day in Heat 30. Getange ran 14:04.36 to easily win over the likes Tomohiko Sumi (Team Toyota Boshoku), a recent jitsugyodan recruit after a career as a top member of Nittai University's Hakone Ekiden team.

The 200th Nittai Kirokukai takes place in December.

*Abbreviated to 'Nittai.'

(c) 2008 Brett Larner
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