For the time being I'll be using this post for English commentary on today's East Japan Jitsugyodan Ekiden Championships. Reload article to see updates. Race broadcast starts at 1:55 p.m. Japan time. Click here to watch TBS' broadcast online.
Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk
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Mitsui's Yamashita doing all the work up front in the women's race, but everyone is still together.
2.JAL
3. Fujitsu
4. Honda
5. Kanebo
6. Konica Minolta
7. Komori
8. Yakult
9. JR Higashi
2nd stage 15.1 km
Yuki Sato (Nissin) leads pack of 5. WC marathoner Satoshi Irifune (Kanebo) running 6th. Matsumiya (KonMin) 5th.
2. Sek. Kag.
3. Dai. Sei.
4. Mits. Sum.
5. Nihon Chemi.
Universal Entertainment (Aruze)'s Felista Wanjugu leading.
Aoyama (ToyJid) way out front. Tanaka and Wanjugu together for 2-3.
2. Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo
3. Nihon Chemicon
4. Univ.Ent.
5. SekisuiKag
6. Shimamura
7. Starts
8. Hokuren
9. Daiichi Seimei
10. Shiseido
Hitomi Niiya (ToyJid) has big lead. Chased by Ohira (MitSum), Akaba (Hokuren).
Akaba already moved up from 8th to 5th. Less than 10 sec to Ohira (2nd).
2nd - Ohira, Mitsui Sumitomo
3rd - Nasukawa, Univ. Ent.
2nd Honda - Ishikawa
3rd KonMin - Matsumiya
Irifune (Kanebo) leads 2nd pack, Fujitsu out of contact.
Foreigner stage. Sato hands off to Gideon Ngatuny. Honda's Yacob Jarso getting ready.
Konica Minolta 2nd.
JAL 3rd.
4th Tokyo Denryoku.
5th Honda.
Yacob Jarso (Honda) going after Ngatuny.
Nojiri dropped off chase pack. Akaba and Saitoh battling.
2. Mits. Sum. +0:26
3. Univ. Ent. +0:30
4. Hokuren +0:59
5. Shimamura +1:07
6. Daiichi Seimei +1:20
Philes Ongori is away. Good chance for Hokuren to take the lead.
Whoa, Ongori just squeezes by for the lead.
Wakita, Sahaku, Osaki etc. on 5th stage.
Gideon leads by a minute and a half. Jarso doing his best.
26 min guy Ndambiri (Komori) in 8th, has passed 5 people, about to take Subaru. Njenga (Yakult) close behind.
Gideon handing off to 28:00 10k guy Satoru Kitamura.
3rd JAL +1;44
4th KonMIn+1:46
Kanebo 5th - pro debut of univ. 1/2 mar record holder Masato Kihara.
Shinden Kogyo 15th, 15 sec. behind Press. Top 14 make New Year Ekiden.
Ikegami running for Honda.
1. Toyota Jidoshoki
2. Hokuren +0:37
3. Mits. Sumi. + 0:47
4. Univ. Ent. +0:51
5. Dai. Sei. +1:25
No Yoshimi Ozaki for DaiSei.
1. Nissin Shokuhin
2. Honda +1:51
3. Konica Minolta +1:58
4. JAL +2:07
5. Kanebo +4:48
6. Yakult +4:50
7. Tokyo Denryoku +4:51
Shinden 14th, Press 15th +26 seconds behind Shinden.
2. Hokuren - 2:20:38
3. Universal Ent. - 2:20:56
4. Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo - 2:21:11
Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo loses 9-yr winning streak. First East Japan win for Toyota Jidoshoki.
Nissin Shokuhin 2:08 guy Yuzo Onishi running 6th leg - 10.6 km. Safe lead over Honda. Konica Minolta gaining on Honda.
2nd - Honda +1:57
3rd - Konica Minolta +2:00
4th - JAL +3:02
5th - Kanebo +5:18
6th - Tokyo Denryoku +6:17
7th - Subaru - 6:34
8th - JR Higashi - +6:53
9th - Yakult - +6:53
2. Honda - 3:50:05
3. Konica Minolta - 3:50:22
4. JAL Ground Service - 3:52:24
5. Kanebo - 3:55:13
6. Subaru - 3:55:47
7. Tokyo Denryoku - 3:55:48
8. JR Higashi Nihon - 3:56:02
9. Fujitsu - 3:56:13
And that's all for today.