Akaba 6th in PB at London Marathon (updated)

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/100426/spg1004261040004-n1.htm
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/100425/spg1004252333011-n1.htm
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2010042500237

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At Sunday's London Marathon, 2009 World Championships marathoner Yukiko Akaba (30, Team Hokuren) broke her PB as she finished 6th in 2:24:55. Mari Ozaki (34, Team Noritz) was 9th, while 2009 World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (28, Team Daiichi Seimei) was 13th. On the men's side, 2009 World Championships marathoner Satoshi Irifune (34, Team Kanebo) was 16th while 5000 m and 30 km national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) was 23rd. Both Irifune and Matsumiya ran the first half in the lead pack close to national record pace. Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) won the men's race in 2:05:19 while Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) took the women's race in a PB of 2:22:00.

After her disastrous runs at the World Championships and January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, Akaba was happy with her performance as she cleared her target of a new PB. "This was a satisfying race," she said afterwards with a smile. With rainy conditions Akaba developed blisters after only 5 km. At 33 km, she said, "I thought I was going to have to stop," but she pushed on to the finish and was rewarded with a new best. "My training this time was good," she told reporters. "Everything went according to our training plan. I had a lot of support from my husband and daughter and I owe them everything for this success."

For World Championships medalist Ozaki the race was less satisfying. Hopes for her were high, but she fell out of the lead pack after only 20 km and finished third among the three Japanese women in the field, 9 minutes off her PB. Following her strong showing at the Mar. 21 National Jitsugyodan Half Marathon, in early April Ozaki began to suffer from fatigue but did not cut back on her training. "I just couldn't get back to feeling right," she said. Nervous about whether to go through with London she thought, "If you don't try and run you won't know," but the possible overtraining symptoms combined with arriving in London two days late due to the Icelandic volcano proved too much for her. Finishing 13th overall, she said, "I'm not surprised at all. I felt terrible." Last year she finished 2nd at the World Championships, but looking at the athletes around her in London Ozaki modestly admitted, "I still need to make a lot of improvement in my running." Amid this disappointment she added, "Now I know what it feels like to run on empty."

2010 London Marathon - Top Finishers
click here for complete results
Women
1. Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) - 2:22:00 - PB
2. Inga Abitova (Russia) - 2:22:19 - PB
3. Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia) - 2:22:38 - PB
4. Bezunesh Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:23:17
5. Askale Tafe (Ethiopia) - 2:24:39
6. Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) - 2:24:55 - PB
7. Xue Bai (China) - 2:25:18
8. Kim Smith (New Zealand) - 2:25:21 - NR, PB
9. Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) - 2:25:43
10. Mara Yamauchi (GBR) - 2:26:16
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13. Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 2:32:26

Men
1. Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) - 2:05:19
2. Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) - 2:06:23
3. Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) - 2:06:55
4. Abderrahime Bouramdane (Morocco) - 2:07:33 - PB
5. Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 2:08:04
6. Marilson Dos Santos (Brazil) - 2:08:46
7. Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) - 2:12:03 - PB
8. Andrew Lemoncello (GBR) - 2:13:40 - debut
9. Yonas Kifle (Eritrea) - 2:14:39
10. Andi Jones (GBR) - 2:16:38 - PB
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16. Satoshi Irifune (Team Kanebo) - 2:19:25
23. Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) - 2:21:34
DNF - Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya)