Nishihara Sets 10 km National Collegiate Record at Sanyo Women's Road Race

by Brett Larner

As the year draws to a close the last major non-ekiden road race of the Japanese calendar, the Sanyo Women's Road Race 10 km and half marathon, took place Dec. 23 in Okayama. With the cancellation of the National University Women's Invitational Ekiden Bukkyo University put many of its best runners into both races, resulting in one of the most competitive 10 km fields in Sanyo history.

Kenyan ace Sally Chepyego Kaptich (Team Kyudenko) dueled with 2010 National University 5000 m champion Kasumi Nishihara (Bukkyo Univ.) before pulling away to win in 32:13. Nishihara outran teammate and collegiate 10000 m national record holder Hikari Yoshimoto to take 2nd in 32:26, a new collegiate 10 km road national record and the second-fastest time ever by a Japanese woman on the Sanyo course. Yoshimoto in turn held off pros Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) and Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) for 3rd in 32:34. Shigetomo, who had an outstanding race just four days ago to put Tenmaya into the lead for its first-ever National Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden title, was the top Tenmaya finisher, the team's ace Yurika Nakamura finishing only 19th in 34:02. A notable finisher was accident and injury-plagued junior 10000 m national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno), who turned in virtually her only race of the year in 33:33 for 13th.

In the half marathon, the newly-minted Team Otsuka Seiyaku continued to make an impact with its Shoko Mori breaking away at 17 km from a lead pack including year-leading Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera), Sapporo Half Marathon winner Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) and Team Tenmaya's national title-winning anchor Kaori Urata. Mori ran a nearly four-minute PB, finishing in 1:11:41 to take the win with a 25-second margin over runner-up Miyauchi.

2010 Sanyo Women's Road Race
10 km
click here for complete results
1. Sally Chepyego Kaptich (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 32:13
2. Kasumi Nishihara (Bukkyo Univ.) - 32:26 - NUR
3. Hikari Yoshimoto (Bukkyo Univ.) - 32:34
4. Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 32:36
5. Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) - 32:38
6. Machiko Iwakawa (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:48
7. Namiko Yamamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:52
8. Christine Muyanga (Kenya/Team Panasonic) - 32:58
9. Chinami Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) - 33:08
10. Mai Ishibashi (Bukkyo Univ.) - 33:09
-----
13. Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) - 33:33
19. Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya) - 34:02

Half Marathon
click here for complete results
1. Shoko Mori (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:41 - PB
2. Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 1:12:06
3. Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) - 1:12:29
4. Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya) - 1:12:35
5. Mina Nomura (Team Nihon ChemiCon) - 1:13:45
6. Mika Okunaga (Team Kyudenko) - 1:14:14
7. Yuka Izumi (Team Tenmaya) - 1:14:26
8. Chiharu Matsuo (Team Kyudenko) - 1:14:34
9. Emi Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) - 1:14:48
10. Yumi Sato (Team Shiseido) - 1:15:23

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

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

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyo Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,

japan running news

Search This Blog