Shibui Takes Nittai 5000 m, Fujimoto Wins 1500 m A-Heat

by Brett Larner

With most of the country's top athletes lining up at the Oda Memorial, Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational and Shizuoka International meets, the 215th edition of the Nittai University Time Trials meet Apr. 30-May 1 in Yokohama saw mostly second-string runners tuning up for bigger meets later in the season. Times were hampered by wind and rain, particularly on the meet's second day, but there were several noteworthy performances neverthless.

In the men's 10000 m, newcomer Joseph Onsarigo (Kenya/Sozo Gakuen Univ.) was the only man to break 29 minutes. Onsarigo is coached by Stephen Mayaka, the first Kenyan runner to go the full circuit through the Japanese high school, university and corporate running system. Onsarigo should make an impact at October's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km road race. In the women's 5000 m A-heat, 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) won by 5 seconds over teammate Ikuyo Yamashita a day before rival Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) takes another swing at Shibui's record in Stanford.

A week after setting a short-lived world leader in the 10000 m at the Hyogo Relay Carnival meet, Jacob Wanjuki (Kenya/Team Aichi Seiko) added another win over former Sendai Ikuei H.S. star Paul Kuira (Kenya/Team Konica Minolta) to his resume with a 13:38.84 time in the men's 5000 m. Kenyan high schooler Wainaina Murgi (Toyokawa H.S.), winner of the women's 3000 m at the 214th Nittai Time Trials, won this round as well, beating countrywoman Rose Maranga (Team Toto) by 13 seconds with a 9:18.64 clocking.

Perhaps the most interesting result came in the men's 1500 m A-heat, where surprise 2010 Kanto Regional University 5000 m champion Taku Fujimoto (Kokushikan Univ.) beat pro middle-distance runners Shunta Kubo and Keisuke Tanaka (both Team Fujitsu) as he clocked a PB of 3:47.21 just a week after running 28:57.79 at the Hyogo Relay Carnival 10000 m. Fujimoto's closing speed was instrumental in last year's Kanto win over top-ranked distance men Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) and Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Meiji Univ.). He looks to be in a good position to have a shot at repeating later this month at the 2011 Kanto Regionals.

215th Nittai University Time Trials - Top Results

click here for complete results

Men's 10000 m - Heat 5

1. Joseph Onsarigo (Kenya/Sozo Gakuen Univ.) - 28:50.70

2. Soichiro Ichikawa (Waseda Univ.) - 29:46.74

3. Ryuichi Kagawa (Teikyo Univ.) - 29:52.45

Women's 5000 m - Heat 17

1. Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 16:06.39

2. Ikuyo Yamashita (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 16:11.06

3. Rina Yonetsu (Meijo Univ.) - 16:12.46

4. Misato Horie (Team Noritz) - 16:12.99

5. Nami Kakitsu (Team Edion) - 16:14.36

Men's 5000 m - Heat 20

1. Jacob Wanjuki (Kenya/Team Aichi Seiko) - 13:38.84

2. Paul Kuira (Kenya/Team Konica Minolta) - 13:38.90

3. John Maina (Kenya/Takushoku Univ.) - 13:43.62

4. Atsushi Yamazaki (Team Subaru) - 14:01.33

5. Asefa Fekele (Ethiopia/Team Kanebo) - 14:03.04

Women's 3000 m - Heat 3

1. Wainaina Murgi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:18.64

2. Rose Maranga (Kenya/Team Toto) - 9:31.32

3. Rui Aoyama (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 9:34.47

Men's 1500 m - Heat 11

1. Taku Fujimoto (Kokushikan Univ.) - 3:47.21

2. Shunta Kubo (Team Fujitsu) - 3:49.38

3. Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 3:50.60

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...

japan running news

Search This Blog