Skip to main content

Kinukawa Again With 31:10.02 For All-Time Japanese #4 at Abashiri 10000 m

by Brett Larner

Ten days after staging a big comeback with a 15:09.96 national 5000 m title, the all-time sixth-best by a Japanese woman, Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) did it again, running a solo 31:10.02 at the June 22 Hokuren Distance Challenge Abashiri Meet 10000 m to become the all-time fourth-fastest Japanese woman over the distance. More impressive than her time, which cleared the World Championships A-standard by over 30 seconds and makes a double in Daegu very likely, was the way she paced the race. After a 15:45 first half Kinukawa gradually ratcheted up her pace, negative splitting with a 15:25 second half which included 9:09 for the final 3000 m and a superb 2:58 final km. Although rain shortly before the race helped to lower temperatures, conditions at the finish were still a less-than-ideal 20 degrees with 81% humidity. In light of this and her conservative first half it's exciting to consider what might be in store for Kinukawa against a more competitive, aggressive field like that she'll face in Daegu.

With Kinukawa's nearest competition over a minute behind there was little else noteworthy in the race, but roughly half the field recorded new PB marks. The same was true in the A-heat of the men's 5000 m, won by Kenyan John Thuo (Team Toyota) in 13:15.53. Six of the top ten ran new PBs, among them first-year Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.), best known for his 28:23.18 as a high school senior last fall, and Kazuki Onishi (Team Kanebo), the lesser-known identical twin of 2010's top Japanese 10000 m and half-marathon runner Tomoya Onishi (Team Asahi Kasei).

The Hokuren Distance Challenge continues on Saturday in Fukagawa, Hokkaido.

2011 Hokuren Distance Challenge Abashiri Meet
Abashiri, Hokkaido, 6/22/11
Women's 10000 m
1. Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) - 31:10.02 - PB
2. Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 32:15.09
3. Hiroko Shoi (Team Nihon ChemiCon) - 32:17.39 - PB
4. Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 32:23.29
5. Rei Ohara (Team Tenmaya) - 32:50.50
6. Hitomi Nakamura (Team Panasonic) - 32:50.75 - PB
7. Ayumi Sakaida (Team Daihatsu) - 32:59.09 - PB
8. Yuka Hakoyama (Team Wacoal) - 33:13.40
9. Asami Kato (Team Panasonic) - 33:16.21 - PB
10. Shiori Kakizaki (Team Wacoal) - 33:26.50 - debut

Men's 5000 m - Heat A
1. John Thuo (Keyna/Team Toyota) - 13:15.53 - PB
2. Edward Waweru (Kenya/Team NTN) - 13:18.94
3. Daisuke Shimizu (Team Kanebo) - 13:38.42 - PB
4. Assefe Fekele (Ethiopia/Team Kanebo) - 13:40.98 - PB
5. James Rungar (Kenya/Team Toyota) - 13:41.41
6. Kenta Matsumoto (Team Toyota) - 13:43.76 - PB
7. Kazuharu Takai (Team Kyudenko) - 13:46.78
8. Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:47.19 - PB
9. Kazuki Onishi (Team Kanebo) - 13:48.82 - PB
10. Kazuki Tomaru (Team Toyota) - 13:50.57

(c) 2011 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

JY said…
That's awesome! After three years silence, Megumi Kinukawa was back and became a brand-new Megumi Kinukawa! Congratulation to her.
June 23, 2011 at 12:07 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Mashiko Breaks U20 5000 m NR - Weekend Track Roundup

Saturday's Kanakuri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto was the weekend's main event in Japanese track, but there were good results at the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama too. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) led the men's 5000 m A-heat at Kanakuri in 13:14.06, with Tomonori Yamaguchi (SGH) clocking the fastest Japanese time in 13:16.38 in his first race as a corporate leaguer. Waseda University duo Rui Suzuki and Yota Mashiko went 6-7 in 13:20.64 and 13:22.87, the 18-year-old Mashiko shaving 0.04 off the U20 NR. In 8th, Yamato Yoshii (Toyota) ran a PB of 13:23.92. 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) continued to struggle after a weak indoor season, finishing 18th of 20 finishers in 13:45.10. 19-year-old Festus Kimorwo (Kurosaki Harima) was under 13:20 in the B-heat too, winning in a 13:19.59 PB. 2 more collegiate men broke 13:30, Daichi Fujita (Chuo Univ.) 8th in 13:28.93 and Riki Koike (Soka Univ.) 9th in 13:29.09. The top 6 in the men's 800 m A-hea...
Post a Comment
Read more