Soget Leads Fast Nittai Time Trials 10000 m, Osako Returns in 5000 m

Japan's biggest time trial meet was back for its 296th edition this weekend, with everything except the men's 5000 m on Saturday and 20 heats of that distance on Sunday at Yokohama's Nittai University Time Trials. In Saturday's main event, the men's 10000 m Heat 7, Justus Soget (Honda) just missed hitting the 27:28.00 qualifying mark for July's Oregon World Championships, running a 27:30.31 PB for the win. 2nd through 6th were all under 27:40 and 7th-place Nicholas Kosimbei (YKK) coming through in 27:44.68, making it one of the deepest races on the books at Nittai. Minato Oishi (Toyota) was the fastest Japanese man, 11th in 28:27.52.

Helen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) had an easy win in the women's 5000 m Heat 2, the only runner under 15:30 in 15:27.96. 2nd in 15:52.14, Haruka Kokai (Daiichi Seimei) was the only other runner under 16:00. Desta Burka (Denso) won the women's 3000 Heat 4 in 9:01.75 by almost 5 seconds over Momoka Kawaguchi (Toyota Jidoshokki).

On Sunday, Cosmas Mwangi (Chugoku Denryoku) ran a PB 13:17.83 for the win in the men's 5000 m Heat 20, Charles Karanja (NTN) 2nd in 13:18.32 and Amos Bett (Chima Japan AC) 3rd in 13:20.40. 5000 m NR holder Suguru Osako (Nike) was back from a 6-month retirement, running 13:30.23 for 8th over Hiroshi Ichida (Asahi Kasei), 9th in 13:30.76. 2020 Fukuoka International Marathon winner Yuya Yoshida (GMO) had a good one, running a PB 13:35.51 for 15th. The top 18 were under 13:40, and in Heat 19 there were 6 more led by Waweru Nganga (Chugoku Denryoku) in 13:34.68.

Overseas, the top 3 men from last month's National Championships 10000 m ran the FBK Games 10000 m in Hengelo in hope of hitting the qualifying standard. NR holder Akira Aizawa (Asahi Kasei) was 13th of 16 finishers in 28:17.41, Ichida's twin bother Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) 14th in 28:26.23, and Tatsuhiko Ito (Honda) 15th in 28:39.88, over a minute off the standard. All 3 were lapped by the top group of Ethiopians, led by winner Selemon Barega in a PB 26:44.73. Women-only marathon NR holder Mao Ichiyama (Shiseido) also ran in the new Chicago 13.1 half marathon, taking 2nd in 1:13:45, 2:30 behind winner Carrie Verdon (U.S.A.).

296th Nittai University Time Trials

Nittai University, Yokohama, 4-5 June, 2022

Men's 10000 m Heat 7

1. Justus Soget (Honda) - 27:30.31

2. Hillary Mosop (Mazda) - 27:34.39

3. Richard Yuchiri (Chima Japan AC) - 27:35.07

4. Samson Ndirangu (Sunbelx) - 27:35.75

5. Simon Mushio (Chuo Hatsujo) - 27:37.36

6. Jackson Kavesa (Honda) - 27:38.50

7. Nicholas Kosimbei (YKK) - 27:44.68

8. Vincent Raimoi (Suzuki) - 28:08.30

9. Joseph Karanja (Aichi Seiko) - 28:10.16

10. Evans Yego (Sunbelx) - 28:21.67

11. Minato Oishi (Toyota) - 28:27.52

12. Koki Takada (Sumitomo Kaijo) - 28:31.76

Women's 5000 m Heat 2

1. Helen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:27.96

2. Haruka Kokai (Daiichi Seimei) - 15:52.14

3. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 16:04.90

4. Honoka Tanaike (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 16:06.26

5. Hazuki Doi (Japan Post) - 16:07.89

Women's 3000 m Heat 4

1. Desta Burka (Denso) - 9:01.75

2. Momoka Kawaguchi (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 9:06.33

3. Sarah Wanjiru (Teikyo Nagaoka H.S.) - 9:09.08

4. Miki Hirai (Uniqlo) - 9:11.69

5. Haruka Ogawa (Junten H.S.) - 9:12.22

Men's 5000 m Heat 20

1. Cosmas Mwangi (Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:17.83

2. Charles Karanja Kamau (NTN) - 13:18.32

3. Amos Bett (Chima Japan AC) - 13:20.40

4. Sitonik Kiprono (Kurosaki Harima) - 13:21.13

5. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) - 13:22.22

6. Yeneblo Biyazen (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 13:24.84

7. Dan Kiplangat (JFE Steel) - 13:28.72

8. Suguru Osako (Nike) - 13:30.23

9. Hiroshi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 13:30.76

10. Ayumu Kobayashi (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 13:31.97

11. Muthoni Muiru (JR Higashi Nihon) - 13:33.19

12. Joel Mwaura (Kurosaki Harima) - 13:34.50

13. Titus Wanbua (SID Group) - 13:34.73

14. Dominic Langat (Konica Minolta) - 13:34.77

15. Yuya Yoshida (GMO) - 13:35.51

16. Willy Kipselem (Comodi Iida) - 13:35.83

17. Lawrence Ngure (Press Kogyo) - 13:36.21

18. Benuel Mogeni Magoma (Asahi Kasei) 13:39.53

19. Keisuke Hayashi (GMO) - 13:42.61

20. Wataru Tochigi (Hitachi Butsuryu) - 13:43.37

Men's 5000 m Heat 19

1. Waweru Nganga (Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:34.68

2. Evans Kipkemoi (JFE Steel) - 13:35.08

3. Johnson Mogeni (Kogakkan H.S.) - 13:37.47

4. Masahiro Mekata (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13:37.93

5. Hironori Kishimoto (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13:37.96

6. Paul Kuira (JR Higashi Nihon) - 13:39.32

7. Yuki Ishii (NTT Nishi Nihon) -- 13:42.05

8. Hiroto Inoue (Mitsubishi Juko) - 13:44.57

9. Genki Nakanishi (Aisan Kogyo) - 13:45.96

10. Sodai Shimizu (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 13:46.88

Drury and Mashiko Lead Four Japanese Golds - U20 Asian Championships Day 4

The closing day of the Dubai U20 Asian Athletics Championships saw Japan go out big, with four gold medals led by dominant runs by Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) and Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.). Making her international debut, the 16-year-old Drury led start to finish in the women's 1500 m final, grinding down the rest of the field and putting over 4 seconds on runner-up Sandilea Vinod of India over the last 300 m to win in 4:21.41. Drury's splits: 1:11-2:24-(3:19)-3:35-4:21. There's still a long way for Drury to go, but in terms of form and confidence this was the best she has looked since her legendary breakthrough CR at last year's National Women's Ekiden, and you could see more than a glimmer of what everyone is hoping is really there. Mashiko was even more dominant in the men's 3000 m. Coming out on the front end of some pushing and shoving in the first 50 m, Mashiko led the entire way. By 300 m he had a measurable gap that never got smaller, and af

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