Weekend Road Race Roundup

It was another busy weekend with marathons in Osaka, Ibaraki and Chiba, a half marathon in Osaka, and post-season ekidens across the country. The Osaka International Women's Marathon was the major one of the bunch, if not an especially memorable race.

On a new course that saw the addition of at least two hills and the start and finish point downgraded from the spectacular Yanmar Stadium Nagai to its exterior warmup track, it was basically a race of attrition that saw people fall off the sub-2:20 pace set by the pacers until only three athletes, Ethiopians Haven Hailu Desse and Meseret Gola Sisay and top-ranked Japanese woman Yuka Ando (Wacoal) were left. Desse surged the hardest at 30 km, running on unchallenged from there to win in 2:21:13. Sisay was next in 2:22:12, with Ando 3rd in 2:22:59.

More memorable were two mid-race incidents. Just past 5 km, Reia Iwade (Denso) clipped Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) from behind and both went down. Sato got the worst of it, bloody in both knees as she tried to get going again, but both women eventually dropped out. Another incident happened after 30 km, when a TV camera motorcycle way too close to the 2nd group of women bumped collegiate record holder Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu), who stumbled but managed not to go down.

Ando, Iwade, Sato and 4th-placer Mao Uesugi (Starts) were all already qualified for October's MGC Race Olympic marathon trials, but for Maeda and the others in the chase pack spots at the trials were on the line. In the end four women qualified, 5th-placer Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo) with a 2:25:20 debut, Maeda with a 2:25:24 for 6th, 7th-placer Chiharu Ikeda (Hitachi) in 2:25:59, and Yuna Daito (Tenmaya) with a 10-minute PB of 2:26:09 for 8th. Kaena Takeyama (Senko) and Honoka Tanaike (Otsuka Seiyaku) rounded out the top 10 in 2:29:20 and 2:29:45, short of what they needed for trials qualification. Complete results and splits here.

Alongside the marathon, the Osaka Half Marathon also happened Sunday. In the women's race, Rinka Hida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) ran down early leaders Shuri Ogasawara (Denso) and Hina Yanagitani (Wacoal) in the last 5 km to take the win by 1 second in 1:10:10. Yanagitani was next in 1:10:11 with Ogasawara hanging on to 3rd in 1:10:36. Complete women's results here.

In the men's race, a lead group of 16 was together through 15 km before eventual top 2 Yohei Ikeda (Kao) and Shunya Kikuchi (Chugoku Danryoku) broke free. Ikeda got the win in the last km in 1:01:29, Kikuchi 4 seconds back in 2nd. 7 seconds separated the next 3, with Hayato Mera (Mitsubishi Juko) outkicking 5 people in the last km including Sweden's David Nilsson to take the last spot on the 8-deep podium in 1:01:59. Complete men's results here.

In Ibaraki, the Katsuta Marathon celebrated its 70th anniversary with its first in-person race since 2020. Ikeda's teammate Yukari Ishizawa from the local Hitachi corporate team won the women's race in 2:39:57 in her debut, her first road race longer than 5 km since 2017. Amateur Shusei Ohashi (Kodaira City Hall) won the men's race in 2:18:10. Katsuta has traditionally sent its top placers to run April's Boston Marathon, so expect to see them added to the field if the program is still in place post-pandemic.

In Chiba the Tateyama Wakashio Marathon was also back for its 43rd edition. Corporate leaguer Miharu Shimokado (SID Group) took the women's race in a decent 2:42:50, with amateur Suguru Sato winning the men's race in 2:27:55.

At the 12th Okayama Ekiden, 9th-grader Sherry Drury followed up her incredible run at the National Women's Ekiden two weeks ago with a 9:40 CR for the 3.0 km 3rd leg, 10 seconds under the old CR. Drury faced intense media attention, including national TV, throughout the weekend, which, given her age, would be another argument for her to opt for competing in and for Canada. Whatever it takes to keep her from ending up at local corporate team Tenmaya.

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,

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

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

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