No surprises on the first day of the 2023 National Corporate Track and Field Championships at Gifu's Nagaragawa Stadium as Japan-based Kenyan women swept all three track finals. Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) won the expected one-on-one against Esther Wangui (Starts) in the junior women's 3000 m, coming up short of Rosemary Wanjiru's meet record but still dipping under 9 minutes with an 8:58.03 for the win versus Wangui's 9:01.91. Kadogo Chebotibin (SID Group) was 3rd in 9:11.03 with Mitsu Ozaki (Sysmex) the top Japanese at 4th in 9:19.59.
In the women's 1500 m, Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) and Esther Muthoni (Nitori) both went way under the meet record, Akidor scoring the win in 4:05.29 over 5 seconds under the old record and Muthoni 2nd in 4:06.42, 4 seconds under the record. Two athletes who left the 2022 National Corporate Women's Ekiden champion Shiseido team finished 3rd and 4th just off the record, Tomoka Kimura (Sekisui Kagaku) 3rd in 4:11.51 and Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) 4th in 4:11.53.
Favorite Pauline Kamulu (Route Inn Hotels) easily won the women's 10000 m, running 31:32.86 to beat Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera), 2nd in 31:40.27. 3rd placer Dolphine Omare (U.S.E.) was just under 32 minutes at 31:58.78, with top-ranked Japanese woman Rino Goshima (Shiseido) taking 4th in 32:10.78.
Complete results here. The National Corporate Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday.
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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