by Brett Larner
Tough conditions kept times slow overall at the June 14 Shibetsu meet, the third in the six-part Hokuren Distance Challenge series in Hokkaido. Five of Japan's most promising distance runners ran in the meet, but even taking the slow times into account all fell short.
Of the five, Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) had the best showing. A World Championships and Beijing Olympics track runner while in university with a 5000 m PB of 13:19.00, Takezawa ran the 5000 m in Shibetsu, his debut at the distance since turning pro in April, in the hopes of clearing the Berlin World Championships B-standard ahead of this month's National Track and Field Championships. Winner Gideon Ngatuny (Team Nissin Shokuhin) was very nearly the only athlete in the meet to run an outright creditable time, taking the 5000 m in 13:16.78, but while Takezawa fell short of the 13:29.00 mark he needed his time of 13:38.25 was good enough for 2nd and showed that he is on his way to full recovery fr…
Tough conditions kept times slow overall at the June 14 Shibetsu meet, the third in the six-part Hokuren Distance Challenge series in Hokkaido. Five of Japan's most promising distance runners ran in the meet, but even taking the slow times into account all fell short.
Of the five, Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) had the best showing. A World Championships and Beijing Olympics track runner while in university with a 5000 m PB of 13:19.00, Takezawa ran the 5000 m in Shibetsu, his debut at the distance since turning pro in April, in the hopes of clearing the Berlin World Championships B-standard ahead of this month's National Track and Field Championships. Winner Gideon Ngatuny (Team Nissin Shokuhin) was very nearly the only athlete in the meet to run an outright creditable time, taking the 5000 m in 13:16.78, but while Takezawa fell short of the 13:29.00 mark he needed his time of 13:38.25 was good enough for 2nd and showed that he is on his way to full recovery fr…