by Brett Larner
The 27th running of the All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden takes place this Sunday, Dec. 16. in Gifu Prefecture. 26 teams will race the marathon-length 6-stage course. Course record holders Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo (2:13:17, 2004) are fielding a strong team including Osaka World Championships marathon bronze medallist Reiko Tosa and former marathon national record holder Yoko Shibui and look set to retake the title from defending champions Team Shiseido who suffered a major blow early this year when their coach Manabu Kawagoe and much of the top talent on last year`s team left Shiseido to form the independent Second Wind AC.
The All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden has 3 regional qualification races, all full marathon distance courses. At the East Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden in Saitama Prefecture on Nov. 3, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo swept the field for the 8th straight year, winning in 2:13:09. Team Daiichi Seimei were 2nd in 2:15:03 and Team Hokuren 3rd in 2:15:06. Team Shiseido finished a relatively weak 5th in 2:18:00. The top 11 teams qualified for All-Japan.
In central Japan`s Awajishima Women`s Ekiden, also held on Nov. 3., Team Kyocera won in 2:15:29. Team Suzuki came in 2nd in 2:16:50 followed by Team Tenmaya in 2:18:15. 12 teams qualified for All-Japan. 13th place finishers Team Kojima Press were allowed to enter All-Japan after 12th place finishers Team Albirex withdrew their elligibility.
Western Japan`s Kyushu Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden in Kumamoto Prefecture on Oct. 28 saw Team Kyudenko come away with the victory in 2:18:31. Team Juhachi Ginko and Team Oki were the next 2 finishers in 2:20:42 and 2:21:24 respectively. Only these 3 teams qualified for All-Japan.
Besides Tosa and Shibui, several other ace runners are in the field and likely to put on strong performances. First and foremost is Team Wacoal`s Kayoko Fukushi. Fukushi jointly holds the record of 4 individual stage victories in All-Japan and is 3rd on the ekiden`s all-time record list for the number of runners passed on an individual leg, having passed 16 runners on the 3rd stage of the 2001 All-Japan. She is also the 15 km world record holder and 5000 m and 1/2 marathon national record holder. Fukushi is widely expected to become the next Japanese marathon star and has indicated that she will be trying for the marathon in the Beijing Olympics. After this ekiden she will announce which Olympic team selection race she will run.
Fresh from taking Kenya`s legendary Catherine Ndereba apart at the International Chiba Ekiden, Team Hokuren`s Yumiko Akaba will be another runner to watch. Akaba expects to run the 10000 m at the Beijing Olympics. Team Kyocera sports 2-time World Championships marathon runner Yumiko Hara. Veteran Hiromi Haruyama of defending champs Team Shiseido has one of the fastest marathon PBs in the field and is the team`s remaining ace post-Second Wind. Julia Mombi of All-Japan debutantes Team Aruze is another ace, having run well in several ekidens and 1/2 marathons this year. All-time Japanese top 5 marathoner Naoko Sakamoto is listed on the Team Tenmaya roster but may not run due to a leg injury. Should she sit the ekiden out, ace duties will fall to Tenmaya`s Mika Hikichi who defeated Yoko Shibui at November`s Tokyo International Women`s Marathon.
Complete team listings can be found here. Race sponsor TBS has also generously put videos of the 3 qualification ekidens and of last year`s All-Japan on its website. TBS will be broadcasting the ekiden on Sunday beginning at 11:50 a.m. Japan time.
(c) 2007 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
The 27th running of the All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden takes place this Sunday, Dec. 16. in Gifu Prefecture. 26 teams will race the marathon-length 6-stage course. Course record holders Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo (2:13:17, 2004) are fielding a strong team including Osaka World Championships marathon bronze medallist Reiko Tosa and former marathon national record holder Yoko Shibui and look set to retake the title from defending champions Team Shiseido who suffered a major blow early this year when their coach Manabu Kawagoe and much of the top talent on last year`s team left Shiseido to form the independent Second Wind AC.
The All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden has 3 regional qualification races, all full marathon distance courses. At the East Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden in Saitama Prefecture on Nov. 3, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo swept the field for the 8th straight year, winning in 2:13:09. Team Daiichi Seimei were 2nd in 2:15:03 and Team Hokuren 3rd in 2:15:06. Team Shiseido finished a relatively weak 5th in 2:18:00. The top 11 teams qualified for All-Japan.
In central Japan`s Awajishima Women`s Ekiden, also held on Nov. 3., Team Kyocera won in 2:15:29. Team Suzuki came in 2nd in 2:16:50 followed by Team Tenmaya in 2:18:15. 12 teams qualified for All-Japan. 13th place finishers Team Kojima Press were allowed to enter All-Japan after 12th place finishers Team Albirex withdrew their elligibility.
Western Japan`s Kyushu Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden in Kumamoto Prefecture on Oct. 28 saw Team Kyudenko come away with the victory in 2:18:31. Team Juhachi Ginko and Team Oki were the next 2 finishers in 2:20:42 and 2:21:24 respectively. Only these 3 teams qualified for All-Japan.
Besides Tosa and Shibui, several other ace runners are in the field and likely to put on strong performances. First and foremost is Team Wacoal`s Kayoko Fukushi. Fukushi jointly holds the record of 4 individual stage victories in All-Japan and is 3rd on the ekiden`s all-time record list for the number of runners passed on an individual leg, having passed 16 runners on the 3rd stage of the 2001 All-Japan. She is also the 15 km world record holder and 5000 m and 1/2 marathon national record holder. Fukushi is widely expected to become the next Japanese marathon star and has indicated that she will be trying for the marathon in the Beijing Olympics. After this ekiden she will announce which Olympic team selection race she will run.
Fresh from taking Kenya`s legendary Catherine Ndereba apart at the International Chiba Ekiden, Team Hokuren`s Yumiko Akaba will be another runner to watch. Akaba expects to run the 10000 m at the Beijing Olympics. Team Kyocera sports 2-time World Championships marathon runner Yumiko Hara. Veteran Hiromi Haruyama of defending champs Team Shiseido has one of the fastest marathon PBs in the field and is the team`s remaining ace post-Second Wind. Julia Mombi of All-Japan debutantes Team Aruze is another ace, having run well in several ekidens and 1/2 marathons this year. All-time Japanese top 5 marathoner Naoko Sakamoto is listed on the Team Tenmaya roster but may not run due to a leg injury. Should she sit the ekiden out, ace duties will fall to Tenmaya`s Mika Hikichi who defeated Yoko Shibui at November`s Tokyo International Women`s Marathon.
Complete team listings can be found here. Race sponsor TBS has also generously put videos of the 3 qualification ekidens and of last year`s All-Japan on its website. TBS will be broadcasting the ekiden on Sunday beginning at 11:50 a.m. Japan time.
(c) 2007 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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