Skip to main content

Kipsang Takes Tokyo - Nasukawa and Maeda Bring New Blood




by Brett Larner

Sammy Korir leads the pack at 30 km. Photo by Christian Sommer.

Nearly gale-force winds throughout the race, including a headwind from 28 km to the finish, kept times slow, but Kenya's Salim Kipsang persevered to take the 2009 Tokyo Marathon in 2:10:27.
Despite a PB of only 2:11:52, little-known Kensuke Takahashi (Team Toyota) made the first big move of the race with an attack after 30 km. Kipsang and Sammy Korir (Kenya) came after Takahashi, and the three ran as a group over the next 5 km. Lost alone in no-man's land between the breakaway trio and the remnants of the lead pack was first-time marathoner Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko), a 2007 World Championships 10000 m runner.

Losing ground after a water station mishap at 35 km, Kipsang came back to pass Korir and Takahashi at 37 km, pushing on to the finish. Maeda came on strong in the last stage of the race, likewise passing Korir and Takahashi and closing with a 7:14 split for the final 2.195 km, the fastest of any runner in the field, to finish as the top Japanese runner in 2:11:01. Maeda's performance, spectacular considering the conditions, earns him a spot on the Japanese men's marathon team for this summer's World Championships in Berlin. Takahashi held off Korir for 3rd, clocking a PB despite the conditions and putting himself into position as a possibility for the 5th position on the World Championships team.

In the women's race Mizuho Nasukawa (Team Aruze), running her first marathon in 4 years, ran 2:25:38 to win overall. Her time was a PB by 4 minutes and, like Maeda and Kipsang's, stellar given the conditions, but since the women's race in Tokyo was not a selection for Berlin she will not be named to the World Championships team barring seemingly reasonable inclusion of Tokyo among the races in the 'overseas major marathons' category introduced to this year's World Championships selection process for the first time. Nasukawa's time was 2 seconds faster than that of Osaka International Women's Marathon runner-up Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren), the current provisional 5th team member. In interviews after the race Nasukawa said she intends to run the 5000 m in the World Championships. Nasukawa's teammate Yukari Sahaku came 2nd in a PB of 2:28:55, a triumph for both Team Aruze and its head coach Yoshio Koide.

In her final race before retiring, Reiko Tosa (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) was 3rd in the women's race in 2:29:19 despite a fall early on which left blood streaming down her right leg for the rest of the race. Nevertheless, Tosa held on, even outkicking Russian Alevtina Biktimirova in the final kilometer. Fellow women's veteran Harumi Hiroyama (Team Shiseido) ran her last marathon in 2:35:39. Men's national record holder Toshinari Takaoka (Team Kanebo), also in his last run, dropped out at 32 km with difficulties from a calf injury he sustained in February. Beijing Olympic marathoner Tsuyoshi Ogata (Team Chugoku Denryoku) likewise dropped out after falling behind the lead pack within the first few kilometers. It was a tough day all around for the Japanese veterans as men Atsushi Fujita (Team Fujitsu) and women Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC) and Hiromi Ominami (Team Toyota Shatai) finished well down in the field. 2007 Tokyo Marathon winner Daniel Njenga (Team Yakult/Kenya) fell apart after 30 km and ran a dismal 2:21:46. Although he failed to make the World Championships team, half-marathon ace Yusei Nakao (Team Toyota Boshoku) had his first decent result in three attempts at the marathon, running 2:14:43 to break the PB of his father Takayuki, a four-time national record holder in the marathon.

Personally speaking, Tokyo this year was my 23rd marathon. The 2007 Tokyo Marathon had the worst conditions I had previously run in, but today was close. Based on the top runners' splits and my own perception of the conditions, I would estimate that the wind cost at least 3 minutes, particularly over the final 7 km. Kipsang, Maeda, Nasukawa and Takahashi's performances are exceptional given the conditions.

2009 Tokyo Marathon - Top Finishers
Men
1. Salim Kipsang (Kenya) - 2:10:27
2. Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko) - 2:11:01 - debut
3. Kensuke Takahashi (Team Toyota) - 2:11:25 - PB
4. Sammy Korir (Kenya) - 2:11:57
5. Kenta Oshima (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 2:12:54 - PB
6. Tomoyuki Sato (Team Asahi Kasei) - 2:13:12
7. Dmytro Baranovskyy (Ukraine) - 2:13:27
8. Asnake Roro (Ethiopia) - 2:13:40
9. Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki) - 2:13:53 - PB
10. Atsushi Fujita (Team Fujitsu) - 2:14:00

Women
1. Mizuho Nasukawa (Team Aruze) - 2:25:38 - PB
2. Yukari Sahaku (Team Aruze) - 2:28:55 - PB
3. Reiko Tosa (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:29:19
4. Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia) - 2:29:33
5. Shitaye Gemechu (Ethiopia) - 2:29:59
6. Kiyoko Shimahara (Second Wind AC) - 2:31:57
7. Hiromi Ominami (Team Toyota Shatai) - 2:32:11
8. Luminita Talpos (Romania) - 2:32:22
9. Pamela Chepchumba (Kenya) - 2:32:40
10. Harumi Hiroyama (Team Shiseido) - 2:35:39

(c) 2009 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Nasukawa wasn't even mention in the prerace favorites. These days unknown runners keep winning like Fujingaga and Nasukawa.
March 23, 2009 at 3:29 AM
Anonymous said…
I was rooting for Pamela. She has great track speed. She ran 1:08:00 for the half marathon. That's a2:16:00 marathon.
March 23, 2009 at 3:38 AM
Jorge said…
I hope Reiko Tosa can stay active little bit more after having a baby...I like her runing style. That KeyHoleTv didn´t help much but it was exciting to see the race in Madrid.
March 23, 2009 at 3:58 AM
Anonymous said…
I've always been a big fan of Fujita, but I guess his retirement is close. It is great to see new young runners from Japan. Takaoka's record will stand for another two years I think.

saludos (greetings) from Mexico.
March 23, 2009 at 6:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Is it possible that akaba could be knocked off the team? Mizuho Nasukawa performance is 2 seconds faster. Who's gonna get selected? Is is gonna be Yoshimi ozaki, yuri kano, yoko shibui, mizuho nasukawa and fujingaga?
March 23, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Anonymous said…
And the runners that are selected for berlin are making their debuts on the worlds championships. And none of the runners in osaka in 07 qualify to run in berlin. Reiko tosa, yumiko hara, mari ozaki, kiyoko shimahara , yasuko hashimoto.
March 23, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Anonymous said…
Koide runners are so talented. Hey Brett which Koide runners you think are the best: Akane Wakita, Hitomi Niiya, Yukari Sahaku, chika horie, and Mizuho Nasukawa. My dream is for all 5 of them to run the world champs.
March 23, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Koide is a good coach. He coach toyota industires to win the national ekiden championships. I want to run for Jitsugyodan team. How can I sign up? Jason do you train in Japan? I'm japanese but I don't live in Japan.
March 24, 2009 at 7:25 AM
TokyoRacer said…
Sahaku does weigh less than 70 lbs. She was listed as 33kg but actually weighed 30, which is 66 lbs. The TV announcer said she weighed 28, but Koide wouldn't let her run unless she weighed 30, so she had to eat a lot! It's incredible that she can run that fast...and long. And I mean incredible as in, when you're watching her, you're thinking, no, it's not possible....
March 24, 2009 at 8:10 AM
Brett Larner said…
Dennis--
Thanks for all the comments. I'd have to go with Yuriko Kobayashi.
March 24, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Japan Post Holds Off Sekisui Kagaku to Win Queens Ekiden National Title

  Japan Post  was back on top at the Queens Ekiden corporate women's national championships Sunday in Sendai, holding off last year's winner Sekisui Kagaku  over the second half of a race that came as close as 1 second to take 1st with a final margin of victory of 27 seconds. Sekisui Kagaku was out fast with a win on the 7.0 km opening leg by Erika Tanoura  and a new CR for the 12:56 second leg by Yuma Yamamoto , 17 seconds better than her own CR from last year. Last year's 4th-placer Shiseido  briefly led on the 10.6 km third leg with an excellent 33:17 stage win from Rino Goshima , but behind her Japan Post's Ririka Hironaka  returned from her latest injury problems to pass Sekisui Kagaku's Sayaka Sato  and hand off 6 seconds ahead. New recruit Caroline Kariba  ran Shiseido down on the 3.6 km fourth leg and put Japan Post 22 seconds ahead of Sekisui Kagaku, but a duel of marathoners between JP's  Ayuko Suzuki  and Sekisui's Hitomi Niiy...
Post a Comment
Read more

Olympian Hagitani Takes 10 Minutes Off Yodogawa Kanpei Half Marathon CR

At the Yodogawa Kanpei Half Marathon in Hirakata, Osaka on Dec. 15, Kaede Hagitani , 24, took over 10 minutes off the women's course record to win in 1:10:37. Hagitani ran the 5000 m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and is targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Men's winner Koki Hosokawa , 31, broke his own CR with a 1:08:03 to win for the 2nd year in a row. In 5˚ temperatures the race set off along the Yodogawa river. Competing as a first step in her comeback after having left the sport post-Olympics, Hagitani had a spectacular record-breaking run that earned her a permanent invitation. "I usually train alone, so I never feel like I'm really on except in a race like this," she said. "The male runners in the race helped me have a good one." When asked why she ran a local race like the Kanpei Half when everyone else there was just a regular amateur Hagitani laughed and said, "My parents live near here." At the Tokyo Olympics Hagitani broke her 5000...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hakone Ekiden Entry Lists

With 3 weeks to go entry lists are out for the 101st Hakone Ekiden on Jan. 2-3, 2025. Things keep going up and up. With 21 teams of 16 entrants and 10 starters each a quick crunch of the numbers gives: 15 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 14 minutes 3 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 13:45 led by 2024 Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University in 13:40.07 10 teams with an individual under 13:30 for 5000 m, AGU, Komazawa University , Chuo University , Tokyo Kokusai University , and Yamanashi Gakuin University with 2 each 2 teams with an individual under 13:15 for 5000 m, TKU's collegiate record holder Richard Etir at 13:00.17 and Komazawa's indoor NR holder Keita Sato at 13:09.45 17 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 29 minutes 4 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 28:30, led by Chuo's incredible 28:15.62 11 teams with an individual under 28:00 for 10000 m, AGU and Chuo with 3 each, and Komazawa, Josai University , TKU, Waseda University and YG...
Post a Comment
Read more