Skip to main content

Akaba 6th in PB at London Marathon (updated)

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/100426/spg1004261040004-n1.htm
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/100425/spg1004252333011-n1.htm
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2010042500237

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At Sunday's London Marathon, 2009 World Championships marathoner Yukiko Akaba (30, Team Hokuren) broke her PB as she finished 6th in 2:24:55. Mari Ozaki (34, Team Noritz) was 9th, while 2009 World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (28, Team Daiichi Seimei) was 13th. On the men's side, 2009 World Championships marathoner Satoshi Irifune (34, Team Kanebo) was 16th while 5000 m and 30 km national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) was 23rd. Both Irifune and Matsumiya ran the first half in the lead pack close to national record pace. Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) won the men's race in 2:05:19 while Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) took the women's race in a PB of 2:22:00.

After her disastrous runs at the World Championships and January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, Akaba was happy with her performance as she cleared her target of a new PB. "This was a satisfying race," she said afterwards with a smile. With rainy conditions Akaba developed blisters after only 5 km. At 33 km, she said, "I thought I was going to have to stop," but she pushed on to the finish and was rewarded with a new best. "My training this time was good," she told reporters. "Everything went according to our training plan. I had a lot of support from my husband and daughter and I owe them everything for this success."

For World Championships medalist Ozaki the race was less satisfying. Hopes for her were high, but she fell out of the lead pack after only 20 km and finished third among the three Japanese women in the field, 9 minutes off her PB. Following her strong showing at the Mar. 21 National Jitsugyodan Half Marathon, in early April Ozaki began to suffer from fatigue but did not cut back on her training. "I just couldn't get back to feeling right," she said. Nervous about whether to go through with London she thought, "If you don't try and run you won't know," but the possible overtraining symptoms combined with arriving in London two days late due to the Icelandic volcano proved too much for her. Finishing 13th overall, she said, "I'm not surprised at all. I felt terrible." Last year she finished 2nd at the World Championships, but looking at the athletes around her in London Ozaki modestly admitted, "I still need to make a lot of improvement in my running." Amid this disappointment she added, "Now I know what it feels like to run on empty."

2010 London Marathon - Top Finishers
click here for complete results
Women
1. Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) - 2:22:00 - PB
2. Inga Abitova (Russia) - 2:22:19 - PB
3. Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia) - 2:22:38 - PB
4. Bezunesh Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:23:17
5. Askale Tafe (Ethiopia) - 2:24:39
6. Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) - 2:24:55 - PB
7. Xue Bai (China) - 2:25:18
8. Kim Smith (New Zealand) - 2:25:21 - NR, PB
9. Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) - 2:25:43
10. Mara Yamauchi (GBR) - 2:26:16
-----
13. Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 2:32:26

Men
1. Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) - 2:05:19
2. Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) - 2:06:23
3. Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) - 2:06:55
4. Abderrahime Bouramdane (Morocco) - 2:07:33 - PB
5. Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 2:08:04
6. Marilson Dos Santos (Brazil) - 2:08:46
7. Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) - 2:12:03 - PB
8. Andrew Lemoncello (GBR) - 2:13:40 - debut
9. Yonas Kifle (Eritrea) - 2:14:39
10. Andi Jones (GBR) - 2:16:38 - PB
-----
16. Satoshi Irifune (Team Kanebo) - 2:19:25
23. Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) - 2:21:34
DNF - Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya)

Comments

Marcos said…
Hola Brett
que le sucedio a Yoshimi Ozaki? por que ella coriio mal en London ? ESTABA ELLA ENFERMA LESIONADA? Ozaki deseaba correr 2:21 y termino 13 a 2:32:26 por que? tiene alguna informacion sobre su condicion?
muchas gracias , saludos desde Chile.
Brett Larner said…
Marcos--

Sorry, I was a little busy yesterday and didn't have time to update this article with info on the Japanese runners. Sounds like Ozaki was overtrained and tired from travel. I think she was the last Japanese runner to arrive in London. Too bad, but I'm sure she'll be back.
Simon Phillips said…
I met a Japanese support squad from Ozaki's Daiichi company packing away their flags and banners on the 25th mile on Sunday after the women's race had concluded. 'Forlorn' would be a good description...

Nice that Akaba finally had a good run though.
Brett Larner said…
Hi Simon. Yes, I'm sure D.S. are not too happy, but before the race Ozaki said she didn't feel any pressure so hopefully she will take the experience and move on.

Likewise yes, I'm glad Akaba put something good together too. It wasn't fantastic but considering the travel headaches that was pretty good. And with blisters.

Most-Read This Week

Ngetich Breaks CR, Murayama and Sasaki Make U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10k

WR holder Agnes Ngetich  soloed a fast one at the 54th edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10k, leading inside the first mile and pulling away the rest of the race to run a 30:07 CR for the win, the fastest time ever on U.S. soil albeit on a slightly net downhill course. On a warm day that saw over 10,000 women finish  Tsigie Gebreselama  was on her own most of the way too, a distant 2nd in 30:53 and 17 seconds up on past champ Hellen Obiri . Further back, 2026 World University Cross Country bronze medalist Amisa Murayama  and 2025 Morinomiyako Ekiden 3rd leg CR breaker Nazuki Sasaki  from 2025 National University Women's Ekiden runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University  made their U.S. debuts. Murayama was targeting the fastest-ever Japanese time at the Mini, 32:37, but struggled on the hills just before 5 km and late in the race, fading to finish 23rd in 34:08. Sasaki, recovering from a stress reaction in her upper back a few months ago, ran a conservative ...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox  for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...