Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational

Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational - Results

by Brett Larner

Always a staple on the Japanese spring track calendar, this year's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational saw several strong performances from Japanese men.

With early pacing by former Nihon University ace Simon Ndirangu (Kenya), the historic men's Kim McDonald 10000 m saw the first-ever sub-27 minute clocking by a white runner. American Chris Solinsky (Nike) unexpectedly beat star Galen Rupp (Nike) to set a new American national record of 26:59.60. Unknown Daniel Salel (Kenya) finished runner-up in a sizzling 27:07.85 PB and 3rd place finisher Samuel Chelanga (Kenya/Liberty Univ.) set a new American university record of 27:08.39. Rupp was 4th overall but also broke the former national record, while 5th place finisher Simon Bairu (Canada/Nike) set a new Canadian national record of 27:23.63. The top eight men all clocked PBs, leaving 9th place finisher Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) to be the top-placing man not to run a PB. As expected in his first 10000 m since the Beijing Olympics, Takezawa focused only on breaking 28 rather than his PB of 27:45.59, running 10 seconds off that mark in 27:55.02. Takeshi Makabe (Team Kanebo) coached by national record holder Toshinari Takaoka, was only 4 seconds off his PB, likewise going under 28 minutes as he finished 11th in 27:57.53.

In the men's 5000 m A-heat, all three Japanese runners clocked new PBs. Team Kanebo's Masato Kihara had the most impressive race of the three. Kihara, who ran a 1:01:50 half marathon at age 20 and is now coached by 3000 m, 10000 m and marathon national record holder Toshinari Takaoka, was nowhere to be seen through most of the race as he sat back at the rear of the field. In the final 2 km he began to appear, advancing bit by bit on the outside. Over the final lap he attacked leader Tiidrek Nurme of Estonia and the pair pulled away from the rest of the field. Kihara was unable to move into the lead and, tying up in the home stretch, was caught by 13:20 man Ed Moran of the U.S.. Nevertheless, he took nearly 17 seconds off his PB as he finished 3rd in 13:34.21.

Komazawa University's star first-year Ikuto Yufu, just a month into his university career, was aggressive in the early stages as he ran as high as 2nd in the middle section of the race. He was unable to keep up with the leaders when the race got going but still knocked 8 seconds off his PB to finish in 13:45.42. With the domestic track season still ahead of him this time alone is good enough to put him #1 among this year's incoming Hakone class. Jobu University's Yusuke Hasegawa was calmer in the first half of the race, not moving into the lead pack until after halfway. He likewise lost touch in the final rush but his time of 13:40.83 was good enough to make him the top university runner in the race and should rank him #1 among Japanese university men this season.

2010 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational - Top Finishers
click here for complete results
Men's 10000 m
1. Chris Solinsky (Nike) - 26:59.60 - NR
2. Daniel Salel (Kenya) - 27:07.85 - PB
3. Sam Chelanga (Kenya/Liberty Univ.) - 27:08.39 - NUR
4. Galen Rupp (Nike) - 27:10.74 - (NR)
5. Simon Bairu (Canada/Nike) - 27:23.63 - NR
6. Chris Thompson (U.K./OTC) - 27:29.61 - PB
7. Tim Nelson (Nike) - 27:31.56 - PB
8. Robert Curtis (Melbourne TC) - 27:33.38 - PB
9. Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) - 27:55.02
10. Juan Carlos Romero (Mexico) - 27:57.52
11. Takeshi Makabe (Team Kanebo) - 27:57.53

Men's 5000 m
1. Tiidrek Nurme (Estonia) - 13:32.74
2. Ed Moran (Nike) - 13:33.85
3. Masato Kihara (Team Kanebo) - 13:34.21 - PB
-----
10. Yusuke Hasegawa (Jobu Univ.) - 13:40.83 - PB
15. Ikuto Yufu (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:45.42 - PB

Men's 3000 m SC

1. Kyle Alcorn (Nike) - 8:27.95
2. Brian Olinger (Reebok) - 8:28.27
3. Ben Bruce (OTC) - 8:28.76
-----
9. Hiroyoshi Umegae (Team NTN) - 8:39.02

Men's 1500 m

1. Dylan Ferris (Stanford Univ.) - 3:40.07
2. Elliott Heath (Stanford Univ.) - 3:41.27
3. Craig Miller (Univ. of Wisconsin) - 3:41.42
-----
9. Yasunori Murakami (Team Fujitsu) - 3:43.15

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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