Skip to main content

Kaori Yoshida Sub-2:30 PB at Chicago Marathon (updated with photos)

by Brett Larner
photos by Dr. Helmut Winter


After years of near-misses, former Second Wind AC and Team Shiseido runner Kaori Yoshida (Amino Vital AC) finally broke through the 2:30 barrier, barely, with a 2:29:45 PB for 8th place at the 2010 Chicago Marathon. After a solid buildup which included wins at July's Gold Coast Marathon and last month's Hakodate Half Marathon, both in times just off her PBs, Yoshida hit Chicago hard with a 1:13:06 first half, just seconds off her winning time in Hakodate. Largely ignored on the Japanese television broadcast which concentrated on cursed Tenmaya runner Naoko Sakamoto's attempt to make a comeback, Yoshida faded in the final kilometers but rallied to just clear her target and mark the best Chicago finish by a Japanese woman since her former Shiseido and Second Wind teammate Kiyoko Shimahara's 3rd-place showing two years ago.

Half-marathon specialist Yuko Machida (Team Nihon ChemiCon) had a middling day, 14th in 2:33:21, while Sakamoto, holder of a 2:21:51 debut, continued her unfortunate slide from the professional level, 29th in 2:44:47.

Japanese coverage of Chicago also included an exclusive interview in Japanese with men's winner Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya), who talked about the importance of gaman, the capacity of calm endurance he learned during his years living in Japan, and wrote the kanji for the word and his Japanized name on a banner for the Japanese TV audience. He also said that his ultimate goal is to defend his Olympic medal in London.

2010 Chicago Marathon - Top Results
click here for complete results
Women
1. Liliya Shobukhova (RUS) - 2:20:25 - NR
2. Atsede Baysa (ETH) - 2:23:40
3. Maria Konovalova (RUS) - 2:23:50 - PB
4. Desiree Davila (U.S.A.) - 2:26:20 - PB
5. Irina Mikitenko (GER) - 2:26:40
6. Mamitu Daska (ETH) - 2:28:29
7. Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (U.S.A.) - 2:28:44
8. Kaori Yoshida (Amino Vital AC) - 2:29:45 - PB
9. Jia Chaofeng (CHN) - 2:30:35
10. Tera Moody (U.S.A.) - 2:30:53 - PB
-----
14. Yuko Machida (Team Nihon ChemiCon) - 2:33:21
29. Naoko Sakamoto (Team Tenmaya) - 2:44:47

Men
1. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) - 2:06:24
2. Tsegaye Kebede (ETH) - 2:06:43
3. Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) - 2:08:10
4. Wesley Korir (KEN) - 2:08:44
5. Vincent Kipruto (KEN) - 2:09:08
6. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) - 2:09:28
7. Laban Moiben (KEN) - 2:10:48
8. Jason Hartmann (U.S.A.) - 2:11:06 - PB
9. Ridouane Harroufi (MAR) - 2:13:01
10. Mike Sayenko (U.S.A.) - 2:14:27

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
photos (c) 2010 Dr. Helmut Winter
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

VavahF said…
does dr. helmut winter have a site where he posts his pics? i'd like to see more wanjiru pics if there any available.
October 13, 2010 at 12:42 PM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more