Nine Under 28 in Shizuoka TT 10000 m

by Brett Larner

In his first official track 10000 m, Kenyan Edward Waweru (Team NTN) ran one of the fastest 10000 m times of the year, 27:13.94, to lead nine men under 28 minutes at the 4th Shizuoka Prefecture Time Trials, Oct. 16 in Fukuroi, Shizuoka. Seven of the nine were Kenyan, while for both of the Japanese runners, Toyota teammates Yoshinori Oda and Yusuke Takabayashi, it was their first time to break 28 minutes. Oda was the faster, running 27:53.55 for 5th to break his 6 1/2 year-old PB by 10 seconds. The first-year pro Takabayashi, no doubt motivated by his former Komazawa University teammate Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) having broken Takabayashi's half marathon PB earlier the same day at the World Half Marathon, was 8th in 27:56.46. 10th placer Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota), who just turned 19 at the end of August, took over a minute off his PB with a strong 28:21.00.

2009 national champion Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) made good progress in his comeback from recent injury troubles with a 13:43.78 win in the men's 5000 m. High schooler Shogo Nakamura (Ueno Kogyo H.S.) outkicked Kenyan Jeremiah Karemi (Toyokawa H.S.) for 2nd, 13:50.38 to 13:50.79.

In women's results, Kenyan Ann Karindi (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) ran the fastest time of the year by a woman on Japanese soil with a 15:11.65 in the men's 5000 m, breaking her PB by 4 seconds. High schoolers dominated the women's 5000 m and 3000 m, with Tomoka Kimura (Chikushi Jogakuen H.S.) winning the 5000 m in 15:44.02 and Mutsumi Ikeda (Suma Gakuen H.S.) taking the 3000 m in 9:11.40. Altogether twenty high school women broke 9:30 in the 3000 m.

Shizuoka Prefecture Time Trials
click here for complete results
Men's 10000 m - Heat 2
1. Edward Waweru (Kenya/Team NTN) - 27:13.94 - debut
2. John Thuo (Kenya/Team Toyota) - 27:16.54
3. Alex Mwangi (Kenya/Team YKK) - 27:42.20 - PB
4. James Mwangi (Kenya/Team NTN) - 27:53.13
5. Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota) - 27:53.55 - PB
6. Micah Njeru (Kenya/Team Toyota Boshoku) - 27:54.55
7. Patrick Mwaka (Kenya/Team Aisan Kogyo) - 27:56.39 - PB
8. Yusuke Takabayashi (Team Toyota) - 27:56.46 - PB
9. Jacob Wanjuki (Kenya/Team Aichi Steel) - 27:59.28
10. Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) - 28:21.00 - PB

Men's 5000 m - Heat 15
1. Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 13:43.78
2. Shogo Nakamura (Ueno Kogyo H.S.) - 13:50.38 - PB
3. Jeremiah Karemi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 13:50.79 - PB

Men's 10000 m - Heat 1
1. Hiroaki Onishi (Team Yachiyo Kogyo) - 29:14.84
2. Naoki Sumida (Team Aichi Steel) - 29:17.08
3. Shunsuke Sakai (Team Chuo Spring) - 29:17.53

Mixed 5000 m - Heat 12
30. Ann Karindi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 15:11.65 - (PB)

Women's 5000 m - Heat 2
1. Tomoka Kimura (Chikushi Jogakuen H.S.) - 15:44.02
2. Kaori Akagawa - (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 15:54.94
3. Ayaka Mori - (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 15:58.85
4. Saeko Yuda - (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 16:00.96
5. Kazue Kojima (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 16:14.95

Women's 3000 m - Heat 10
1. Mutsumi Ikeda (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:11.40
2. Yuka Ando (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:12.93
3. Miyuki Gokan (Tokiwa H.S.) - 9:13.23
4. Saori Noda (Chiharadai H.S.) - 9:13.95
5. Risa Yokoe (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:15.70
6. Erina Maki (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:16.29
7. Natsuko Omori (Kunei Jogakuin H.S.) - 9:16.34
8. Mao Kiyota (Chukyo Prep H.S.) - 9:18.30
9. Shiho Takeda (Tokiwa H.S.) - 9:19.05
10. Misaki Sango (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 9:21.26

Women's 3000 m - Heat 9
1. Hitomi Sato (Hadano H.S.) - 9:30.79
2. Minami Hasegawa (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:31.50
3. Ami Mayanagi - (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 9:33.71

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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