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Women's 5000 m World Leader for Chepyego at Kanaguri Memorial

by Brett Larner

The Japanese outdoor track season began in earnest Apr. 9 with the first of the season's major meets, the Kanaguri Memorial Track Meet in Kumamoto. Locally-based Kenyan Sally Chepyego (Team Kyudenko) had the biggest result of the day with a world-leading 15:18.70 to win the women's 5000 m after dueling with fellow Kenyan Ann Karindi (Team Toyota Jidoshoki). 10000 m junior national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) was 3rd in 15:51.33, holding off former Tamagawa University ace Tomomi Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) in Tanaka's pro debut. Tanaka's teammate, the unknown Kaho Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei), was almost as strong in the 5000 m B-heat, running 15:56.03 for the win.

Titus Waroru, Takuya Ishikawa and Daniel Gitau in the men's 5000 m. Click here to enlarge photo.

In the men's 5000 m, Kenyans took the top five spots with Edward Waweru (Team NTN) coming in a step ahead of 10000 m Japanese all-comers' record holder Josephat Ndambiri (Team Komori Corp.) in 13:21.37. Former Meiji University captain Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) was the top Japanese finisher, 6th overall in a solid PB of 13:35.38. High school sensation Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) had a credible university debut, two seconds off his PB in 13:51.62, while 2011 World Championships marathon team members Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota) and Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei) both went under 14 minutes.

2011 Kanaguri Memorial Track Meet Top Results
Women's 5000 m Heat Two
1. Sally Chepyego (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 15:18.70
2. Ann Karindi (Kenya/Toyota Jidoshoki) - 15:41.35
3. Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) - 15:51.33
4. Tomomi Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 15:52.77
5. Seika Nishikawa (Team Sysmex) - 16:00.24
6. Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 16:00.51
7. Nanae Kuwashiro (Team Sysmex) - 16:03.39
8. Yukie Nagata (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 16:16.43
9. Chieko Kido (Canon AC Kyushu) - 16:19.06
10. Misaki Kato (Team Kyudenko) - 16:19.48

Women's 5000 m Heat One
1. Kaho Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 15:56.03
2. Misato Tanaka (Team Sysmex) - 16:04.11
3. Maki Suzawa (Team Yamada Denki) - 16:12.02
4. Megumi Seike (Team Sysmex) - 16:13.25
5. Rina Hidaki (Fukuoka Univ.) - 16:15.88

Men's 5000 m Heat Three
1. Edward Waweru (Kenya/Team NTN) - 13:21.37
2. Josephat Ndambiri (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.) - 13:21.76
3. Patrick Mwaka (Kenya/Team Aisan Kogyo) - 13:26.29
4. Daniel Gitau (Kenya/Team Fujitsu) - 13:34.12
5. Titus Waroru (Kenya/Chinzai H.S.) - 13:34.89
6. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:35.38
7. John Maina (Kenya/Takushoku Univ.) - 13:37.09
8. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:43.10
9. Ikuto Yufu (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:44.60
10. Kenta Murotsuka (SDF Academy) - 13:45.72
11. Alex Mwangi (Kenya/Team YKK) - 13:45.81
12. Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota) - 13:51.08
13. Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:51.62
14. Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) - 13:54.64
15. Yoshikazu Kawazoe (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:56.71
16. Ryuji Kashiwabara (Toyo Univ.) - 13:58.00
17. Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:59.76
18. Duncan Muthee (Kenya/Takushoku Univ.) - 14:08.95
19. Taku Fujimoto (Kokushikan Univ.) - 14:09.46

Men's 5000 m Heat Two
1. Hiroyuki Ogawa (Team Yachiyo Kogyo) - 13:56.03
2. Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:59.78
3. Satoshi Kubooka (Team JFE Steel) - 13:59.93
4. Tomoaki Bungo (Team Asahi Kasei) - 14:01.71
5. Takasi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 14:02.37

Men's 5000 m Heat One
1. Takuji Morimoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 14:04.31
2. Shinji Ando (Team Togami Denki) - 14:05.56
3. Ryosuke Maki (Team Osaka Gas) - 14:05.85
4. Satoshi Osaki (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) - 14:06.38
5. Naohiro Yamada (Team YKK) - 14:07.56

High School Girls' 3000 m Heat Four
1. Misuzu Nakahara (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:21.68
2. Shoko Sonoda (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:22.22
3. Ayano Ikeuchi (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:22.45
4. Nanako Kanno (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:24.01
5. Mio Chijiiwa (Chiharadai H.S.) - 9:26.92

(c) 2011 Brett Larner
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