by Brett Larner
Japan's premier ultramarathon, the Lake Saroma 100 km and 50 km, saw its 27th running on Sunday, June 24. The 100 km was largely a battle of familiar faces on both the men's and women's sides, as national team stalwart and 2011 4th-placer Yoshikazu Hara moved up to take the win over last year's runner-up Hideo Nojo in 6:33:32. Nojo improved on last year's mark but was still over two minutes behind Hara, running 6:35:52.
In the women's race defending champion Naomi Ochiai was only 4th in 7:56:42, but 2011 runner-up Shiho Katayama took over 20 minutes off her time from last year to win in a world-leading 7:33:38. Last year's 50 km division winner and former corporate marathoner Yuka Ezaki made a good transition to the 100 km distance, finishing 5th in 8:04:02.
The most surprising action came in the 50 km, where 25-year-old Chiyuki Mochizuki (Canon AC Kyushu), the two-time Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon women's division winner, outran men's division newcomer Fumito Matsuda for the overall win by less than a minute, clocking 3:25:43 to Matsuda's 3:26:42.
27th Lake Saroma Ultramarathon
Lake Saroma, Hokkaido, 6/24/12
Men's 100 km
1. Yoshikazu Hara - 6:33:32
2. Hideo Nojo - 6:35:52
3. Takayoshi Shigemi - 6:43:55
4. Takahiro Shimamoto - 6:49:15
5. Masakazu Takahashi - 6:58:19
Women's 100 km
1. Shiho Katayama - 7:33:38
2. Mai Fujisawa - 7:53:31
3. Yukiko Oda - 7:54:24
4. Naomi Ochiai - 7:56:42
5. Yuka Ezaki - 8:04:02
Men's 50 km
1. Fumito Matsuda - 3:26:42
2. Yoji Takahashi - 3:49:29
3. Hiroki Murakami - 3:57:19
Women's 50 km
1. Chiyuki Mochizuki - 3:25:43
2. Yuko Kikui - 4:13:30
3. Tae Kawano - 4:16:38
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Japan's premier ultramarathon, the Lake Saroma 100 km and 50 km, saw its 27th running on Sunday, June 24. The 100 km was largely a battle of familiar faces on both the men's and women's sides, as national team stalwart and 2011 4th-placer Yoshikazu Hara moved up to take the win over last year's runner-up Hideo Nojo in 6:33:32. Nojo improved on last year's mark but was still over two minutes behind Hara, running 6:35:52.
In the women's race defending champion Naomi Ochiai was only 4th in 7:56:42, but 2011 runner-up Shiho Katayama took over 20 minutes off her time from last year to win in a world-leading 7:33:38. Last year's 50 km division winner and former corporate marathoner Yuka Ezaki made a good transition to the 100 km distance, finishing 5th in 8:04:02.
The most surprising action came in the 50 km, where 25-year-old Chiyuki Mochizuki (Canon AC Kyushu), the two-time Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon women's division winner, outran men's division newcomer Fumito Matsuda for the overall win by less than a minute, clocking 3:25:43 to Matsuda's 3:26:42.
27th Lake Saroma Ultramarathon
Lake Saroma, Hokkaido, 6/24/12
Men's 100 km
1. Yoshikazu Hara - 6:33:32
2. Hideo Nojo - 6:35:52
3. Takayoshi Shigemi - 6:43:55
4. Takahiro Shimamoto - 6:49:15
5. Masakazu Takahashi - 6:58:19
Women's 100 km
1. Shiho Katayama - 7:33:38
2. Mai Fujisawa - 7:53:31
3. Yukiko Oda - 7:54:24
4. Naomi Ochiai - 7:56:42
5. Yuka Ezaki - 8:04:02
Men's 50 km
1. Fumito Matsuda - 3:26:42
2. Yoji Takahashi - 3:49:29
3. Hiroki Murakami - 3:57:19
Women's 50 km
1. Chiyuki Mochizuki - 3:25:43
2. Yuko Kikui - 4:13:30
3. Tae Kawano - 4:16:38
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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