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Chepyego and Karoki Win National Corporate 5000 m

by Brett Larner

After winning the 2012 National Corporate Track and Field Championships 10000 m Friday night and her 5000 m heat Saturday, Kenyan Sally Chepyego (Team Kyudenko) returned to Fukuoka's Hakatanomori Field Saturday evening to score her third win in 24 hours, just outrunning Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) and the three others in the tightly-packed lead group to win the 5000 m final in 15:32.37.  In addition to the triple win it was Chepyego's second-straight national corporate 5000 m title.  Although Onishi was unable to match Chepyego's closing speed in the home straight she had the satisfaction of doing what Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) was unable to do in the men's 10000 m, clipping 0.01 seconds off her best to record a new PB of 15:32.88.  Hanae Tanaka of 2011 National Corporate Women's Ekiden champion Team Daiichi Seimei held off Kenyans Grace Kimanzi (Team Starts) and Doricah Obare (Team Hitachi) for 3rd in 15:34.79.

Kenyan Beatrice Wainaina Murugi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) likewise finished on top in the junior women's 3000 m, running 9:05.56 for the win over Susan Wairimu (Kenya/Team Denso) and Riko Matsuzaki (Team Sekisui Kagaku), one of the year's fastest Japanese women over 5000 m.

The men's 5000 m delivered the hoped-for battle between Sera High School graduated Bitan Karoki (Team S&B), the top Kenyan in the London Olympics 10000 m, and first-year pro Charles Ndirangu (Team JFE Steel), rarely defeated in competition in Japan.  With Karoki favoring mid-race surges and Ndirangu more apt to a fast start it was an exciting matchup, and the pair went head-to-head in front of the rest of the field.  After a drawn-out battle Karoki's experience and closing speed got the better of the younger Ndirangu, Karoki running 13:21.02 for the win by a margin of two seconds.  Defending national corporate 5000 m champion Daniel Gitau (Kenya/Team Fujitsu) was a distant 3rd in 13:37.50 ahead of 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin).  After winning the 10000 m and his 5000 m heat Paul Tanui (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) was unable to match Chepyego's achievement in the women's 5000 m, finishing only 6th.

2012 National Corporate Track and Field Championships Day Two Finals
Hakatanomori Field, Fukuoka, 9/22/12
click here for complete results

Women's 5000 m Final
1. Sally Chepyego (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 15:32.37
2. Misaki Onishi (Team Sekisui Kagaku) - 15:32.88 - PB
3. Hanae Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 15:34.21
4. Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Team Starts) - 15:34.79
5. Doricah Obare (Kenya/Team Hitachi) - 15:37.28
6. Risa Kikuchi (Team Hitachi) - 15:39.84
7. Yuka Miyazaki (Team Kyudenko) - 15:44.62
8. Kotomi Yakayama (Team Sysmex) - 15:47.43
9. Mayumi Fujita (Team Juhachi Ginko) - 15:52.56
10. Mai Ishibashi (Team Denso) - 15:55.22

Men's 5000 m Final
1. Bitan Karoki (Kenya/Team S&B) - 13:21.02
2. Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) - 13:23.40
3. Daniel Gitau (Kenya/Team Fujitsu) - 13:37.50
4. Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 13:38.51
5. Patrick Muwaka (Kenya/Team Aisan Kogyo) - 13:39.72
6. Paul Tanui (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 13:41.62
7. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:48.58
8. Minato Oishi (Team Toyota) - 13:50.83
9. Ryo Matsumoto (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 13:50.87
10. Ryohei Kawakami (Team Kanebo) - 13:52.32

Junior Women's 3000 m Final
1. Beatrice Wainaina Murugi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 9:05:56
2. Susan Wairimu (Kenya/Team Denso) - 9:06.57
3. Riko Matsuzaki (Team Sekisui Kagaku) - 9:08.66
4. Rose Maranga (Kenya/Team Toto) - 9:10.16
5. Akari Ota (Team Tenmaya) - 9:13.89
6. Naoko Koizumi (Team Denso) - 9:15.99
7. Madoka Mitsueda (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 9:23.82
8. Yuko Aoki (Canon AC Kyushu) - 9:30.24
9. Yui Okada (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 9:31.58
10. Nene Kawanishi (Team Wacoal) - 9:32.83

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
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