Skip to main content

Kamulu, Kimani and Murayama Win Big in Nobeoka

by Brett Larner
photo by a_yamako
videos by Ekiden News

Perfect conditions brought fast times at one of the best distance meets on the Japanese spring calendar, Saturday's Golden Games in Nobeoka.  With a focus on 5000 m, almost every heat saw four out of the top five run PBs.  Kenya Pauline Kamulu (Team Toto) soloed her way to a one-second best of 15:29.55 in the women's 5000 m A-heat, with runner-up Miho Shimizu (Team Hokuren) in 15:36.03 leading three Japanese women to PBs under 15:40.

Newcomers Bernard Kimani (Team Yakult) and James Mwangi (Team NTN) continued their climb up the ranks of the Japan-based Africans, beating World XC junior silver medalist Leonard Barsoton (Team Nissin Shokuhin) in PBs of 13:14.64 and 13:16.06 with Barsoton 3rd in 13:21.44 in the men's 5000 m C-heat.  The lone Japanese man in the heat, 2014 World Half Marathon team member Masato Kikuchi (Team Konica Minolta), ran 13:35.18 for 6th, yet another PB in what's turning out to be a fantastic season for him.



The only Japanese man having a better season than Kikuchi is Komazawa University senior Kenta Murayama.  After PBs of 1:00:50 at February's Marugame Half Marathon and 27:49.94 last month at the Hyogo Relay Carnival 10000 m, Murayama turned in the fastest 5000 m by a Japanese so far this year to win the A-heat in a PB of 13:34.53.  Murayama's identical twin brother Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.) and second-year teammate Keisuke Nakatani (Komazawa Univ.) ran close behind throughout the race but in the last stretch were run down by former Waseda University star Yuki Yagi (Team Asahi Kasei), who took 2nd in a PB of 13:37.25. Nakatani beat Kota to round out the podium in 13:38.08 to 13:38.87, PBs for both of the university men.

Little-known Daiki Hirose (Team Osaka Gas) ran a PB 13:43.65 to win the B-heat, but more noteworthy were the PB runs just behind him from marathoners Masato Imai (Team Toyota Kyushu) and Kohei Matsumura (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki).  Imai, who ran a PB 2:09:30 for 2nd at February's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, cleared 13:50 for the first time in his career, 2nd again 13:47.15. Matsumura, superb at this year's Tokyo Marathon with the fastest time so far this year by a Japanese man, 2:08:09, likewise went under 13:50 for the first time, running 13:48.14 for 3rd.  Both men's results point to an exciting fall marathon season, when Matsumura will represent Japan at the Asian Games alongside Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't).

Korean Seung Ho Baek was the lone winner of one of the major 5000 m heats not to PB, running 13:52.79 to win the D-heat.  Behind him, rookie pros Takumi Honda (Team Asahi Kasei) and Kento Otsu (Team Toyota Kyushu) both ran PBs, Honda 2nd in 13:54.60 and Otsu, a graduate this year of 2014 Hakone Ekiden champion Toyo University, going sub-14 for the first time in 13:57.32.

The lone men's 10000 m heat was the evening's only disappointment.  Just seven runners started behind star Kenyan pacer Bedan Karoki (DeNA RC), who tried to run exactly 28:00 pace but gradually slipped off-target, the fractions of a second adding up until the possibility of 27-minute times was out of range.  Following his departure Yuta Shitara (Team Honda), who broke 28 along with his identical twin brother Keita Shitara (Team Konica Minolta) in Nobeoka last year as seniors at Toyo, cruised in to a 28:15.73 win.  Meiji University graduate Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) gave him a scare in the last km, closing rapidly but unable to make up the gap as he took 2nd in 28:17.74.  Last year's 5000 m national champion Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) fell off the pace early but ground out a 28:50.53 for 3rd.  Komazawa co-star Shogo Nakamura had a rare off day, finishing last in 29:34.99, while 2008 World Half Marathon 5th-placer Yusei Nakao (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) dropping out early in the race.

Most of the athletes running in Nobeoka will line up again next weekend, one of the busiest of the year, as the corporate leagues hold their regional track and field championships throughout the country.  Tokyo-area university runners will run the best track meet in Japan, the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, moving this year from its traditional home at Tokyo's soon-to-be-rebuilt National Stadium to Kumagaya in the wilds of Saitama.  Look for coverage of Kanto and the corporate league meets only on JRN.

Golden Games in Nobeoka
Nobeoka, Miyazaki, 5/10/14
click here for complete results

Women's 5000 m Heat A
1. Pauline Kamulu (Kenya/Team Toto) - 15:29.55 - PB
2. Miho Shimizu (Team Hokuren) - 15:36.03 - PB
3. Michi Numata (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:36.38 - PB
4. Yuka Miyazaki (Team Kyudenko) - 15:39.30 - PB
5. Yukari Abe (Team Shimamura) - 15:43.60
6. Sakiho Tsutsui (Team Yamada Denki) - 15:46.44 - PB
7. Kanako Shimada (Team Wacoal) - 15:48.05
8. Ai Migita (Team Wacoal) - 15:49.34 - PB
9. Chieko Kido (Canon AC Kyushu) - 15:50.22
10. Mao Kuroda (Team Wacoal) - 15:52.82

Men's 5000 m Heat C
1. Bernard Kimani (Kenya/Team Yakult) - 13:14.64 - PB
2. James Mwangi (Kenya/Team NTN) - 13:16.06 - PB
3. Leonard Barsoton (Kenya/Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 13:21.44
4. Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.) - 13:21.53 - PB
5. Kassa Mekashaw (Ethiopia/Team Yachiyo Kogyo) - 13:33.64 - PB
6. Masato Kikuchi (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:35.18 - PB
7. David Njuguna (Kenya/Team Yakult) - 13:35.50
8. Melaku Abera (Ethiopia/Team Kurosaki Harima) - 13:35.72
9. Michael Githae (Kenya/Fukuoka Daichi H.S.) - 13:43.38 - PB
10. Daniel Gitau (Kenya/Team Fujitsu) - 13:54.11

Men's 5000 m Heat A
1. Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:34.53 - PB
2. Yuki Yagi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:37.25 - PB
3. Keisuke Nakatani (Komazawa Univ.) - 13:38.08 - PB
4. Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.) - 13:38.87 - PB
5. Aritaka Kajiwara (Team Press Kogyo) - 13:39.47
6. Kensuke Takezawa (Team Sumitomo Denko) - 13:40.11
7. Keita Baba (Team Honda) - 13:40.13 - PB
8. Ryo Kiname (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) - 13:42.24
9. Kazuya Deguchi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:43.08
10. Kazuya Namera (Team Subaru) - 13:45.31 - PB

Men's 5000 m Heat B
1. Daiki Hirose (Team Osaka Gas) - 13:43.65 - PB
2. Masato Imai (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 13:47.15 - PB
3. Kohei Matsumura (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) - 13:48.14 - PB
4. Akihiko Tsumurai (Team Mazda) - 13:52.06
5. Keisuke Tanaka (Team Fujitsu) - 13:55.54

Men's 5000 m Heat D
1. Seung Ho Baek (South Korea) - 13:52.79
2. Takumi Honda (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:54.60 - PB
3. Kento Otsu (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 13:57.32 - PB
4. Masaki Ito (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:57.93
5. Kazuto Kawabata (Tokai Univ.) - 13:58.68

Men's 10000 m
1. Yuta Shitara (Team Honda) - 28:15.73
2. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:17.74
3. Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) - 28:50.53
4. Tomoya Onishi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 29:07.43
5. Hiromitsu Kakuage (Team Konica Minolta) - 29:08.08
6. Shogo Nakamura (Komazawa Univ.) - 29:34.99
DNF - Yusei Nakao (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC)

(c) 2014 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Murayama twins photo (c) 2014 A.Yamako, all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Ngetich Breaks CR, Murayama and Sasaki Make U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10k

WR holder Agnes Ngetich  soloed a fast one at the 54th edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10k, leading inside the first mile and pulling away the rest of the race to run a 30:07 CR for the win, the fastest time ever on U.S. soil albeit on a slightly net downhill course. On a warm day that saw over 10,000 women finish  Tsigie Gebreselama  was on her own most of the way too, a distant 2nd in 30:53 and 17 seconds up on past champ Hellen Obiri . Further back, 2026 World University Cross Country bronze medalist Amisa Murayama  and 2025 Morinomiyako Ekiden 3rd leg CR breaker Nazuki Sasaki  from 2025 National University Women's Ekiden runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University  made their U.S. debuts. Murayama was targeting the fastest-ever Japanese time at the Mini, 32:37, but struggled on the hills just before 5 km and late in the race, fading to finish 23rd in 34:08. Sasaki, recovering from a stress reaction in her upper back a few months ago, ran a conservative ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
Post a Comment
Read more

National Track and Field Championships Entry List Highlights

Entry lists are out for next week's National Track and Field Championships in Nagoya, the main selection event for Japan's teams for September's Nagoya Asian Games and Copenhagen World Road Running Championships. Top entries in each event with best time in 2025-26. Asterisks indicate 2025 national champions. Men Men's 100 m *Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) - 9.99 Sorato Shimizu (Seiryu H.S.) - 10.00 Yuhi Mori (Watanabe Pipe) - 10.00 Yuki Koike (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.06 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.08 Ryota Yamagata (Seiko) - 10.08 Shuhei Tada (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.10 Ryota Suzuki (Suzuki) - 10.11 Naoki Inoue (Osaka Gas) - 10.12 Rikuto Higuchi (Suzuki) - 10.12 Men's 200 m Shota Iizuka (Mizuno) - 20.45 Aoto Suzuki (Sumitomo Denko) - 20.49 Kota Uematsu (Chuo Univ.) - 20.50 Yuji Michael Orisa (GK Line) - 20.51 Soshi Mizukubo (Miyazaki T&F) - 20.51 Mitsuhiro Numata (Legalis) - 20.58 Seisho Sasaki (Iwate Univ.) - 20.60 Sota Miwa (Koizumi) - 20.61 Naoki Uemoto (Lega...
1 comment
Read more