Skip to main content

Kawauchi Scores Runaway Win, Yiu Sets National Record at Takashimadaira 20 km (updated)

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1554422.html
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1554651.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo by STITCHrunner

1430 people ran in the 40th anniversary Takashimadaira Road Race 20 km on Oct. 18 on a 5 km loop course in northwestern Tokyo.  Women's winner Kit Ching Yiu (Hong Kong), coached by Japan's Shinetsu Murao, set a national record 1:10:49 to win, at least her third national record on Japanese soil in the last year.  In the men's race invited athlete Yuki Kawauchi (28, Saitama Pref. Gov't) broke away on the last lap for a solo win in 1:00:57 just a week after setting a course record at the Kitakami Marathon.  His next race is the Nov. 1 TCS New York City Marathon, followed by the Dec. 6 Fukuoka International Marathon where he hopes to secure a place on the Rio Olympic team.

Kawauchi ran well in warm temperatures of 23 degrees, keeping his cool in a lead pack of five until 15.5 km just into the fourth and final lap.  "I picked it up a little and nobody could go with me," he said.  In just 4.5 km he opened a lead of 28 seconds over runner-up Koichi Miyashita (Komazawa University).

At the end of December last year Kawauchi sprained his ankle, leading to problems with his calf muscles and elsewhere.  He has only really started to recover in the last two months, saying, "I'm only back to about 85% right now."  Even so, bearing down in the home straight he told himself, "Well, let's at least break 61 minutes," before launching his powerful last kick.

As a tune-up for his upcoming marathons it was a solid performance.  "The last 5 km were the fastest, so it was a good race," he said.  "In New York I want to make top 10 at the absolute least.  Masato Imai (31, Team Toyota Kyushu) was 7th there last year, so hopefully better than that.  In Fukuoka I don't want to just be the top Japanese man.  I'll be going as far as I can to win."

40th Takashimadaira Road Race
Takashimadaira, Tokyo, 10/18/15
click here for complete results

Men's 20 km
1. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 1:00:57
2. Koichi Miyashita (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:01:25
3. Kento Ando (Tokai Univ.) - 1:01:30
4. Kentaro Inoue (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:01:48
5. Kei Takeshita (Teikyo Univ.) - 1:01:54

Women's 20 km
1. Kit Ching Yiu (Hong Kong) - 1:10:49 - NR

photo (c) 2015 @tetsujiman, all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
He doesn't allow himself enough recovery!
October 19, 2015 at 2:26 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

10000 m National Championships Preview

  Less than five months since the 2023 10000 m National Championships went down at the 2021 Olympic stadium in Tokyo, the 2024 edition happens Friday at Shizuoka's Ecopa Stadium, with NHK broadcasting it live starting at 19:25 local time. Doubling up on Nationals like this lets Japanese athletes double dip on placing points to try to get into the Paris Olympics on rankings. But between the number of people who've hit the 30:40.00 women's standard and 27:00.00 men's standard and the lopsided eight spots given away to top placers at World XC, there are only four women's spots and three men's available via rankings. Of those, three of the four women's spots and two of the three men's spots are currently occupied by top placers at December's 2023 Nationals, Ririka Hironaka , Haruka Kokai and Rino Goshima for women and Ren Tazawa and Tomoki Ota for men. The 2023 Nationals did get close to the standards, with Hironaka leading the top four women under
3 comments
Read more

Chesang and Kipkoech Win Hot Gifu Half

Hot conditions held back fast times at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Sunday, where Ugandan Stella Chesang and Kenya Hillary Kipkoech took the top spots over last year's winners Dolphine Nyaboke Omare and Amos Kurgat . In the women's race Chesang, Omare and Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chebichii Chumba went out as a trio, Japan-based Hellen Ekarare with them initially but eventually dropping out. After a 15:39 opening 5 km Chumba started to slip off, and by 15 km Chesang was on her own. Chesang won in 1:07:59, solid given the conditions, with Omare 2nd in 1:08:31 and Chumba 3rd in 1:09:10. Rinka Hida was the first Japanese woman, 5th overall in 1:12:06 behind Australian Genevieve Gregson . A lead men's pack of 11 went through 5 km in 14:31, but by 10 km it was down to Kipkoech, Kurgat, , Timothy Kiplagat , Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Japan-based Kenyans Patrick Mathenge Wambui and Anthony Maina . At 15 km in 43:40 only Kurgat and Kipkoech were left, and over the last 5
1 comment
Read more

Drury and Mashiko Lead Four Japanese Golds - U20 Asian Championships Day 4

The closing day of the Dubai U20 Asian Athletics Championships saw Japan go out big, with four gold medals led by dominant runs by Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) and Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.). Making her international debut, the 16-year-old Drury led start to finish in the women's 1500 m final, grinding down the rest of the field and putting over 4 seconds on runner-up Sandilea Vinod of India over the last 300 m to win in 4:21.41. Drury's splits: 1:11-2:24-(3:19)-3:35-4:21. There's still a long way for Drury to go, but in terms of form and confidence this was the best she has looked since her legendary breakthrough CR at last year's National Women's Ekiden, and you could see more than a glimmer of what everyone is hoping is really there. Mashiko was even more dominant in the men's 3000 m. Coming out on the front end of some pushing and shoving in the first 50 m, Mashiko led the entire way. By 300 m he had a measurable gap that never got smaller, and af
1 comment
Read more