Wanjiru and Kamais Take 5000 m Titles at 50th Oda Memorial Meet

by Brett Larner

Japan-based Kenyans Rosemary Wanjiru (Team Starts) and Paul Kamais (Team Chugoku Denryoku) scored tight wins to take the Grand Prix 5000 m titles at the 50th Oda Memorial Track and Field Meet at Hiroshima's Edion Stadium on Saturday. Wanjiru, a graduate of Aomori Yamada H.S., led start to finish in the women's race, taking it out at 15:20 pace and closing in 2:58 to beat teammate Grace Kimanzi by just over a second. Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC), already the fastest Japanese woman so far this year for 10000 m, delivered the fastest 5000 m, 15:37.21, to take the top Japanese spot in 5th.

Kamais, a brand-new graduate of Hiroshima's local National High School Boys Ekiden course record-setter Sera H.S., alternated the lead with two-time World Championships 10000 m bronze medalist Paul Tanui (Team Kyudenko) throughout the men's race before closing in 2:33 for the win. Shuho Dairokuno (Team Asahi Kasei) was the top Japanese finisher in 13:31.56 for 5th, his teammate Takashi Ichida knocking a second off his PB to take 7th in 13:35.19. Asahi Kasei's Tetsuya Yoroizaka, all-time Japanese #2 for both 5000 m and 10000 m last year, was only 10th in 13:49.60.

Sera's Hibiki Onishi topped the West Japan Junior Women's 3000 m, part of a group of four that kicked past leader Nagisa Shimotabira (Kobayashi H.S.) on the last lap and outrunning Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.), younger sister of the Nike Oregon Project's Nozomi Musembi Takamatsu, for the win in 9:22.60.

50th Oda Memorial Track and Field Meet
Edion Stadium, Hiroshima, 4/29/16
click here for complete results

Women's Grand Prix 5000 m
1. Rosemary Monica Wanjiru (Kenya/Starts) - 15:15.14
2. Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Starts) - 15:16.44
3. Felista Wanjugu (Kenya/Universal Entertainment) - 15:19.47
4. Ann Karindi (Kenya/Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:23.80
5. Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 15:37.21
6. Moeno Nakamura (Universal Entertainment) - 15:37.93
7. Sakie Arai (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 15:43.13
8. Risa Kikuchi (Hitachi) - 15:44.37
9. Tomoka Kimura (Universal Entertainment) - 15:44.61
10. Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 15:47.47

Men's Grand Prix 5000 m
1. Paul Kamais (Kenya/Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:24.06
2. Paul Tanui (Kenya/Kyudenko) - 13:25.28
3. Teressa Nyakola (Ethiopia/Mazda) - 13:26.41
4. Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/JFE Steel) - 13:30.47
5. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 13:31.56
6. Yuichiro Ueno (DeNA) - 13:34.52
7. Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 13:35.19 - PB
8. Hideyuki Tanaka (Toyota) - 13:36.08
9. Hiram Ngatia (Kenya/Toyota) - 13:42.67
10. Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Asahi Kasei) - 13:49.60

West Japan Junior Women's 3000 m
1. Hibiki Onishi (Sera H.S.) - 9:22.60
2. Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:26.01
3. Kyoka Kudo (Oita Nishi H.S.) - 9:26.48
4. Tsuzumi Terao (Yamada H.S.) - 9:26.76
5. Nagisa Shimotabira (Kobayashi H.S.) - 9:30.71

© 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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...

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

japan running news

Search This Blog