Skip to main content

Kwemoi Dominates 10000 m Debut in Hachioji


by Brett Larner
photo by Tsukasa Kawarai
video by Ekiden News

1500 m junior world record holder Ronald Kwemoi (Team Komori Corp.) made his claim to longer distances Saturday at western Tokyo's Hosei University, dominating his competition over the last lap to win his 10000 m debut in 27:33.94 at the Hachioji Long Distance meet.



Lacking some of the electricity of last year's Japanese national record shot, 24 athletes from four countries lined up in Hachioji's A-heat, some tuning up for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden corporate men's national championships, others chasing the 27:45.00 standard for the 2017 London World Championships. Normally reliable as a pacer, despite a perfect 2:46.00 opening kilometer Bedan Karoki (DeNA RC) struggled to keep it steady after just 3000 m. Some of the field went ahead of him for several laps before he rallied to take the field through 5000 m in 13:56.50, four seconds off target.

The pack stuck with him for another 2000 m before saying goodbye. James Mwangi (Team NTN), the fastest half marathoner in the world this year on a record-eligible course with his 59:07 win at September's Copenhagen Half Marathon, dropped a 2:41.64 for the eighth kilometer than put him ahead of a chase group of four or five.  American Chris Derrick (Nike) spent the next kilometer pulling Mwangi back, but despite taking the lead with 500 m to go Derrick couldn't match Kwemoi or Mwangi's closing speed.

Showing his roots in middle distance, Kwemoi put over four seconds on Mwangi and Derrick over the last 200 m.  Mwangi and Derrick battled to the line, Mwangi taking 2nd in 27:38.24 with Derrick 3rd in 27:38.69.  The top eight all cleared the London standard, Japanese national record holder Kota Murayama (Team Asahi Kasei) causing heart attacks for the home crowd as he just barely made the standard in 27:44.39 with a 56-second final lap.  The B-heat was also fast, both David Njuguna (Team Yakult) and Daniel Muiva Kitonyi (Team Kanebo) clearing 27:50 with Njuguna getting the win in 27:49.57.


Across town at Keio University, Izumo Ekiden and National University Ekiden champion Aoyama Gakuin University took six of the top ten spots in the A-heat at the Kanto Region University 10000 m Time Trials meet.  Third-year Kazuki Tamura led the way, outrunning Ethiopian Workneh Derese (Takushoku Univ.) for the win in a PB 28:18.31 that cleared the JAAF's 28:20.00 qualifying standard for next summer's National Championships.  Five more Aoyama Gakuin runners followed him under 29 minutes, continuing to up the ante in an arms race with rivals Waseda University, who were nearly as dominant at last weekend's Ageo City Half Marathon, and the ascendant Tokai Universtiy.

In the women's 10000 m A-heat, Saki Fukui (Josai Univ.) led the top ten under 33 minutes, winning in 32:38.29.  Eight universities from across the country were represented in the top ten, with Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University and Osaka's Osaka Gakuin University each landing two in the top ten.  Notable absences included National University Ekiden champion Matsuyama University and top-ranked Kanto region program Daito Bunka University, who are running tomorrow's Nikko Irohazaka Women's Ekiden as the course record holders and defending champions.

Hachioji Long Distance
Hosei University, Hachioji, Tokyo, 11/26/16
click here for complete results

10000 m Heat 7
1. Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya/Komori Corp.) - 27:33.94
2. James Mwangi (Kenya/NTN) - 27:38.24
3. Chris Derrick (U.S.A./Nike) - 27:38.69
4. Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 27:39.25
5. Patrick Muendo Mwaka (Kenya/Aisan Kogyo) - 27:41.28
6. Teresa Nyakola (Ethiopia/Mazda) - 27:42.75
7. Kassa Mekashaw (Ethiopia/Yachiyo Kogyo) - 27:43.55
8. Kota Murayama (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 27:44.39
9. Samuel Mwangi (Kenya/Konica Minolta) - 27:45.27
10. Minato Oishi (Ethiopia/Toyota) - 27:48.56
11. Bernard Kimani (Kenya/Yakult) - 27:51.67
12. Mamiyo Nigusse (Ethiopia/Yasukawa Denki) - 27:52.69
13. Rodgers Shumo Kemwoi (Kenya/Aisan Kogyo) - 27:53.49
14. Simon Kariuki (Kenya/Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 27:53.50
15. Shuho Dairokuno (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 27:54.75
16. Daniel Kipkemoi (Kenya/Nishitetsu) - 27:58.32
17. Andrew Bumbalough (U.S.A./Nike) - 28:09.35
18. Alfred Ngeno (Kenya/Nissin Shokuhin) - 28:14.10
19. Takashi Ichida (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 28:14.40
20. Mitsunori Asaoka (Japan/Hitachi Butsuryu) - 28:16.95

10000 m Heat 6
1. David Njuguna (Kenya/Yakult) - 27:49.57
2. Daniel Muiva Kitonyi (Kenya/Kanebo) - 27:49.89
3. Bekele Shiferaw (Ethiopia/Mazda) - 28:10.54
4. Shun Inoura (Japan/Yachiyo Kogyo) - 28:10.62
5. Hironori Tsuetaki (Japan/Fujitsu) - 28:16.49

10000 m Heat 5
1. Sota Hoshi (Japan/Fujitsu) - 28:12.70
2. Kazuma Ito (Japan/Sumitomo Denko) - 28:28.92
3. Hideyuki Tanaka (Japan/Toyota) - 28:29.61
4. Tatsuya Maruyama (Japan/Senshu Univ.) - 28:32.03
5. Yusuke Ogura (Japan/Yakult) - 28:33.59

10000 m Heat 4
1. Hiroki Nagayama (Japan/Waseda Univ.) - 28:25.85
2. Tatsuya Oike (Japan/Toyota Boshoku) - 28:28.50
3. Atsushi Yamato (Japan/Kanagawa Univ.) - 28:29.43
4. Chihiro Miyawaki (Japan/Toyota) - 28:30.09
5. Kosei Yamaguchi (Japan/Aisan Kogyo) - 28:34.19


Kanto Region University 10000 m Time Trials
Keio University, Hiyoshi, Kanagawa, 11/26/16
click here for complete results

Men's 10000 m Heat 10
1. Kazuki Tamura (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:18.31
2. Workneh Derese (Ethiopia/Takushoku Univ.) - 28:19.16
3. Takato Suzuki (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:31.66
4. Kensuke Horio (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 28:34.54
5. Tadashi Isshiki (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:36.51
6. Titus Wambua (Kenya/Musashino Gakuin Univ.) - 28:41.43
7. Yuta Shimoda (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:42.88
8. Yuta Bando (Japan/Hosei Univ.) - 28:48.61
9. Yuya Ando (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:49.73
10. Ryuya Kajitani (Japan/Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:52.94

Women's 10000 m Heat 2
1. Saki Fukui (Japan/Josai Univ.) - 32:38.29
2. Maki Izumida (Japan/Rikkyo Univ.) - 32:39.18
3. Kanna Tamaki (Meijo Univ.) - 32:40.28
4. Yuri Karasawa (Nittai Univ.) - 32:40.57
5. Kureha Seki (Japan/Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:40.79
6. Yukari Wada (Japan/Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:47.74
7. Maho Shimizu (Japan/Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 32:49.18
8. Saori Imamura (Japan/Juntendo Univ.) - 32:53.41
9. Sakie Arai (Japan/Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 32:59.30
10. Moeno Shimizu (Japan/Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 32:59.91

text © 2016 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Kwemoi photo © 2016 Tsukasa Kawarai, all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

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

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
3 comments
Read more