Two top international meets over the weekend featured some of Japan's best track athletes. Women's 10000 m year leader Yuka Takashima (Team Shiseido) ran in the Netherlands' FBK Games on Saturday. Far off the 31:33.33 PB she set last month at the Payton Jordan meet in California, Takashima managed only 33:08.76 for 12th of 13 finishers nearly two and a half minutes behind Ethiopian winner Gelete Burka's world-leading 30:40.87.
Racing for the first time since his debut at April's Boston Marathon, Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) ran the 5000 m Sunday at the Portland Track Festival. Clearing 13:30 for the first time since his Japanese national record two years ago, Osako was 3rd in 13:25.56 just over two seconds behind Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) and Morgan McDonald (Australia).
Still three seconds shy of the 13:22.60 qualifying standard for August's London World Championships, Osako's performance means that at the time of writing the only Japanese man with a London qualifying mark at a distance between 200 m and the marathon is 10000 m national record holder Kota Murayama (Team Asahi Kasei) with a 27:44.39 last November at the Hachioji Long Distance meet.
FBK Games
Hengelo, Netherlands, 6/10/17
click here for complete results
Women's 10000 m
1. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) - 30:40.87
2. Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) - 30:41.68
3. Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia) - 30:44.57
4. Dera Dida (Ethiopia) - 30:56.48
5. Rahma Tusa (Ethiopia) - 31:05.14
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12. Yuka Takashima (Japan/Shiseido) - 33:08.76
Portland Track Festival
Portland, U.S.A., 6/11/17
click here for complete results
Men's 5000 m High Performance
1. Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) - 13:23.12
2. Morgan McDonald (Australia) - 13:23.28
3. Suguru Osako (Japan/Nike Oregon Project) - 13:25.56
4. Trevor Dunbar (U.S.A.) - 13:26.27
5. Tommy Curtin (U.S.A.) - 13:26.55
© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Racing for the first time since his debut at April's Boston Marathon, Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) ran the 5000 m Sunday at the Portland Track Festival. Clearing 13:30 for the first time since his Japanese national record two years ago, Osako was 3rd in 13:25.56 just over two seconds behind Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) and Morgan McDonald (Australia).
Still three seconds shy of the 13:22.60 qualifying standard for August's London World Championships, Osako's performance means that at the time of writing the only Japanese man with a London qualifying mark at a distance between 200 m and the marathon is 10000 m national record holder Kota Murayama (Team Asahi Kasei) with a 27:44.39 last November at the Hachioji Long Distance meet.
FBK Games
Hengelo, Netherlands, 6/10/17
click here for complete results
Women's 10000 m
1. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) - 30:40.87
2. Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) - 30:41.68
3. Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia) - 30:44.57
4. Dera Dida (Ethiopia) - 30:56.48
5. Rahma Tusa (Ethiopia) - 31:05.14
-----
12. Yuka Takashima (Japan/Shiseido) - 33:08.76
Portland Track Festival
Portland, U.S.A., 6/11/17
click here for complete results
Men's 5000 m High Performance
1. Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) - 13:23.12
2. Morgan McDonald (Australia) - 13:23.28
3. Suguru Osako (Japan/Nike Oregon Project) - 13:25.56
4. Trevor Dunbar (U.S.A.) - 13:26.27
5. Tommy Curtin (U.S.A.) - 13:26.55
© 2017 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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