Kazami Breaks 100 km World Record at Lake Saroma

Running on the same course where Japan's Takahiro Sunada set the road 100 km world record of 6:13:33 twenty years ago, 2:17:23 marathoner Nao Kazami bested a deep and competitive field to win the Lake Saroma 100 km Ultramarathon in a world record 6:09:14.

Part of a front group of at least five that went through the marathon split in 2:33:36, on pace for 6:04:01, Kazami lost touch with the lead as rivals Koji Hayasaka and Takehiko Gyoba surged just before halfway to open a roughly 30 second lead that lasted until nearly 75 km. But in the last quarter of the race Kazami, a graduate of Hakone Ekiden powerhouse Komazawa University, was the only one who could sustain anything close to the early pace, overtaking Hayasaka and Gyoba before pulling away to open a lead of over 11 minutes. Kazami's mark took more than 4 minutes off the world record, and he also bettered the 100 km track world record of 6:10:20 set in 1978 well before he was born by the late Don Ritchie.

Trying to stay with Kazami, high-volume marathoner Hayasaka dropped Gyoba after 75 km to take 2nd in 6:20:49. Gyoba, an editor for Japan's largest running magazine, lasted for 3rd in 6:22:55. Coming up from the second group after having been more than 3 minutes behind Gyoba at 90 km, Hideaki Yamauchi ran down Yoshiki Kawauchi, younger brother of Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi, for 4th in 6:23:49, with Kawauchi breaking his PB by almost 14 minutes in 6:28:35 for 5th. 2016-17 winner including a near-miss on the world record last year in 6:14:18, Tatsuya Itagaki took 7th in 6:40:46. Kazami, Hayasaka and Gyoba all stand to be named to Japan's national team for this year's 100 km World Championships in Croatia.

In the women's race, most of the lead pack trailed behind 2013 Lake Saroma winner Mai Fujisawa, Fujisawa splitting 3:10:03 at the marathon point and 3:45:26 at 50 km to the pack's 3:11:34 and 3:47:17. But ahead of her, national-level triathlete Konoka Azumi was trying to make the race her own, hitting the marathon in 3:09:37 and 50 km in 3:45:23. Fujisawa reeled her in, pushing on unchallenged to win in 7:37:56, but Azumi's effort was enough for 2nd in 7:47:07. Aiko Kanematsu was the first runner from the chase pack to make it across the line, taking 3rd in 7:49:18 to seal up a spot on the World Championships team.

33rd Lake Saroma 100 km Ultramarathon

Hokkaido, 6/24/18
click any name for official splits and results

Men
1. Nao Kazami - 6:09:14 - WR
2. Koji Hayasaka - 6:20:49
3. Takehiko Gyoba - 6:22:55
4. Hideaki Yamauchi - 6:23:49
5. Yoshiki Kawauchi - 6:28:35

Women
1. Mai Fujisawa - 7:37:56
2. Konoka Azumi - 7:47:07
3. Aiko Kanematsu - 7:49:18
4. Yuko Kusunose - 7:55:19
5. Tomomi Nakashima - 8:01:20

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Tokumoto and Yamakawa Take Over at Shibaura Kogyo in Quest for Hakone Debut

In a quest to make its first Hakone Ekiden, Shibaura Kogyo University announced this week that former Surugadai University head coach Kazuyoshi Tokumoto , 45, and former Reitaku University head coach Tatsuya Yamakawa , 40, will take over as head and assistant coach starting in April. In a statement issued by the university Tokumoto commented, "I'm pleased to have been named head coach of Shibaura Kogyo University's track and field team. When they came to feel me I could feel their passion about achieving their dream of becoming the first science and technology university to compete in the Hakone Ekiden. I was happy to accept because I felt that this was an environment in which I could grow too. It's my responsibility to help them become the 45th university ever to compete in Hakone. I hope that you'll enjoy Act II of the Tokumoto Show and cheer us on as Shibaura Kogyo heads down the road to Hakone." Yamakawa's comments read, "I arrived early in Feb...

Nanjing World Indoor Championships Day One Japanese Results

Indoor track isn't much of a thing in Japan, but there's still a small national team at this weekend's Nanjing World Indoor Championships . High jumpers Naoto Hasegawa and Sota Haraguchi were the only Japanese athletes in action in final on Friday's opening day. Hasegawa became the first Japanese man to make top 8 in a World Indoor Championships high jump final, taking 7th with a 2.20 m SB. Haraguchi was 13th of 13 with a 2.14 m SB clearance. In the men's 400 m Fuga Sato made it through the opening heats with a 46.60 SB for 2nd in Heat 3, while Ryo Yoshikawa ran only 47.47 for 5th in Heat 2 and did not advance. Sato was eliminated in the semifinals after he was last in SF1 in 48.31. Yoshiki Kinashi and Naoki Nishioka both made it through the men's 60 m heats, Kinashi running 6.60 m for 2nd in Heat 8 and Nishioka 6.67 for 3rd in Heat 4. In the semifinals both were eliminated, Nishioka improving to 6.62 for 4th in SF3 and Kinashi running 6.63 for 5th in SF2....

Tokyo Marathon Top Japanese Man Tsubasa Ichiyama Works 4 Days a Week, Walked On in College

38,000 people ran the 2025 Tokyo Marathon . Every runner had their own story, but one of the most special was Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx). Despite being on almost nobody's radar, he outran some of the best in the country to finish as the top Japanese man. Ichiyama ran most of the race in the 3rd pace group, going through halfway in 1:02:44 and 30 km in 1:29:13. When the pacers stopped, he showed what he could really do. "I'm not good at downhills, so in the first part it was hard to run smoothly," he said at the post-race press conference. "But after the downhill part ended I got into my rhythm, and I think that helped me over the 2nd half." After dropping Asian Games gold medalist Hiroto Inoue (Mitsubishi Juko) and others, he quickly bore down on the Japanese athletes who had gone out faster in the 2nd pace group. Overtaking Paris Olympics 6th placer Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) and Yuhei Urano (Fujitsu), at 39.8 km he caught all-time Japanese #2 man Yohei I...

japan running news

Search This Blog