Yamanouchi Leads Six Under Doha Standard in Deepest Women's 10000 m in World This Year

With the 31:50.00 standard for the 2019 Doha World Championships 10000 m announced earlier this week following the IAAF's about-face on its new world rankings system, Japan wasted no time in getting its people under the mark.

In cold conditions for the mid-afternoon Corporate Women's Time Trials meet at Yamaguchi's Ishin Me-Life Stadium the women's 10000 m A-heat went out strong and steady, 15:45 through halfway before the lead group began to splinter. Just two weeks after a season-worst performance at the National Corporate Women's Ekiden the Atsushi Sato-coached Minami Yamanouchi (Kyocera) roared back into form with a 31:16.48 meet record for the win, outkicking Kenyan Grace Kimanzi (Starts) to land at #2 in the world so far this year and #8 on the all-time Japanese list. Yamanouchi and Kimanzi were the only two to clear 31:20, but all told six women made it under the 31:50 Doha standard, making the race the year's deepest worldwide.

Having fully recovered from her blackout at the National Corporate Women's Ekiden qualifying race in October, Harumi Okamoto (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) just beat out Rina Nabeshima (Japan Post) 31:28.20 to 31:28.81, both making the all-time Japanese top 25 and coming in at #4 and #5 worldwide this year. Shiori Yano (Canon AC Kyushu) and Yuka Hori (Panasonic) rounded out the Doha qualifiers, with 7th-placer Natsuka Sekiya (Daito Bunka Univ.) missing out by an agonizing 0.17.

Half marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal) was 14th in 32:26.32, just lapped by Yamanouchi in the home straight, while Nabeshima's marathoner teammate Hanami Sekine (Japan Post) was off her game at 21st in 33:18.37. Rio Olympian Miyuki Uehara (Daiichi Seimei), one of only two Japanese women to make an OLympic 5000 m final, dropped out mid-race. Two more chances remain this year for Japanese women to record qualifying marks for Doha, next week's Zatopek:10 featuring the resurgent Hitomi Niiya (Nike Tokyo TC) and the final Nittai University Time Trials meet later in the month.

Corporate Women's Time Trials

Ishin Me-Life Stadium, Yamaguchi, 12/8/18
complete results

Women's 10000 m Heat 2
1. Minami Yamanouchi (Kyocera) - 31:16.48 - MR
2. Grace Kimanzi (Starts) - 31:17.28
3. Harumi Okamoto (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 31:28.20
4. Rina Nabeshima (Japan Post) - 31:28.81
5. Shiori Yano (Canon AC Kyushu) - 31:44.13
6. Yuka Hori (Panasonic) - 31:48.93
7. Natsuki Sekiya (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 31:50.17
8. Kaori Morita (Panasonic) - 31:57.95
9. Keiko Nogami (Juhachi Ginko) - 32:14.86
10. Ai Hosoda (Daihatsu) - 32:21.11
11. Mai Shoji (Denso) - 32:22.82
12. Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 32:25.90
13. Misaki Hayashida (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 32:26.65
14. Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal) - 32:36.32
15. Ayano Ikenuchi (Denso) - 32:50.25
-----
DNF - Miyuki Uehara (Daiichi Seimei)

photo © 2018 M.Kawaguchi, all rights reserved
text © 2018 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