Skip to main content

Kibet Runs 10000 m World Lead in Kobe, a 3:44.86 High Schooler and More - Weekend Track Roundup



After giving World XC a miss, Kazuki Tamura (Sumitomo Denko) got his outdoor season off to a good start with a 13:33.70 PB for 5th at California's Mt. SAC Relays. His teammate Yuki Nakamura ran only 14:34.97, while the U.S.-based Takeshi Okada (UC Berkeley) ran 9:02.75 for 12th in the 3000 mSC. Toyota Jidoshokki teammates Momoka Kawaguchi and Nao Yamamoto ran the women's 5000 m, Kawaguchi the faster of the two at 15:54.82.

Back home, Bernard Kibet (Kyudenko) ran an early season world-leading time of 27:36.24 to win the Hyogo Relay Carnival Grand Prix men's 10000 m, beating the 27:43.34 by Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko) a day earlier in Hyogo's Asics Challenge men's 10000 m, at the time also a world-leader. Kibet's teammate Shohei Otsuka was the fastest Japanese man of the weekend at 28:25.42 in the Asics Challenge race.

Women's Grand Prix 10000 m winner Rosemary Monica Wanjiru (Starts) came up short of a world-leading time but was just a few seconds off the meet record at 31:11.79 for the win. Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) and 2019 National Corporate Half Marathon champion Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) both went under 32 minutes, Hagiwara in 31:58.52, her best time in four years, and Sato in 31:59.64, a PB by nearly a minute.

At the Nittai University Time Trials, the biggest news was probably in the fastest heat of the men's 1500 m. Shota Onizuka of 2019 Hakone Ekiden champion Tokai University, a 1:02:03 half marathoner, won in a PB 3:44.46, but just behind him Aaron Tatsunami Clay (Soyo H.S.) held off corporate leaguer Masaki Toda (Sunbelx) at the line for 2nd in 3:44.86. Clay's time ranked him at all-time #3 among Japanese high schoolers and just outside the top 10 among juniors.

67th Kobe Relay Carnival Highlights

Universiade Memorial Stadium, Kobe, 4/20-21/19
complete results

Women's Grand Prix 10000 m - 4/21
1. Rosemary Monica Wanjiru (Starts) - 31:11.79
2. Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 31:58.52
3. Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) - 31:59.64
4. Kaori Morita (Panasonic) - 32:01.24
5. Grace Mbuthye Kimanzi (Starts) - 32:03.28

Men's Grand Prix 10000 m - 4/21
1. Bernard Kibet (Kyudenko) - 27:36.24 - WL
2. Kisaisa Ledama (Obirin Univ.) - 27:45.62
3. Joel Mwaura (Kurosaki Harima) - 27:46.21
4. Kota Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 28:37.60
5. Kazuya Nishiyama (Toyo Univ.) - 28:57.21

Men's Asics Challenge 10000 m Heat 2 - 4/20
1. Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko) - 27:43.34
2. Patrick Mathenge Wambui (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 27:44.22
3. Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) - 27:44.81
4. James Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) - 27:45.59
5. Charles Ndungu (Nihon Univ.) - 28:12.34
-----
7. Shohei Otsuka (Kyudenko) - 28:25.42

269th Nittai University Time Trials Highlights

Nittai University, Yokohama, 4/20-21/19
complete results

Men's 10000 m Heat 7 - 4/20
1. Simon Sidem (Chuo Hatsujo) - 28:03.53
2. Vincent Raimoi (Kokushika Univ.) - 28:07.90
3. Boniface Murua (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:17.36
4. Titus Wanbua (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) - 28:19.52
5. Daniel Kariuki (Obirin Univ.) - 28:20.83
-----
8. Taisei Nakamura (Komazawa Univ.) - 28:31.65

Men's 5000 m Heat 23 - 4/21
1. Dominic Langat (Konica Minolta) - 13:30.80
2. Nganga Waweru (Kokoku H.S.) - 13:31.13
3. Anthony Maina (Kokoku H.S.) - 13:32.75
4. Evans Yego (Sunbelx) - 13:37.30
5. Nicholas Kosimbei (Toyota) - 13:40.32
-----
7. Tatsuhiko Ito (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 13:53.34

Women's 3000 m Heat 4 - 4/20
1. Esther Muthoni (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 9:10.98
2. Yuma Yamamoto (Meijo Univ.) - 9:29.36
3. Rena Kato (Koganei H.S.) - 9:29.77
4. Yuna Arai (Meijo Univ.) - 9:30.36
5. Hiyori Kidokoro (Okazaki Gakuen H.S.) - 9:33.46

Men's 1500 m Heat 18 - 4/20
1. Shota Onizuka (Tokai Univ.) - 3:44.46
2. Aaron Tatsunami Clay (Soyo H.S.) - 3:44.86
3. Masaki Toda (Sunbelx) - 3:44.86
4. Kazuki Kawamura (Meiji Univ.) - 3:46.30
5. Renya Maeda (Kanebo) - 3:47.82

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

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...

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...