Running at Yamaguchi's National Corporate Women's Time Trials, after Kenyans Martha Mokaya (Canon AC Kyushu) and Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) led the pack through opening splits of 3:01, 3:04 and 3:03, Hironaka took off in pursuit of the 15:10.00 Olympic standard, covering the next two 1000 m splits in 2:59 and 2:58. Along with breaking Fukushi's 2001-era junior record and clearing the Olympic standard, Hironaka moved up to all-time Japanese #5, following Nozomi Tanaka's all-time #2 15:00.01 at October's Doha World Championships to make this a pretty good year for the 5000 m by Japanese women's standards. With Fukushi's senior national record standing at 14:53.22 it won't be surprising to see either Hironaka or Tanaka go for it in 2020.
The women's 10000 m came up just short of the 31:25.00 Olympic standard but still produced good results across the board. Kenyan Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) took the top spot in 31:28.45 with teammate Harumi Okamoto next in 31:29.29. Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) continued her comeback from September's MGC Race Olympic marathon trials with a 3rd-place finish in 31:34.56, a PB by 15 seconds. In 4th, Daito Bunka University 1st-year Yuka Suzuki ran a PB 31:37.88, the 2nd-fastest Japanese collegiate time ever, to add to her 2019 World University Games half marathon gold medal. After a year mostly marked by setbacks, Yuka Hori (Panasonic) wrapped it with a 10-second PB of 31:38.63 for 5th.
5000 m year-leader Tanaka opted to pace teammate Yume Goto (Toyota Jidoshokki TC) in the 3000 m, putting her on track for a 9:05.17 season best before kicking away for the win in 9:01.55. Tanaka plans to race January's National Women's Ekiden before representing Japan at February's Asian Indoor Championships.
National Corporate Women's Time Trials
Yamaguchi, 12/7/19complete results
Women's 5000 m Heat 3
1. Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) - 15:05.40 - U20 NR
2. Martha Mokaya (Canon AC Kyushu) - 15:13.07
3. Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:14.21
4. Tomoka Kimura (Shiseido) - 15:32.93
5. Kaede Hagitani (Edion) - 15:37.98
6. Shino Hasegawa (Wacoal) - 15:38.13
7. Akane Ogasawara (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:46.68
8. Juri Ichikawa (Yamada Denki) - 15:46.89
9. Mikuni Yada (Denso) - 15:47.31
10. Misaki Hayashida (Kyudenko) - 15:48.31
Women's 10000 m Heat 2
1. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 31:28.45
2. Harumi Okamoto (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 31:29.29
3. Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) - 31:34.56 - PB
4. Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 31:37.88 - PB
5. Yuka Hori (Panasonic) - 31:38.63 - PB
6. Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 31:59.47
7. Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Denki) - 32:02.36
8. Minami Yamanouchi (Kyocera) - 32:05.90
9. Ai Hosoda (Daihatsu) - 32:06.34
10. Natsuki Sekiya (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 32:08.44
Women's 3000 m Heat 1
1. Nozomi Tanaka (Toyota Jidoshokki TC) - 9:01.55
2. Yume Goto (Toyota Jidoshokki TC) - 9:05.17
3. Miyaka Sugata (Japan Post) - 9:26.45
4. Eijia MIyagi (Yamada Denki) - 9:37.17
5. Koto Hiramura (Daiso) - 9:51.22
photo © 2019 M. Kawaguchi, all rights reserved
text © 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments