Skip to main content

Melbourne Track Classic - Japanese Results


After three straight weeks of road racing that included a half marathon national record, Hitomi Niiya (Sekisui Kagaku) returned to the track alongside 2019 national champion Tomoka Kimura and teammate Yuka Takashima (both Shiseido) for a 5000 m at Australia's Melbourne Track Classic. Kimura collided with another runner at the start and never regained her composure, finishing 12th in 15:51.92. Takashima and Niiya went straight to the front, with Niiya's training partner Wakana Kabasawa (Keio Univ.) handling pacing duties in the early going.

Once Kabasawa stepped off at 1000 m  Niiya took over, leading the rest of the way just off the pace she needed to break her 2012-era PB of 15:10.20. The leaders quickly boiled down to just her and Australians Jessica Hull and Genevieve Gregson. From 600 m out Hull kicked, going on to win unchallenged in 15:06.12. Niiya uncharacteristically dropped Gregson over the last lap, taking 2nd in 15:15.41 with Gregson 3rd in 15:20.60. Jenny Blundell was 4th, taking the third spot on the podium for the Australian championships title. Takashima faded to 13th in 15:53.80.

Also at the meet, last year's 800 m and 1500 m double national champion Ran Urabe (Sekisui Kagaku) kicked off her 2020 season with a 4:28.48 for 9th in the women's 1500 m. Daigo Hasegawa (Ito Chotanpa) was 7th in the men's triple jump with a jump of 15.26 m (+0.7 m/s).

Melbourne Track Classic

Melbourne, Australia, 2/6/20
complete results

Women's 5000 m
1. Jessica Hull (Australia) - 15:06.12 - WL
2. Hitomi Niiya (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 15:15.41
3. Genevieve Gregson (Australia) - 15:20.60
4. Jenny Blundell (Australia) - 15:22.14
5. Linden Hall (Australia) - 15:26.22
-----
12. Tomoka Kimura (Japan/Shiseido) - 15:51.92
13. Yuka Takashima (Japan/Shiseido) - 15:53.80
-----
DNF - Wakana Kabasawa (Japan/Keio Univ.) - pacer

Women's 1500 m
1. Lauren Reid (Australia) - 4:16.52
2. Sarah Billings (Australia) - 4:18.25
3. Katherine Camp (New Zealand) - 4:20.75
4. Rebekah Greene (New Zealand) -4:22.09
5. Bernadette Williams (Australia) - 4:22.76
-----
9. Ran Urabe (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 4:28.48

Men's Triple Jump
1. Julian Konlee (Australia) - 16.66 m +0.7 m/s
2. Ayo Ore (Australia) - 16.21 m +0.4 m/s
3. Shemaiah James (Australia) - 16.16 m +1.8 m/s
4. Alwyn Jones (Australia) - 16.05 m +0.9 m/s
5. Connor Murphy (Australia) - 15.68 m +1.3 m/s
-----
7. Daigo Hasegawa (Japan/Ito Chotanpa) - 15.26 m +0.7 m/s

© 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

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...

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31