Muthoni Runs 3rd-Fastest 3000 m in World, Kenyans Break 9 Meet Records - Corporate Regionals Weekend Roundup
Regional corporate track and field championships made up most of the weekend's major action, with Japan-based African athletes setting new meet records across the country. The Chugoku Region Corporate Meet in Miyoshi, Hiroshima was split between the last two weekends, with the 5000 m held last weekend and everything else this weekend.
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- Teresiah Muthoni (Daiso) and teammate Rebecca Mwangi crushed the 5000 m MR by over 20 seconds, Muthoni running 14:55.23 and Mwangi 14:57.79.
- A week later Muthoni was back in the 3000 m, where she took over 35 seconds off the MR with a solid 8:39.91 for the win, the 3rd-fastest time in the world this year.
- Mwangi opted to double in the 10000 m, taking over 35 seconds off that MR to win in 31:28.28. Following up on her comeback win at the Sendai International Half Marathon, Tokyo Olympics marathoner Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) had a good run for 2nd in 32:18.69.
- Hillary Mosop (Mazda) had a near miss on the men's 1500 m MR, winning 3:44.94 just 0.24 off the record.
- Cosmas Mwangi (Chugoku Denryoku) broke the men's 5000 m MR by 3 seconds with a 13:33.79.
- Mwangi also came back to break the 10000 m MR, winning in 27:46.34. Runner-up Waweru Nganga (Chugoku Denryoku) also broke the MR, running 27:57.10.
At the Chubu Region Corporate Championships in Gifu:
- Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) took 2 seconds off her own 1500 m MR with a 4:09.76 for the win.
- Her teammate Momoka Kawaguchi won the 5000 m in 15:44.95.
- Ethiopian Desta Burka (Denso) won the 10000 m in 33:40.07.
- Philemon Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) cut almost 4 seconds off his own 3000 mSC MR to win by 28 seconds in 8:22.79 on Saturday, then came back Sunday to win the 5000 m in 13:29.10. His teammate, Tokyo Olympian Kosei Yamaguchi, skipped the steeple to finish in the top Japanese spot in the 5000 m in 13:32.38 for 4th.
- Rodgers Chumo Kwemoi made it a clean sweep for the Aisan Kogyo team, taking over 6 seconds off the 2010-era 10000 m MR to win by 1 minute in 27:25.17.
- Tokyo Olympics 20 kmRW bronze medalist Toshikazu Yamanishi (Aichi Seiko) won the 10000 mRW in 39:18.57.
At the East Japan Region Corporate Championships in Tendo, Yamagata:
- Judy Jepngetich (Shiseido) won the women's 3000 m in 8:59.34.
- Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) won the 1500 m in 4:20.13 Saturday, then on Sunday beat the 2009-era 5000 m MR by 9 seconds to win in 15:03.95. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) was just under the old record in 15:11.21 a week after taking the top spot in the Japanese 10000 m National Championships. Tokyo Olympics marathoner Ayuko Suzuki (Japan Post) was 2nd in the B-heat in 16:04.72.
- Rosemary Wanjiru (Starts) had an easy win by 59 seconds in the 10000 m in 32:10.24.
- NR holder Kumiko Okada (Fujitsu) won the 5000 mRW in 21:15.87.
- Keisuke Morita (K.morita) improbably beat Justus Soget (Honda) to win the men's 1500 m, 3:46.55 to 3:47.46. Soget was back the next day to win the 5000 m, running 13:29.02.
- Jonathan Ndiku (Hitachi Butsuryu) won the 10000 m in 28:06.87.
- Marathoner Yuka Ando (Wacoal) won the women's 10000 m in 32:44.22 on Friday, then came back Sunday to take the 5000 m in 15:31.34. Arisu Fuwa (Senko), older sister of 10000 m collegiate record holder Seira Fuwa, was 3rd in the B-heat in 16:42.36.
- Yuki Ishii (NTT Nishi Nihon) won the men's 1500 m in 3:45.63.
- Antipas Kibet (SG Holdings) won the 5000 mm in 13:45.41.
- A recent transfer from the Konica Minolta team, Kazuto Kawabata (SG Holdings) won the 10000 m in 29:05.14.
- 5000 mRW U20 NR holder Yuta Koga (Otsuka Seiyaku) beat the MR by 22 seconds to win in 19:14.95.
With the Hokuriku Region having held its regional championships a month ago only the Kyushu Region Corporate Championships are still to come, scheduled for next weekend in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka.
Comments
Honami Maeda's run is very positive coming off her excellent showing in the Sendai Half. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Youtube video of her race.
Sayaka Sato ran a decent time in the 3000m race won by Judy Jepngetich. 9:08.19 early in the season is a good time for her. I'm hoping she is slowly working herself back into some good form.
I didn't know Seira Fuwa had an older sister who was also an athlete.
Thank you for an excellent roundup of all the events over the weekend.