After hitting the marathon point in 2:31:39, still sub-6 pace, Okayama fell off and ultimately dropped out. Itagaki stayed with Yamaguchi until 60 km in 3:37:09 before letting go. As the temperature hit 20˚ under cloudless skies and climbed on to 22˚ Yamaguchi's 10 km splits slowed into the 37-minute range, and the month-old pending WR of 6:05:35 set by Lithuanian Alexsandr Sorokin began to slip away. With 10 km to go Yamaguchi needed to run 36:13 to surpass Sorokin before he was officially in the books. Rallying to close in 36:46, Yamaguchi came up just short as he broke the tape in 6:06:08.
That took over 3 minutes off the Japanese national record and still officially standing WR of 6:09:14 by Nao Kazami (Aisan Kogyo) and moved Yamaguchi up to all-time #2. "This was my first time winning a 100 km, but I'm really disappointed to have missed the world record," he said through tears post-race. "The course was hillier than I expected and it got hot, so when I look back on this I'll have some painful memories. I want to say thank you to everyone at my sponsor Eldoreso who believed in me and was there for me when I was injured and feeling down. Now I know the world record is in range"
Yamaguchi's 10 km splits and projected finish time:
10 km: 35:56 (5:59:20)
20 km: 36:24 (6:01:40)
30 km: 35:29 (5:59:23)
40 km: 35:52 (5:59:13)
50 km: 36:32 (6:00:26)
60 km: 36:57 (6:01:57)
70 km: 38:00 (6:04:31)
80 km: 37:05 (6:05:19)
90 km: 37:07 (6:05:58)
100 km: 36:46 (6:06:08)
Given the hotter conditions than what Sorokin faced, the headwind and the fast start, there's a case to be made that this was the greatest road 100 km performance ever.
In the women's race, favorite Miho Nakata (Chiba T&F Assoc.), 6th at the 2022 World Championships, held an early lead and held it through 50 km in 3:32:57 before getting passed by 2018 Lake Saroma winner Mai Fujisawa (Excel AC). But Fujisawa couldn't hold the lead either, as Mikiko Ota (KSS Runners) came from almost 6 minutes behind at 80 km to pass her for 1st just before 90 km. From there to the end it was all Ota, 1st in 7:28:42 by more than 11 minutes over Fujisawa.
Ota's 10 km splits and projected finish time:
10 km: 44:17 (7:22:50)
20 km: 44:20 (7:23:05)
30 km: 44:16 (7:22:57)
40 km: 44:38 (7:23:48)
50 km: 44:53 (7:24:48)
60 km: 45:14 (7:26:03)
70 km: 44:49 (7:26:21)
80 km: 44:24 (7:26:04)
90 km: 46:26 (7:28:06)
100 km: 45:25 (7:28:42)
38th Lake Saroma 100 km and 50 km Ultramarathon
Hokkaido, 25 June 2023
Men
1. Jumpei Yamaguchi (Eldoreso) - 6:06:08 - NR
2. Tatsuya Inagaki (Tokinosumika) - 6:22:11
3. Toru Somiya (Mitsugi Club) - 6:36:13
4. Hideaki Yamauchi (Hamamatsu Hotniks) - 6:51:20
Women
1. Mikiko Ota (KSS Runners) - 7:28:42
2. Mai Fujisawa (Excel AC) - 7:39:44
3. Haruna Takano (unattached) - 7:52:51
4. Miho Nakata (Chiba T&F Assoc.) - 8:01:45
5. Sonoka Nakayama (Uchida Chiryoin) - 8:14:03
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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