'22 World Silver Medalist Jumpei Yamaguchi Misses WR by 33 Seconds at Lake Saroma 100 km

After dropping out of a shot at the world record at last month's Shibamata 100 km, 2022 World Championships silver medalist Jumpei Yamaguchi (Eldoreso) was back to give it another go at Sunday's Lake Saroma 100 km Ultramarathon in Hokkaido. Running into a 1~2 m/s headwind for much of the race, Yamaguchi started fast, splitting 35:55 at 10 km, just on track for sub-6 hours. '22 gold medalist and Shibamata winner Haruki Okayama (Comodi Iida), two-time world champ Hideaki Yamauchi (Hamamatsu Hotniks), 2017 Lake Saroma winner Tatsuya Itagaki (Tokinosumika) and others went with him, but by 30 km it was down to just Yamauchi, Itagaki and Okayama in 1:47:48.

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

official results and splits

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

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...

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Long Time Coming - Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera's Road to the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half

Back in pre-pandemic days Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera were still in college, Akasaki at Takushoku University and Onodera at Teikyo University . At the 2019 Ageo City Half Marathon they frontran most of the race together, dead set on finishing in the top two Japanese collegiate spots to win invitations to the 2020 United Airlines NYC Half. For Akasaki it had already been a year and a half wait. Inspired by Kenta Murayama 's 1:00:57 5th place in finish in New York in 2017 and Kei Katanishi 's 7th-place in 2018, Akasaki went for it his junior year in his debut at the 2018 Ageo Half . "Coming up to 10 km I was in the lead pack and feeling good, so I knew I had a shot at going to New York and got pretty excited," he said. But right after the 10 km turnaround point he tripped and fell, and by the time he was back up the lead group was out of range. He finished 20th in 1:03:07, over a minute and a half behind top Japanese university man Ken Nakayama . "I was f...

japan running news

Search This Blog