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Keita Sato 27:28.50 U20 NR in 10000 m Debut at Hachioji Long Distance Meet



Conditions couldn't have been better for Saturday's Hachioji Long Distance meet in western Tokyo's Minami Osawa, with zero wind, 9.5˚C temps and humidity in the low 40% range, the Wavelight ready, and experienced pacers across the seven heats of 10000 m. The field took complete advantage of it, with these winning times in the first five races:

Race 1: Shotaro Hosokawa (Sekino Kosan) - 29:27.57
Race 2: Hiromi Suzuki (Sekino Kosan) - 28:47.27
Race 3: Yudai Shimazu (GMO) - 28:27.32
Race 4: Tetsu Yokoyama (Logisteed) - 28:14.05
Race 5: Yuki Muta (Logisteed) - 28:04.41

Things really took off in Race 6, where Shadrack Rono (Subaru) front ran a 27:42.37 to lead the top 17 under 28 minutes. Waseda University grad Ryuto Igawa (Asahi Kasei) ran a 12-second PB of 27:47.21 for top Japanese honors at 4th, with teammate Shuho Dairokuno just behind in 27:49.31 for 6th and three other Japanese men getting under 28.


With that kind of progression in winning times across the first six races you just knew something special was going to happen in the last heat, and it didn't disappoint the massive crowd of fans who lined the track in lanes 6~8, in the stands, and watching the live stream.

The Wavelight was set to four paces, 27:00, 27:40, 27:50 and 28:10, and with multiple sub-27 men in the race the front group of Kenyans went with it. With a best of only 27:32.04, Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) went out front solo ahead of the red lights on sub-27 pace, an audacious move given the quality of the field. But even when he dropped back and was caught by collegiate record holder Richard Etir (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) and sub-27:08 runner Emmanuel Korir Kiplagat (Mitsubishi Juko) Kurgat kept it together, attacking again and pulling away for the win in 27:10.72 with Kiplagat 2nd in 27:12.82 and Etir 3rd in 27:15.53.

Behind them, Charles Kamau Wanjiku (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) paced the 2nd pack where the top group of Japanese athletes was, starting on 27:40 pace and gradually ratcheting it up. In his 10000 m debut and last race as a junior, U20 1500 m, 3000 m, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato ran right with Wanjiku the entire way, his Komazawa University teammates Mebuki Suzuki and Kotaro Shinohara right behind him with a few others including Asahi Kasei rookie Jun Kasai and Olympic marathon trials runner-up Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko).

Sato was under strict orders from coach Hiroaki Oyagi to hold back, and he did, staying right behind Wanjiku at the front of the pack through a 13:48 first half and never looking like he was working. At 7700 m he passed Wanjiku, then got into gear when Jun Kasai (Asahi Kasei) took a shot at taking over. Sato led Suzuki past Kasai back into the top Japanese spot, and as Kenyan after Kenyan came back to him he turned it on, passing Hakone Ekiden 2nd~4th leg CR holder Vincent Yegon (Honda) and dropping Suzuki with a 2:37 final 1000 m. Stadium announcer Tadatomo Oshima's voice cracked and broke with emotion repeatedly as he roared encouragement on to the athletes over a mic from the grass at center field, whipping the runners and the crowd up as they saw what was about to happen.

Sato finished 11th in 27:28.50, the 5th-fastest time ever by a Japanese man, taking over 30 seconds off Ryuji Ono's U20 NR and Asian U20 AR set in June, 2004 when Sato was 4 months old, the 2nd-fastest U20 time in the world this year and the fastest-ever by an U20 athlete born outside Africa. His first NR since doing altitude training with OAC in Boulder and St. Moritz this year, the 10000 m record means Sato now holds every major U20 NR from 1500 m to 10000 m. His first senior season next year should be interesting.

And behind him, Suzuki and Shinohara both broke 27:40 for the first time, Suzuki 13th in 27:30.69 and Shinohara 17th in 27:38.66. With the 100th Hakone Ekiden, where Komazawa is aiming to become the first team in history to win all three major university ekidens two seasons in a row, just over a month away it was about as big a flex as it could have been. Komazawa's ten fastest men now have average PBs of 13:38.07 for 5000 m, 28:08.70 for 10000 m, and 1:02:07 for the half marathon. Is there a team anywhere that could match that?

Kasai was 16th in a big PB of 27:36.75, and Akasaki took around 40 seconds off his best with a 27:48.09 for 20th, a great run just 6 weeks after scoring a place on the Paris Olympics marathon squad. "I'm just glad I went sub-28!" he told JRN post-race. The top 21 all went sub-28, with Hakone Ekiden 1st leg CR holder Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) just missing out with a 2-second PB of 28:01.02 for 22nd.

The casualty rate in the last race was almost bloodbath level. Not including designated pacers there were nine DNFs including the top three seeds in the race, 2022 World Oregon World Championships silver medalist Stanley Waithaka Mburu (Yakult) and sub-27 men Richard Kimunyan (Logisteed) and Benard Kibet Koech (Kyudenko).

Hachioji Long Distance Meet

Kamiyugi Field, Minami Osawa, Tokyo, 25 Nov. 2023

Race 7
1. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) - 27:10.72 - PB
2. Emmanuel Korir Kiplagat (Mitsubishi Juko) - 27:12.82
3. Richard Etir (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 27:15.53
4. Benson Kiplangat (Subaru) - 27:22.30
5. Evans Keitany (Toyota Boshoku) - 27:22.96
6. Antipas Kibet (Komori Corp.) - 27:23.01
7. Kiprono Sitonik (Kurosaki Harima) - 27:24.22
8. Cosmas Mwangi (Chugoku Denryoku) - 27:24.83
9. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) - 27:25.32
10. Philemon Ruto (Aisan Kogyo) - 27:28.31
11. Keita Sato (Komazawa Univ.) - 27:28.50 - U20 NR
12. Felix Korir (Toyota) - 27:28.53 - PB
13. Mebuki Suzuki (Komazawa Univ.) - 27:30.69 - PB
14. Daniel Kosen (Fujitsu) - 27:33.35 - PB
15. Vincent Yegon (Honda) - 27:34.32
16. Jun Kasai (Asahi Kasei) - 27:36.75 - PB
17. Kotaro Shinohara (Komazawa Univ.) - 27:38.66 - PB
18. Titus Wanbua (SID Group) - 27:43.05
19. James Muoki (Konica Minolta) - 27:44.08
20. Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) - 27:48.09 - PB
21. Josphat Ledama Kisaisa (Kao) - 27:48.74
22. Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) - 28:01.02 - PB
23. Katsuhiko Suzuki (Subaru) - 28:02.81 - PB
24. Ryuya Kajitani (Subaru) - 28:03.59
25. Yeneblo Biyazen (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 28:06.20
26. Daiki Hattori (Toyota Boshoku) - 28:31.87
27. Evans Kurui (JFE Steel) - 28:48.12
-----
DNF - Benard Kibet Koech (Kyudenko)
DNF - Richard Kimunyan (Logisteed)
DNF - Shingo Moriyama (YKK)
DNF - Joseph Macharia Ndirangu (Aichi Seiko)
DNF - Gideon Rono (Logisteed)
DNF - Kiseki Shiozawa (Fujitsu)
DNF - Takato Suzuki (SG Holdings)
DNF - Hideyuki Tanaka (Toyota)
DNF - Stanley Waithaka (Yakult)

Race 6
1. Shadrack Rono (Subaru) - 27:42.37 - PB
2. Isaac Ndiema (Mazda) - 27:45.65 - PB
3. Muthio Saidamu (Chuo Hatsujo) - 27:46.72
4. Ryuto Igawa (Asahi Kasei) - 27:47.21 - PB
5. Dan Kiplangat (JFE Steel) - 27:47.77
6. Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) - 27:49.31
7. Yuta Bando (Fujitsu) - 27:51.10 - PB
8. Muthoni Muiru (JR Higashi Nihon) - 27:53.32
9. Benuel Mogeni Magoma (Yasukawa Denki) - 27:54.24
10. Dennis Mutuku (JR Higashi Nihon) - 27:54.69 - PB
11. Tamaki Fujimoto (Logisteed) - 27:54.81 - PB
12. Hironori Kishimoto (GMO) - 27:54.91 - PB
13. Benard Kimani (Comodi Iida) - 27:55.54
14. Gilbert Kiprotich (Sunbelx) - 27:56.71 - PB
15. Cleophas Kandie (Mitsubishi Juko) - 27:58.29
16. David Shunqeya Neiyiai (Reitaku Univ.) - 27:58.66
17. Willy Kipserem (Comodi Iida) - 27:58.94
18. Amos Bett (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 28:00.27
19. Sodai Shimizu (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:01.47 - PB
20. James Mutuku (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:04.26
21. Stephen Lemayian (Surugadai Univ.) - 28:04.43 - PB
22. Joseph Nganga Waweru (Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:05.15
23. Jonson Mugeni (Asia Univ.) - 28:13.89
24. Tomoya Ogikubo (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 28:13.91
25. Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) - 28:14.57

Heat 5
1. Yuki Muta (Logisteed) - 28:04.41
2. Timothy Kibet (Makes) - 28:09.86 - PB
3. Paul Onyiego (Fujisan no Meisui) - 28:10.36
4. Daisuke Hosomori (YKK) - 28:14.66
5. Tatsuya Iyoda (Fujitsu) - 28:14.80
6. Masanori Sumida (Aichi Seiko) - 28:15.78 - PB
7. Shoya Yonei (JR Higashi Nihon) - 28:17.44 - PB
8. Kota Murayama (GMO) - 28:18.88
9. Akito Terui (Subaru) - 28:21.01
10. Daiki Ozawa (Fujitsu) - 28:23.52

Race 4
1. Tetsu Yokoyama (Logisteed) - 28:14.05 - PB
2. Nagiya Mori (Honda) - 28:15.17 - PB
3. Taiki Miyasaka (Yakult) - 28:16.94 - PB
4. Kenta Muto (JR Higashi Nihon) - 28:18.21 - PB
5. Suguru Osako (GMO) - 28:19.31
6. Yuya Yoshida (GMO) - 28:19.48
7. Haruka Onodera (Toyota Boshoku) - 28:20.89 - PB
8. Yuma Nishizawa (Toyota Boshoku) - 28:22.24 - PB
9. Ryo Kuchimachi (Subaru) - 28:22.89 - PB
10. Shogo Nakamura (Fujitsu) - 28:23.00

Race 3
1. Yudai Shimazu (GMO) - 28:27.32 - PB
2. Hiroyuki Fujii (Aisan Kogyo) - 28:31.03 - PB
3. Yuki Takei (JR Higashi Nihon) - 28:32.16 - PB
4. Haruto Wakabayashi (Kao) - 28:36.71 - PB
5. Tatsuhiro Taniguchi (NTN) - 28:37.39 - PB

Race 2
1. Hiromi Suzuki (Sekino Kosan) - 28:47.27 - PB
2. Kaisei Miyaki (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:59.39 - PB
3. Kazuya Mishiro (Togami Denki) - 29:00.25

Race 1
1. Shotaro Hosokawa (Sekino Kosan) - 29:27.57
2. Hayate Sato (Fujisan no Meisui) - 29:32.98 - PB
3. Kaito Tsuboi (Fujisan no Meisui) - 29:39.36

text and photo © 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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