This year's Osaka International Women's Marathon was a race run with a high level of methodicalness, starting slower than the planned 3:19/km but ramping up until the lead pack was skimming around the 2:20:15-30 projected finish level. After hitting halfway in 1:10:13 with a group of 6, by 25 km only 4 were left up front, sub-2:19 runners Workenesh Edesa , Stella Chesang and Bedatu Hirpa , and the debuting Mikuni Yada , and when the last 2 pacers stepped off at 30 km it was Yada who went to the front. Despite never have raced longer than the 10.6 km Third Stage at November's Queens Ekiden where she had helped the Edion team score its first-ever national title, Yada was very, very impressive, fearlessly surging from 12 km and never letting up, even laughing and smiling to fans along the course. When she started sustaining a pace around 3:15/km the projected finish dropped under 2:20 and all the way down to 2:19:28 by 35 km, and even when all 3 of the more experienced ru...
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I have been critical of the way Juntendo staff developed him after his 1st year and since he is still with the same staff I didn't think he could get this time by such a big margin.
He almost broke the NR a couple of months ago but then he struggled at some other races.
This time we saw the Miura we witnessed in his 1st year at Juntendo and in the first part of his second year.
Very good strategy during the race, not sure if on purpose but starting at the back, but with the pack scattered and in line had him able to keep a tight inside line for the first 1.5km and avoiding contacts and not having to run on outside lanes.
His form was under control most of the race and the last lap was a spectacular 58 seconds 400 that reminded me of his 1st year and half at Juntendo.
El Bakkali answered in amazing fashion after the last barrier, he is an olympics/world champion for a reason.
It's hard to convert steeplechase time to flat track time but Miura's 8.03 in the steeplechase could have translated to what on a 3000? Possibly around Osako's 3000 record or better? An intriguing thought I think.