by Brett Larner Japanese 3000 m, 5000 m and half marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) provided the standout performance of the third meet in the Hokuren Distance Challenge series, held June 11 in Fukugawa, Hokkaido. Fukushi overcame problems she has faced since her memorable marathon debut in January to win the 10000 m in an Olympic A-standard time of 31:30.94. It was a last-chance attempt by Fukushi to make the Olympic-qualifying National Track and Field Championships 10000 m on June 27 and was a commanding solo performance, with 2nd-place finisher Satoe Matsumoto (Team Nihon ChemiCon) far behind in 32:31.43. An interview after the race quoted Fukushi saying, "I`m a bit late getting on board, so it was a good run." Fukushi also revealed that while preparing for the Fukugawa meet at a training camp in Chitose, Hokkaido, her training included screaming while running. The women`s 10000 m at the Nationals now looks set to be a dream matchup, with Fukush...
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