Toyota Industries coached by legendary coach Yoshio Koide won today’s 2008 All Japan Corporate team Women’s Ekiden Championships with a time of 2:14:17.

It was the first victory in the six stage marathon distance ekiden championships for the company.  They were sixth two years ago, in their first ekiden championships, but failed to qualify for the championships last year. They were back with vengeance this year, and won the 28th annual race, which was contested in Gifu, Japan on Sunday December 14. 

Toyota Industries was third after the first stage and then moved up to second in the second stage. They kept second place during third and fourth stage. By the end of the fifth stage, Toyota Industries was only nine second behind the leader and the defending champion Mitsui Sumitomo. Then Aya Nagata took over the lead for Toyota Industries in the six and the final stage of the ekiden. 

Mitsui-Sumitomo, the defending champion, was in the lead from stage two through five and appeared to be heading into another victory. However, they lost their lead in the final Km and finished second in 2:14:53. Hokuren, who was fifth last year, improved to third place this year, thanks to brilliant run by Ongori Philes in stage three and Yukiko Akaba in stage five.

How the race unfolded

Stage 1
A large pack passed 1Km in 3:20 and 2Km in 6:30. After an increase in pace, by 3Km (9:30), only Panasonic, Daihatsu, Toyota Industries, Dai-ichi Life, Aruze and Mitsui-Sumitomo, were left in the lead pack. One Km later, Christy Mayanga of Panasonic started to break away from her competitions. She covered the 6.6Km first stage in 20:20, followed by Mizuho Nasukawa of Aruze, three second behind. Hitomi Niiya of Toyota Industries was third in 20:24.  She was followed by Yoshimi Ozaki, who won the Tokyo International Women’s Marathon in November, and Ikuyo Yamashita of the defending champion Mitsui-Sumitomo. 

Stage 2:
During the early part of the second stage, Panasonic, Aruze, Toyota Industries, Dai-ichi Life and Mitsui-Sumitomo formed the lead pack, but starting at 1Km into the stage, Rie Takayoshi of Mitsui Sumitomo broke away from her competitions. By the end of the second stage (9.9Km from the start), Mitsui Sumitomo was nine seconds ahead of Toyota Industries.

Stage 3:
Yoko Shibui of Mitsui-Sumitomo, national 10,000m record holder, was superb. At 5Km into the third stage, Shibui was 19 seconds ahead of Winfridah Kebaso of Toyota Industries. Shibui covered the 10Km stage in 31:41, and extended her lead over Kebaso to 58 seconds. Ongori Philes of Hokuren, who recorded 31:51 for the 10Km stage, was also superb. She caught Kayoko Fukushi, the national 5000m record holder, at 7.3Km and by the end of the stage Hokuren was in the fourth place, one minutes 35 seconds behind the leader Mitsui Sumitomo. 

Stage 4:
Mitsui-Sumitomo continued to run alone in the front. By the end of the stage, they extended their lead over Toyota Industries to minute and four seconds. At the end of the stage, Hokuren was in fourth place, minute 51 seconds behind Mitsui-Sumitomo. 
 
Stage 5
The stage five turned out to be the most crucial stage of the ekiden. Yukiko Akaba of Hokuren, who was tenth at the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships, was brilliant. She moved up to third place 2.8Km into the stage and then passed Akane Wakita of Toyota Industries 9.5Km into the stage to claim second. Akaba almost caught Miki Ohira of Mitsui-Sumitomo, but Ohira held on to the lead by three seconds at the end of the stage. Wakita, who was 15th at 10000m in the 2007 World Championships, was six seconds behind Akaba. Akaba’s time, 36:17 for 11.6Km stage, was less than 20 seconds short of the record set by Yuko Kawakami in 1996. 

Stage 6:
Aya Nagata of Toyota Industries caught Hokuren less than a Km into the stage, and then moved into the lead 1.5Km into the stage.  Her lead was never threatened. 

“I was not in the best possible shape, but because I was so close to the front, I thought I ought to take over the lead as soon as I can,” said Aya Nagata, who took over the lead for Toyota Industries 1.5Km into the sixth and the final stage. “After not making it out of the district qualifying race last year, I told the team that one year is enough to rebuild the team,” said Koide after the race.
  
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Assisted by Akihiro Onishi

Weather:  Sunny; temperature: 11.8C; humidity 60%; wind 2.3m/s West East West

Results:
1. Toyota Industries  2:14:17 
2. Mitsui Sumitomo  2:14:53
3. Hokuren  2:15:19
4. Tenmaya 2:16:29
5. Dai-ichi Life 2:16:35
6. Aruze  2:17:26
7. Wacoal 2:17:27 
8. Shiseido 2:17:47 
 
Best Stages
Stage 1  6.6Km
 Christy Mayanga (Panasonic) (KEN)  20:20
 Mizuho Nasukawa (Aruze)  20:23
 Hitomi Niiya   (Toyota Industries)  20:24

Stage 2  3.3Km
 Rie Takayoshi  (Mitsui Sumitomo)  10:14
 Rui Aoyama (Toyota Industries)  10:26 

Stage 3  10Km
 Yoko Shibui  (Mitsui Sumitomo)  31:41
 Ongori Philes (Hokuren) (KEN)  31:51
 Windridah Kebaso (Toyota Industries) (KEN)  32:30 

Stage 4   4.1Km
 Yoshie Kurisu (Tenmaya)  13:00
 Aki Fujikawa (Shiseido)  13:02
 Yukako Eto (Mitsui Sumitomo)  13:04

Stage 5  11.6Km
 Yukiko Akaba (Hokuren)  36:17
 Yuri Takamizawa (Starts)  37:08
 Akane Wakita (Toyota Industries)  37:12 

Stage 6  6.595Km
 Aya Nagata  (Toyota Industries)  20:35
 Kaori Urata (Tenmaya)  21:04
 Mika Yoshikawa (Panasonic)  21:06 
…

After stage 2
 Mitsui Sumitomo  30:41
 Toyota Industries  30:50
 Aruze  30:57
…
16)  Hokuren  32:06

After stage 3
 Mitsui Sumitomo  1:02:22
 Toyota Industries  1:03:20 
 Aruze 1:03:36
 Hokuren  1:03:57 

After stage 4
 Mitsui Sumitomo  1:15:26 
 Toyota Industries  1:16:30 
 Aruze  1:16:47
 Hokuren  1:17:19 

After stage 5
Mitsui Sumitomo  1:53:33
Hokuren  1:53:36 
Toyota Industries 1:53:42