Benita Johnson wins the women's 5000m in Melbourne (© Getty Images)
Benita Johnson of Australia, took her third consecutive victory in the annual Chiba International – IAAF permit – cross country today finishing 12 seconds ahead of the three-time World Cross Country champion, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia, in the 6km race in Showa No Mori Park.
It was the end of a promising few days for the 24 year-old Australian who last Thursday (12 Feb) had also won a 5000m in Melbourne (15:23.68) at the opening IAAF GPII track meet of 2004.
Soon after the start of today's 6km cross country the race quickly turned into a two woman battle between Tulu and Johnson. For although eight runners were together at the 1Km point, the lead pack was quickly reduced to three runners – Benita Johnson, Derartu Tulu and Yoshiko Ichikawa - by 1.5Km, and with Ichikawa falling behind by 2Km, it was just left to the Australian and Ethiopian to do battle for the win.
The interesting tussle between Johnson and Tulu lasted nearly 3Km, at which point Johnson slowly drew away from the reigning Olympic 10,000m champion, and by 5Km, Johnson led Tulu by 2 second, which was increased to 12 seconds by the finish, one Km later. Johnson won in a time of 18:38.
“I am happy with my third straight victory in Chiba,” said Johnson who admitted, “I was running scared because Tulu was behind me.” Johnson also said, “I am hoping to win a medal in Athens.”
Tulu finished second in 18:50, with Japan’s 20 years old Ayumi Hashimoto (19:25) third.
Yoshiko Ichikawa, who courageously went out with Tulu and Johnson, was three seconds ahead of the chasing pack at one point but was swallowed by them by 3Km but still remained with the group which contained Ayumi Hashimoto, Ichikawa, Miho Notagashira and Catherine Chikwakwa (MAW), which was 25 seconds behind the leader by 5Km. Ichikawa eventually finished fourth, behind Hashimoto, but ahead of Notagashira and Chikwakwa.
Kenyan 1, 2, 3 in the men’s race
Men’s 12Km also quickly turned into a duel between Samuel Wanjiru and James Mwangi, two Kenyan school students, who study at and compete for Japanese high schools.
Immediately after the start the two young Kenyans went straight into the lead and by 2Km, they were alone in the front. However, Julius Kiptoo also of Kenya, who won this race in 1999, broke away from the chasing pack and caught up with the two leaders – Wanjiru and Mwangi - by 4Km, only one Kilometre later to lose contact again, falling 5 seconds adrift by 6Km.
The duel between Mwangi and Wanjiru continued until 10Km, at which point Mwangi started to falter, and a gap which was only two seconds at 11Km grew to 5 seconds 500m later.
At the end Wanjiru won in 35:04, 12 seconds, ahead of Mwangi. “It was a tough race but I had hoped to win it,” said Wanjiru who someday hopes to run for Kenya at an international championship.
Finishing third in the race was Kiptoo (33:37), while finishing fourth was Japan’s Yoshitaka Iwamizu (36:10), a national 3000mSC record holder.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
assisted by Akihiro Onishi
Results: Chiba Cross Country
Men’s 12Km
1) Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 35:04
2) James Mwangi (KEN) 35:16
3) Julius Kiptoo (KEN) 35:37
4) Yoshitaka Iwamizu 36:10
5) Makoto Otsu 36:16
6) Yoji Yamaguchi 36:26
…
9) Masakazu Fujiwara 36:32
…
20) Jeff Schiebler (CAN) 37:22
Men’s 4Km
1) Kazuyoshi Tokumoto 11:23
Women’s 6Km
1) Benita Johnson (AUS) 18:38
2) Derartu Tulu (ETH) 18:50
3) Ayumi Hashimoto 19:25
4) Yoshiko Ichikawa 19:26
5) Miho Notagashira 19:31
6) Catherine Chikwakwa (MAW) 19:35
…
8) Cristina Cassandra (ROM) 19:43
Noguchi takes apart 30km course record in Oume
On the same day (15 Feb) in Oume, west of Tokyo, World marathon silver medalist Mizuki Noguchi won the Oume 30Km road race in 1:39:09, annihilating the course record of 1:41:57 set by the defending Olympic marathon champion, Naoko Takahashi in 2001. Noguchi’s time, however, is not the fastest 30km time by Japanese. She was slower than the 1:39:02 recorded by Takahashi during her record marathon run in 2001.
