Yoko Shibui of Japan (© Rikujyo Kyogi Magazine/Don Gosney)
Sumitomo won the 25th annual AllJapan Women’s Corporate Ekiden team championship which was contested today over a six-stage (6.6Km, 3.3Km, 10Km, 4.1Km, 11.6Km and 6.595Km) marathon distance course. Their time, 2:13:55, was the fourth fastest time on the course, only 38 seconds behind the record set by Mitsui-Sumitomo last year, and was phenomenal considering the less than ideal weather - wind snow and sub-freezing temperature - for fast racing.
For Mitsui-Sumitomo, it was their third straight victory as well as their fifth victory in the last six years. Finishing second nearly two minutes behind with 2:15:46 was Tenmaya, while Oki Electric, coached by 1991 World Marathon Champion Hiromi Taniguchi, finished third, a mere five seconds behind the second place Tenmaya. The co-favourite Kyocera finished a disappointing fifth place.
“This is our second attempt to three-peat. Having missed it once before, my runners were really training hard to reach that goal, so we are very happy to have accomplished our goal,” said Hideo Suzuki, a coach of Mitsui-Sumitomo after the race. Suzuki was referring to the 2002 race where Mitsui-Sumitomo finished second after winning in 2000 and 2001.
How the relay developed...
First Stage: With Kenyan Ongori Philes running a superb 6.6Km first leg (20:06 stage record), team from Hokuren was in the lead by 27 seconds after the first leg, and they were to keep ahead until the early part of the fourth stage.
Second Stage: Saori Nejyo of Hokuren extended their lead in the second stage. Meanwhile, Ayumi Hashimoto of Mitsui-Sumitomo ran well to take second place. “I was hoping to move my team up to the lead, but it was not to be,” said Hashimoto after the race. Unfortunately for co-favourite Kyocera, triple (800m, 1000m, 1500m) national record holder Miho Sugimori was nearly 20 seconds behind Hashimoto of Mitsui-Sumitomo. At the end of the second stage, 9.9Km into the race, Hokuren was 35 seconds ahead of Mitsui-Sumitomo, while Hitachi was in third two seconds behind Mitsui. Tenmaya was in fourth 11 seconds behind Hitachi.
Third Stage: In the 10Km third stage, Kenyans Evelyn Wambui and Ruth Wanjiru (team - Hitachi) recorded the two fastest stage times. But more importantly for the eventual result, Yoko Shibui of Mitsui-Sumitomo, national 10,000m record holder, covered the 10Km stage in 32:13, while the rival Kyocera runner Terumi Asoshina was over 20 seconds slower. “It was very cold, so I could not run as I have planned before the race,” said Shibui after the race. After the third stage, 19.9Km into the race, Hokuren was still ahead but only by one second. Thanks to superb run by Ruth Wanjiru, Hitachi was now in the second place, while Mitsui-Sumitomo was in third place 18 seconds behind them. Tenmaya was still in fourth 17 seconds behind Mitsui-Sumitomo.
Fourth Stage: Mitsui-Sumitomo finally took over the lead in the fourth stage, with Shiori Ishiyama passing the runner from the Hokuren team on her way to recording the stage best on the fourth stage. “I wanted to take over the lead as soon as possible, so I was only looking at the leader,” said Ishiyama after the race. At the end of the fourth stage, Mitsui-Sumitomo was in the lead by 11 seconds ahead of Hokuren. Tenmaya moved up to third place 18 seconds behind Hokuren.
Fifth Stage: Then as expected, in the 11.6Km fifth stage, double (3000m, 5000m) national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal)run superbly to record the stage best of 36:13. But in the battle for the overall team win, with Miki Ohira of Mitsui-Sumitomo recording the second best stage time, her team was now running away from the field. Ohira was nearly a minute ahead of Kyocera runner Kiyomi Ogawa. At the end of the fifth stage, Mitsui-Sumitomo was now in a commanding lead, a minute and 28 seconds ahead of second place Tenmaya, who had taken over the second place from Hokuren about 5Km into the fifth stage. .
Sixth Stage: With the superb run by Tomoko Ishii of Kyocera, the stage best in the sixth and the final stage, Kyocera moved up from twelfth to fifth place. However, it was a little too late for Kyocera. “I didn’t think I will have such a huge lead at the start of my stage. I really did not have to do anything,” said Oyama of Mitsui-Sumitomo who had had to fight off the Kyocera runners in the last two years. At the end Mitsui-Sumitomo won by a minute and 51seconds ahead of Tenmaya, while Oki Electric who had been lying in fifth place after the fifth stage moved up to third.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
With assistance from Akihiro Onishi
Results:
1. Mitsui-Sumitomo 2:13:55
2. Tenmaya 2:15:46
3. Oki Electric 2:15:51
4. Shiseido 2:16:10
5. Kyocera 2:16:14
6. Hokuren 2:16:26
7. Shimamura 2:16:30
8. Wacoal 2:16:36
9. Hitachi 2:16:39
10. Panasonic 2:16:40
Best Stages
Stage Distance Time Name
1 6.6Km 20:06 Ongori Philes (Hokuren)
2 3.3Km 10:22 Saori Nejyo (Hokuren)
3 10Km 31:37 Evelyn Wambui (Yutaka Tech)
4 4.1Km 12:50 Shiori Ishiyama (Mitsui-Sumitomo)
5 11.6Km 36:13 Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal)
6 6.595Km 20:46 Tomoko Ishii (Kyocera)
