Mizuki Noguchi running 5000m in Gyeonggi-Do Hwaseong, Korea (© Kazutaka Eguchi - Agence SHOT)
Mizuki Noguchi, the reigning Olympic Marathon champion, set 5000m personal best, 15:30.04, at the Kansai Corporate meet in Amagasaki, Japan, on Saturday 16 June. Her previous 5000m personal best, 15:34.36, was set in 1999.
On a balmy evening with a temperature of around 26 degrees and humidity of 56%, Noguchi took the lead immediately after the gun. She passed 400m in 73 seconds and by 600m, only Ryoko Kizaki was able to stay with Noguchi.
With Noguchi in front and Kizaki just behind her, they passed 1000m in 3:03.1 and 2000m in 6:07.3 (3:04.2 for 1000m to 2000m). Just before 2400m Noguchi left Kizaki for good. Noguchi ran the rest of the race alone, passing 3000m in 9:15.5 (3:08.2 from 2000m to 3000m), and 4000m in 12:24.9 (3:09.4 from 3000m to 4000m) and won in 15:30.04, a personal best by 4.32 seconds.
Noguchi, who is planning to qualify for the Japanese Olympic Marathon team for Beijing 2008 by winning the 2007 Tokyo Women’s Marathon in November, will be running in the Sapporo Half Marathon in July.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Results:
Women's 5000m, race 2
1) Mizuki Noguchi 15:30.04 PB (previous PB 15:34.36)
2) Ryoko Kizaki 15:47.89
3) Kazumi Nishihara 16:19.51
Noguchi’s Splits (by Akihiro Onishi):
1000m 3:03.1
2000m 6:07.3 (3:04.2)
3000m 9:15.5 (3:08.2)
4000m 12:24.9 (3:09.4)
