Galina Bogomolova en route to a 10Km stage best in Yokohama (© Kazutaka Eguchi/Agence SHOT)
Propelled by three consecutive stage bests from the start, Team Russia won the 25th Women’s Ekiden in 2:14:48 on Sunday (25)in Yokohama, Japan.
“The reason why we won is because we were able to put together a very good team, and we trained very hard for this race,” said Liliya Shobukhova after Russia won the Ekiden for the second year in the row. It was the ninth victory by a Russian team in the event’s 25 year history of the Ekiden, but the first time they have won back-to-back editions.
The Russians took the lead from the start, one they would never relinquish. They built a lead of 1:16 by the end of the fourth stage. Although the USA team narrowed the gap to 59 seconds after the fifth stage, that was the closest their challenge would come.
At the end Russia won by 1:16 over the USA squad, their best finish since also finishing runner-up in 1986. The Japanese team, who finished third last year, again finished third. The Chinese squad, despite returning four the six team members from last year’s runner-up squad, finished a dismal 13th.
How the race unfolded
Stages 1 and 2: Shobukhova led from the start. The runners from the USA, Japan and Kenya attempted to stay with her but that lastest for only about 500 metres! The Russian passed the first kilometre in 2:55, with Jen Rhines of the US and Yuriko Kobayashi of Japan three seconds behind.
Shobukhova continued to push the pace, passing 3Km in 8:49 and 4Km in 11:50, meanwhile Rhines began to break away from Kobayashi just before the end of the third kilometre. At the end of the 5Km first stage, which Shobukhova covered in a stage record 14:55, the Russians had already created a 20 second lead over the US. Rhines also run brilliantly, covering the 5Km stage in 15:05, while Kobayashi was third fastest with 15:13 for the stage, though not as fast as her last year’s time, 15:10.
Shobukhova chipped four seconds from her own stage record from last year; two years ago she recorded the stage best at 6Km stage four.
With a pair of stage bests by Galina Bogomolova and Lidia Grigoryeva, Russia kept on increasing their already substantial lead in the 10Km second stage and 6Km third stages.
In the second stage, Bogomolova covered the 10Km in 31:08, one second faster than Deena Kastor of the USA. Beginning 20 seconds behind Bogomolova at the start of the second stage, Kastor closed the gap to 11 seconds at the half way, but in the second half of the stage, Bogomolova regained the entire advantage.
Russians maintain control - stage 3
Grigoryeva covered the 6Km third stage in 19:04, another stage best to put the Russian team even further ahead. Although the US team had been able to stay relatively close in the second stage, they lost substantial ground in the third stage. Great Britain, with a brilliant run by Mara Yamauchi moved up to fourth place after the second stage. At the end of the third stage, 21Km from the start, Russian led the US by 47 seconds, while third place Japan was another minute and ten seconds back.
Stage best for Miyauchi in stage 4
In the 6Km fourth stage, Yoko Miyauchi of Japan recorded the stage best of 19:18, the first non-Russian to record a stage best that day. But Russia still led the USA by minute and 16 seconds, while Japan was another 30 seconds back.
Stage 5
The European 10,000m champion Inga Abitova was only the third fastest with 33:16, while Katie McGregor of the USA covered the 10Km in 32:59, cutting the deficit to 59 seconds. After Misaki Katsumata’s 33:09, the Japanese also cut into the Russian lead. With Catherine Ndereba running the fourth stage in 33:28, the Kenyans moved up to fifth place.
Hashimoto's heroics in stage 6
In the sixth and the final stage, Ayumi Hashimoto, the captain of the Japan team, ran brilliantly covering the 5.195Km stage in 16:46, the fastest by 20 seconds, and nearly overtaking American Elva Dryer for the runner-up spot.
“I could see the US team ahead, but I just could not catch up,” said Hashimoto. The Russians, however, were too far ahead, cruising to a dominating win."
The first Japanese district team was Kyushu who finished fourth, their best finish since 1999 when they finished third.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
with assistance from Akihiro Onishi
Weather: Sunny; temperature 5.7C; humidity 25%; wind 3.4m/s NE
RESULTS
1. RUS 2:14:48
2. USA 2:16:04
3. JPN 2:16:07
4. Kyushu 2:19:12
5. KEN 2:19:18
6. Kanto-Tokyo 2:19:55
7. Chugoku-Shikoku 2:20:34
8. Hokkaido-Tohoku 2:20:54
9. GBR 2:2201
10. Tokai-Hokuriku 2:22:09
11. Kinki 2:22:18
12. ROM 2:23:05
13. CHN 2:23:16
14. Kanagawa 2:24:57
Stage 1 - 5Km
1) Lilia Shobukhova (RUS) 14:45 New Stage Record
2) Jen Rhines (USA) 15:05
3) Yuriko Kobayashi (JPN) 15:13
4) Rahab Ndung (KEN) 15:36
5) Chiaki Iwamoto (Kanto-Tokyo) 15:42
Stage 2 - 10Km
1) Galina Bogomolova (RUS) 31:08 New Stage Record
2) Deena Kastor (USA) 31:09
3) Mara Yamauchi (GBR) 31:43
4) Alina Gherasim (ROM) 32:12
5) Chisato Osaki (JPN) 32:20
6) Akane Taira (Kyushu) 32:20
…
10) Edith Masai (KEN) 33:03
Stage 3 - 6Km
1) Lidia Grigoryeva (RUS) 19:04
2) Hiroko Miyauchi (Kyushu) 19:15
3) Kaori Kumasaka (Hokkaido-Tohoku) 19:19
4) Megumi Seike (JPN) 19:21
5) Aimi Horikoshi (Kanto-Tokyo) 19:21
…
8) Carrie Tollefson (USA) 19:30
Stage 4 - 6Km
1) Yoko Miyauchi (JPN) 19:18
2) Maria Konovalova (RUS) 19:29
3) Caroline Chepkorir (KEN) 19:53
4) Amy Rudolph (USA) 19:58
5) Misaki Onishi (Kanto-Tokyo) 19:58
Stage 5 - 10Km
1) Katie McGregor (USA) 32:59
2) Misaki Katsumata (JPN) 33:09
3) Inga Abitova (RUS) 33:16
4) Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 33:28
5) Marie Yamagishi (Chugoku-Shikoku) 33:54
…
7) Luminita Talpos (ROM) 34:30
Stage 6 - 5.195Km
1) Ayumi Hashimoto (JPN) 16:46
2) Olesya Syreva (RUS) 17:06
3) Yuka Takashima (Chugoku-Shikoku) 17:13
4) Sun Wenqin (CHN) 17:19
5) Elva Dryer (USA) 17:23
