News09 Mar 2008


Yurika Nakamura, marathon debutante, wins Nagoya Women’s Marathon

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Yurika Nakamura wins 29th Nagoya Women’s Marathon (© IAAF.org)

Surging away from her competitions at 32.5Km, Yurika Nakamura convincingly won today’s 29th Nagoya Women’s Marathon in 2:25:51. The event is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

Nakamura’s performance thus made a case to be included in the Japanese Olympic marathon team. There is one problem, though.  Her time was slower than 2:25:34, the time recorded by Tomo Morimoto in the 2008 Osaka Ladies Marathon in January.  However, Nakamura won the race, while Moritomo finished second to Mara Yamauchi in Osaka. Furthermore, Nakamura covered 30Km to 35Km in 16:31, 35Km to 40Km in 16:44 and 40Km to finish in 7:13.

These times are faster than the corresponding time by Morimoto in Osaka.  With Reiko Tosa, pre-selected, and Mizuki Noguchi almost assured on the team spot, the JAAF will be discussing the merits of Nakamura and Morimoto tomorrow to decide the third member of the Japanese women’s Olympic marathon team.  Interestingly, both Nakamura and Morimoto run for the Tenmaya track team, whose runners - Eri Yamaguchi and Naoko Sakamoto - have finished seventh in the last two Olympic Games. 

Although a marathon debutante, Nakamura ran like a cagey veteran. She won the race by surging during the last part of the race, the tactics often employed by Naoko Takahashi in her heyday.  Nakamura opened up a 17 seconds gap by 35Km, and then ran the rest of the race unchallenged, winning by 28 seconds.

Finishing second in the race, with 2:26:19, is Yoshimi Ozaki, another marathon debutante. Ozaki was not even an invited runner.  It should be noted that both Nakamura and Ozaki ran well in the recent World Road Running Championships. Nakamura finished seventh in 2006, while Ozaki was 13th last year.  Yuri Kano, who dropped out at 18Km in the Osaka Ladies Marathon, made another attempt to make the Olympic team in Nagoya.  She finished third in 2:26:39. 

2000 Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi, who attracted most media attention before the race, fell behind the leaders early, at 9Km, and finished disappointing 27th in 2:44:18. It was far her slowest marathon time.  Another sentimental favourite Harumi Hiroyama was ninth in 2:29:50.

How race unfolded…

The race started slow. “It was much slower than what I expected,” said Nakamura. The leader covered the first Km in 3:25 and then the pace slowed even more. The pack of 37 runners covered the second Km in 3:34. By 5Km (17:53), the pack was reduced to 31 runner.

Then at 9Km Takahashi started to drift backward. By 10Km, which a lead group of 24 runners passed in 35:47, Takahashi was already 26 seconds behind the leader.  The pace stayed slow.  The next 5Km took 17:46, followed by 17:15.  The half marathon was passed in sluggish 1:14:43. It was a slowest half marathon split time since 1997.

The first real action took place when Yumiko Hara surged after the 25Km aid station.  She covered the 26 to 27Km in 3:14, and Kiyoko Shimahara lost contact with the leaders.  Then at 28.5Km, Naoko Sakamoto took over the lead to break the lead pack.  It was a reminiscence of 2004 Osaka Ladies Marathon, where Sakamoto surged away from the completions to clinch the Olympic team berth.

Soon, six runners – Sakamoto, Yuri Kano, Yurika Nakamura, Yoshimi Ozaki, Yumiko Hara and Chika Horie emerged as contenders for the Olympic team.  However, Sakamoto’s move was not decisive as four years ago and these six runners stayed together until 31Km uphill, where Chika Horie surged to stretched the lead pack.  Sakamoto and Hara lost ground in succession.

“I was thinking about making my move around this point, but Horie made her move first. So all I was thinking at this time was not to lose contact with her,” said Nakamura after the race.

Slightly over a Km later, it was Nakamura’s turn to surge.  She covered 32 to 33Km in 3:13 and then 33 to 34Km in 3:14, the pace nobody was able to stay with. She ran alone in the final 10Km. “I kept on pushing imagining that someone is just behind me.  I was also thinking I must at least break 2:26,” said Nakamura who won by comfortable margin of 28 seconds. 

Kano kept her hope alive by trying to stay close to the leader, but with 5Km to go in the race, Yoshimi Ozaki caught and passed Kano to move into second.   Thus, two marathon debutantes, finished first and second.

Ken Nakamura for IAAF
Assisted by Akihiro Onishi

Weather: Sunny;   temperature:  13.5C;  humidity: 45%;  wind: 2.2m/s East  

Results:
1. Yurika Nakamura   2:25:51
2. Yoshimi Ozaki 2:26:19
3. Yuri Kano  2:26:39
4. Yumiko Hara 2:27:14
5. Chika Horie  2:27:16 
6. Megumi Oshima 2:29:03
7. Yumi Hirata 2:29:23
8. Maya Nishio 2:29:34 
9. Harumi Hiroyama 2:29:50
10. Naoko Sakamoto 2:30:21
11. Kiyoko Shimahara 2:30:30
12. Kaori Yoshida 2:30:58
13. Yuko Machida 2:31:45
14. Akane Taira  2:33:12
15. Ayumi Hayashi 2:34:09
16. Kiyomi Ogawa 2:34:17 

27)  Naoko Takahashi  2:44:18

Splits:
5Km 17:53  Joyce Kirui  (KEN)
10Km 35:47 (17:54) Margaret Toroitich (KEN)
15Km 53:33 (17:46) Yumi Hirata 
20Km 1:10:48 (17:15) Harumi Hiroyama
Half 1:14:43  Harumi Hiroyama
25Km 1:28:23 (17:35) Yumi Hirata 
30Km 1:45:23 (17:00)  Naoko Sakamoto
35Km 2:01:54 (16:31) Yurika Nakamura
 2:02:11  Yuri Kano
 2:02:15  Yoshimi Ozaki
 2:02:19  Chika Horie
 2:02:30  Yumiko Hara
 2:02:57  Naoko Sakamoto
40Km 2:18:38 (16:44) Yurika Nakamura
 2:19:06  Yoshimi Ozaki
 2:19:12  Yuri Kano
 2:19:43  Yumiko Hara
 2:19:55  Chika Horie
Finish 2:25:51 (7:13) Yurika Nakamura
 2:26:39  Yuri Kano 

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