Nishihara Sets 10 km National Collegiate Record at Sanyo Women's Road Race

by Brett Larner

As the year draws to a close the last major non-ekiden road race of the Japanese calendar, the Sanyo Women's Road Race 10 km and half marathon, took place Dec. 23 in Okayama. With the cancellation of the National University Women's Invitational Ekiden Bukkyo University put many of its best runners into both races, resulting in one of the most competitive 10 km fields in Sanyo history.

Kenyan ace Sally Chepyego Kaptich (Team Kyudenko) dueled with 2010 National University 5000 m champion Kasumi Nishihara (Bukkyo Univ.) before pulling away to win in 32:13. Nishihara outran teammate and collegiate 10000 m national record holder Hikari Yoshimoto to take 2nd in 32:26, a new collegiate 10 km road national record and the second-fastest time ever by a Japanese woman on the Sanyo course. Yoshimoto in turn held off pros Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) and Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) for 3rd in 32:34. Shigetomo, who had an outstanding race just four days ago to put Tenmaya into the lead for its first-ever National Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden title, was the top Tenmaya finisher, the team's ace Yurika Nakamura finishing only 19th in 34:02. A notable finisher was accident and injury-plagued junior 10000 m national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno), who turned in virtually her only race of the year in 33:33 for 13th.

In the half marathon, the newly-minted Team Otsuka Seiyaku continued to make an impact with its Shoko Mori breaking away at 17 km from a lead pack including year-leading Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera), Sapporo Half Marathon winner Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) and Team Tenmaya's national title-winning anchor Kaori Urata. Mori ran a nearly four-minute PB, finishing in 1:11:41 to take the win with a 25-second margin over runner-up Miyauchi.

2010 Sanyo Women's Road Race
10 km
click here for complete results
1. Sally Chepyego Kaptich (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 32:13
2. Kasumi Nishihara (Bukkyo Univ.) - 32:26 - NUR
3. Hikari Yoshimoto (Bukkyo Univ.) - 32:34
4. Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 32:36
5. Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) - 32:38
6. Machiko Iwakawa (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:48
7. Namiko Yamamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 32:52
8. Christine Muyanga (Kenya/Team Panasonic) - 32:58
9. Chinami Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) - 33:08
10. Mai Ishibashi (Bukkyo Univ.) - 33:09
-----
13. Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) - 33:33
19. Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya) - 34:02

Half Marathon
click here for complete results
1. Shoko Mori (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:41 - PB
2. Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 1:12:06
3. Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) - 1:12:29
4. Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya) - 1:12:35
5. Mina Nomura (Team Nihon ChemiCon) - 1:13:45
6. Mika Okunaga (Team Kyudenko) - 1:14:14
7. Yuka Izumi (Team Tenmaya) - 1:14:26
8. Chiharu Matsuo (Team Kyudenko) - 1:14:34
9. Emi Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) - 1:14:48
10. Yumi Sato (Team Shiseido) - 1:15:23

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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