Ken Nakamura for the IAAFMaking her move over the uphill after 31Km, Yuri Kano won today’s 2010 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, Nagoya, Japan (14) with in 2:27:11. The race doubled as the national championships.
The Nagoya International Women’s Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
It was Kano’s first victory in any of the big three domestic marathons (Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo), whose only marathon victory previously was at the 2007 Hokkaido Marathon. “I have promised myself to challenge for a victory many times before but I was unable to attain my goal previously. So this time I was determined to win; I did not care about the time,” said the new national champion. “I think I have moved up to be a runner at the higher level. It was not easy when I made my move, but I was able to pull away from other runners quite easily, so I decided to continue to push the pace.”
Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu, who was considered to be a co-favourite along with Kano, dropped off the pace after half way but then worked her way back to finish second in 2:28:13, one minute two seconds behind the winner.
Hiromi Ominami, running 20th marathon of her career, the race was her sixth Nagoya Women’s Marathon, and since she will be moving from Nagoya, which has been her home for last 16 years, to Tokyo next month, she was determined to win the race. Unfortunately, Ominami was unable to stay with Kano when she surged and finished third.
Highly regarded marathon debutantes, Yoko Miyauchi and Remi Nakazato, did not fare well, finishing eleventh and twelfth, respectively, but another debutante Mai Ito surprised everyone. The last runner to stay with Kano, Ito, who decided to run the Nagoya Women’s marathon last month, finished very respectable fourth with 2:29:13.
Akane Wakita, a protégé of Yoshio Koide, improved her personal best by little over a minute, but it was little disappointing considering her talent. However, Koide promised that Wakita will be running the marathon at the London Olympics.
How the race unfolded…
With Hiromi Ominami leading almost from the start, the first kilometre was covered in the fast 3:22, but the pace slowed soon and the second kilometre was covered in 3:38. The weather was relatively warm, but the wind, which has historically caused a problem was absent.
The lead group still led by Ominami and consisting of approximately 20 runners passed 5Km in 17:53. Two Russians, Tatyana Aryasova and Lyudmila Denisova were not running well. Aryasova fell off the pace early and Denisova dropped out of the race before 5Km.
The pace has picked up a bit after 5Km and the 10Km split was 35:14. After 15Km (52:43), the next Km was covered in 3:23 and a few runners started to fall off the pace, one was Mayumi Fujita but she mustered her strength and eventually finished a respectable fifth in 2:29:36.
Ominami continued to push the pace and passed the 20Km in 1:10:01. After passing half marathon in 1:13:51, the pace increased, and the lead pack became a single file of runners. In front, Ominami, Kano and marathon debutante Mai Ito formed the lead group, followed closely by Derartu Tulu and Yuko Machida.
Akane Wakita and two marathon debutantes Remi Nakazato and Yoko Miyauchi were unable to keep up with the leaders and fell off the pace.
Kano took over the lead temporarily at 27Km, but Ominami took it back just as quickly. Meanwhile Machida fell off the pace leaving Tulu as the only close pursuer of the lead pack.
Slowly but surely, the gap started to develop between three leaders and Tulu. After 29Km, Kano again moved into the front to push the pace. Approaching 30Km, Ominami started to drift back.
By 30Km (1:44:36), the lead pack was reduced to Kano and Ito. Then over the uphill after 31Km, although the pace did not increase, Ito also started to fall behind, and by 35Km (2:01:53) she was 19 seconds behind Kano. Ominami had not given up, but she had fallen 51 seconds behind Kano by 35Km.
Meanwhile Tulu, who was 11 seconds behind Ominami started to close the gap on her and just after 5Km to go with the race, Tulu passed Ominami to move up into third. As Ito’s pace dropped, at 38.6Km Tulu also passed her. However, Tulu, who was a minute and two seconds behind Kano at 35Km, was unable to gain much on the leader as she continued to run strongly. Meanwhile, Ito, a marathon debutante was suffering and just before 40Km, she was passed by Ominami.
Up front, Kano’s pace dropped slightly, but she was never threatened by her pursuers and won comfortably in 2:27:11, minute and two seconds ahead of Tulu.
Weather: Sunny; temperature: 16.4C; humidity: 17%; wind: 1.2m/s NE
RESULTS (JPN unless otherwise noted)
1. Yuri Kano 2:27:11 (17:53,17:21,17:30,17;17,17:22,17:13,17:17,17:39,7:39)
2. Derartu Tulu (ETH) 2:28:13
3. Hiromi Ominami 2:28:35
4. Mai Ito 2:29:13 debut
5. Mayumi Fujita 2:29:36
6. Akane Wakita 2:29:54
7. Mika Okunaga 2:30:19
8. Yuko Machida 2:31:42
9. Aimi Horikoshi 2:32:44
10. Rose Nyangacha (KEN) 2:33:16
11. Yoko Miyauchi 2:33:36
12. Remi Nakazato 2:34:29
13. Shoko Miyazaki 2:34:34
14. Eri Okubo 2:35:34
15. Yukiko Makihara 2:36:11
16. Nozomi Iijima 2:38:04
…
19) Tatyana Aryasova (RUS) 2:41:03
20) Wang Jiali (CHN) 2:41.27
ShareThis