This morning (Japan time: 13:45) good results were achieved in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, where the 72nd National Sports Festival is taking place.
The day was ideal, with a temperature ranging from 19° to 22° C, but with a high humidity rate (around 80%).
The National Sports Festival takes place on several days and the women's race will take place tomorrow.
10,000m track walk men
Once again a brilliant victory of Eiki Takahashi (JPN) we remember is trained by the old acquaintance and supporters of Marcia dal Mondo, Shigeyuki Shimizu, which stops the clock on the time of 39:19:53.
Shimizu's athlete has a manual personal record of 38:01.5 obtained in Nagasaki, JPN on Dec. 13, 2015 and this year he stopped the clock to 39:46.60 in Abashiri, JPN on Jul. 13..
With this time Takahashi is actually third in the season list on the 10,000m track walk.
| Result | Pos. | Athlete | YoB | Nation | Venue | Date |
| | | | | | | |
| 38:34.23 | 1. | Dane BIRD-SMITH | 92 | AUS | Sydney (AUS) | 31.03 |
| 38:57.45 | 2. | Perseus KARLSTRÖM | 90 | SWE | Stockholm (SWE) | 02.09 |
| 39:19.53 | 3. | Eiki TAKAHASHI | 92 | JPN | Matsuyama (JPN) | 08.10 |
| 39:39.45 | 4. | Hagen POHLE | 92 | GER | Diez (GER) | 16.09 |
| 39:44.14 | 5. | Francesco FORTUNATO | 94 | ITA | Orvieto (ITA) | 23.04 |
This is ultimately for Takahashi's fourth performance on the distance
| Date | Competition | Nation | Pos. | Result |
| | | | | |
| 13.12.2015 | Nagasaki Race Walking Meet | JPN | 1. | 38:01.5h |
| 09.10.2016 | Kitakami | JPN | 1. | 38:21.88 |
| 26.09.2015 | Gifu | JPN | 1. | 39:11.95 |
| 08.10.2017 | Matsuyama | JPN | 1. | 39:19:53 |
| 24.09.2016 | Osaka | JPN | 1. | 39:22.11 |
For the second place, it was almost a minute before Kay Kobayashi (JPN) arrived (40:18.81). Also Kobayashi's time, who is a 50km specialist (this year's bronze medal at London's World Championships) is of interest, having him a personal best of 39:27.90 obtained at Saitama, JPN on May 17, 2014.
Third place to Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN) in 40:58.20 who won this year in Taipei, the University Games at 20km in 1:27:30, but had already recorded at Fukui, JPN on Sep. 9, 2017 on 10,000m track walk a great 40:22.28.
(co-operation of Tomoya Ishii - JPN)
Award ceremony