The interesting competition on the first races of the year 2018 does not end.

This time it's the time of another race in Japan, which has almost half a century of history.

An hour after the first race in Tokyo (and therefore, time zones permitting, it should be the third race of 2018) more than 30 walkers competed at the 49th edition of the New Year'd Day Walk in the Prefecture of Aichi, near Nagoya in the center of Japan.

The races were those on 20km men and women, with some side events for high school students on 10km for U20 men and 5km for U20 women which saw both the participation of more than a dozen athletes.

The races were held on road around the Mizuho Stadium, but starting on track.

20km men

Only four athletes at the start.

Yudai Ozaki (JPN), who had won the same race last year and who walked together with the other university Wataru Kawamura (JPN) for more than half the race. The two continued together for a few more kilometers before Ozaki forced the pace in the final lap and went on to win again this year.

Victory then for Yudai Ozaki (JPN) in 1:52:45 which touches the personal best of 1:52.44.7 obtained at Koganei (JPN) on January 8, 2017.

Second place to Wataru Kawamura (JPN) in 1:53:08

Third place to Yoshito Yamada (JPN) in 1:58:44

20 km women

There was a name well known to the Japanese chronicles in the list of participants: that of Rena Goto (JPN), athlete with a personal best of 1:31:00 established in Nomi (JPN) on March 20, 2016, but above all the winner of the Japanese University Championships in Fukuroi last September 10, 2017 where she covered the 10.000m track distance in 45:49.80.

Unfortunately she did not show up at the start.

Therefore, in the absence of other competitors, the race was not held.

(co-operation by Akihiro Sugimoto - JPN)