Ideal day for walkers in Kobe, where on the traditional Rokko Island route the 102nd edition of the Japan Championship of Marcia took place on 20km.
20km men
Immediately take the lead Isamu Fujisawa (JPN), Koki Ikeda (JPN), Eiki Takahashi (JPN), Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN), Tomohiro Noda (JPN), Hirooki Arai (JPN) and Motofumi Suwa (JPN) and they pass together at 5km in 19:51. Together with them Daisuke Matsunaga (JPN) who will then abandon the race.
Shortly after Isamu Fujisawa increases the pace and gains about ten seconds on the group of pursuers that is reduced to three units: Takahashi, Yamanishi and Ikeda
The passage to 10km is:
- Fujisawa: 39:06 (19:14)
- Takahashi, Yamanishi and Ikeda: 39:19 (19:28)
More behind Hirooki Arai and Tomohiro Noda in 39:29 (19:37)
At 15km the leader of the race is still Isamu Fujisawa in 58:40 (19:34) but his advantage over the trio who chased him was reduced to just seven seconds. Takahashi, Yamanishi and Ikeda walked the third fraction of the race in 19:28.
When Isamu Fujisawa is reached (around 14km) remain in four for a lap, but immediately after Ikeda force the pace and with him remain Yamanishi and Takahashi.
Fujisawa is about twenty meters away.
The three continue together until the last lap when again we try to lengthen Ikeda, but Takahashi does not give up and on the long final straight overtook him and goes to win the title of Japan for the fifth time here in Kobe 1:18:00.
Takahashi covered last 5km in 19:13
Second place to Koki Ikeda (JPN) in 1:18:01 (ultimi 5km in 19:14)
Third place to Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN) in in 1:18:10 (ultimi 5km in 19:23)
Fourth arrives Isamu Fujisawa (JPN) in 1:18:53 (last 5km in 20:13) and with him there are four athletes to break the wall of 1:19:00.
In fifth and sixth position end respectively Tomohiro Noda and Hirooki Arai: they stop the clock in 1:19:00.
20km women
There were two favorites: one for the victory here in Kobe (Liu Hong) and the other for the title of the 20km Champion of Japan (Kumiko Okada).
Both predictions have been respected.
Liu Hong and Kumiko Okada walk together for over three quarters of the race, one next to the other almost seemed to want to keep company.
Below her split times each 5km:
- 5km: 22:07
- 10km: 44:17 (second 5km in 22:10)
- 15km: 1:06:15 (third 5km in 21:58)
With just four laps from the end, Liu Hong stretches just enough and will no longer be catched.
The last 5km, the fastest of the whole race, are covered in a time of 21:41.
Vince Liu Hong (CHN) with the non-official time of 1:27:56
Second and Champion of Japan, Kumiko Okada (JPN) in in 1:28:26
Below her split times each 5km:
- 5km: 22:06
- 10km: 44:17 (second 5km in 22:11)
- 15km: 1:06:23 (third 5km in 22:06)
Third place (silver of the Championships) to Nanako Fujii (JPN) in 1:29:55
Fourth place (bronze of the Championships) to Kaori Kawazoe (JPN) in 1:31:10
U20 events
10km U20 men
Victory to Ryo Hamanishi (JPN) in 40:58
Split time at 5km was of 20:19
Second place to Takumi Kitamura (JPN) in 41:11
Third place to Masaru Suzuki (JPN) in 41:18
5km U20 women
Victory to Minori Yabuta (JPN) in 22.23
Second place to Sae Kitakohji (JPN) in 22:37
Third place to Sakura Kaneko (JPN) in 22:43