A little while ago, in the late Japanese afternoon (15:30), the "2nd Juntendo University Long Distance Meeting" was held.
A great day of walking on 10,000m track walk of the Japanese athletes, who thus knew how to honor the memory of those who had followed them for some time as a technical consultant and today he is no longer with us for a few days: Jordi Llopart.
Inzai (JPN) had already been the scene of a great 5.000m track walk last 25 October 2020: today it was even more so.
10.000m track walk men
A race to remember, one of those that go down in the annals of the history of a Country that is making a national school of race walking, which ended up 69/100 of a second on the finish line.
Eiki Takahashi (JPN) won with a mark of 37:25.21.
Destroyed his personal best of 38:01.5h obtained in Nagasaki (JPN) on 13.12.2015 and the previous Japan record that belonged to Daisuke Matsunaga.
But what matters most is that this result represents the best world distance performance ever. Takahashi, who already held the fourth performance ever, swept away the precedents of:
- Francisco Javier Fernandez (ESP): 37:53.09 obtained in santa Cruz de Tenerife (ESP) on 28.7.2008
- Daisuke Matsunaga (JPN): 37:58:08 obtained in Kitami (JPN) on 7.7.2018 (the old Japan record)
- Ivano Brugnetti (ITA): 37:58.6h obtained in Sesto San Giovanni (ITA) on 23.7.2005.
Takahashi had to work hard to get the better of Koki Ikeda (JPN) who finished second in 37:25.90. Obviously also for him the personal best. Shattered the previous (38:40.04) was obtained in Kitami (JPN) on 7.7.2018, as well as the previous record of Japan. Two weeks ago, in Inzai (JPN) he had obtained the PB on the 5.000m track walk in 18:20.14, also setting the national record of Japan and the best Asian performance.
Below Takahashi's split times each lap (400m).
| 1 | 1:26.7 | | 11 | 1:29.9 | | 21 | 1:31.2 |
| 2 | 1:29.9 | | 12 | 1:28.9 | | 22 | 1:31.8 |
| 3 | 1:29.9 | | 13 | 1:30.3 | | 23 | 1:30.2 |
| 4 | 1:28.7 | | 14 | 1:31.8 | | 24 | 1:24.6 |
| 5 | 1:30.4 | | 15 | 1:31.9 | | 25 | 1:20.0 |
| 6 | 1:30.0 | | 16 | 1:29.8 | | | |
| 7 | 1:29.4 | | 17 | 1:30.8 | | | |
| 8 | 1:30.8 | | 18 | 1:31.6 | | | |
| 9 | 1:31.3 | | 19 | 1:31.6 | | | |
| 10 | 1:31.1 | | 20 | 1:31.2 | | | |
It remains only to remember that the best world performance ever over the distance of 10km on the road is still firmly on the shoulders of Roman Rasskazov (RUS), the star of Russia who shone for very few seasons (2001 - 2003). Rasskazov set his best performance (37:11) in Saransk (RUS) on 28.5.2000.
Third place, but also under the previous best world performance, Yuta Koki (JPN) in 37:35.00.
Obviously also for him shattered the personal best (39:44.21) obtained in Hitachinaka (JPN) on 8.10.2019, as well as the previous record of Japan. Two weeks ago, in Inzai (JPN) he had obtained the PB on the 5.000m track walk in 18:26.70.
After these results, the fourth place of Masatora Kawano (JPN) almost disappears in 38:23.95 new personal best. Previous of 38:50.37 obtained in Kitami (JPN) on 7.7.2018.
Below the updated list of 10 best ever in 10.000m track walk
10.000m track walk women
Solo victory by Kumiko Okada (JPN) in 44: 11.56
Second place to Sayori Matsumoto (JPN) in 48: 54.52
Third place in Au Karayose (JPN) in 50: 57.59
(Photos thaks to Nami Haiashi, JPN and Koji Hoga Miura, JPN)