We admit our guilt in not having known that in Japan, Tokyo was not the only walking competition that took place on January 1st.
Also in Chita, a small town of less than 90,000 inhabitants in the prefecture of Aichi, located in the Gulf of Nagoya, and in which one of the main activities is the cultivation of azaleas, this year had its "New Year's Race Walk" which reached its 52nd edition.
Obviously the top athletes of Japan were busy in Tokyo, but some University and High School competitions were held in Chita.
We admit that it is a bit difficult to imagine this kind of competitions on New Year's Day in the European context, but evidently the school-university relationship with the world of athletics (and of race walking in particular) has reached levels that we would not think of.
Events reserved for university athletes
20km men
Only two competitors at the start.
Victory to Kanda Kobayashi (JPN) in 1:28:41
Hajime Tsujimoto (JPN) instead DQed
10km men
Six competitors at the start.
Victory to Fumiya Shimada (JPN) in 44:47
Second place to Kasei Yamada (JPN) in 50:14
Third place to Yuudai Ozaki (JPN) in 59:30
The remaining three competitors were DQed
10km women
Only two competitors at the start.
Victory to Momoka Noritake (JPN) in 55:07
Miho Itoyama (JPN): DNF
Events reserved for High School athletes (years 2005-2005)
10km men
Seven competitors at the start
Victory to Ryohuei Yamanaka (JPN) in 50:16
Second place to Daichi Sassari (JPN) in 50:59
Third place to Rikuya Ikeda (JPN) in 53:52
Two more completed the race and 2 DQed
5km women
Five athletes at the start
Victory to Misane Katahata (JPN) in 25:58
Second place to Nanami Kishi (JPN) 26:24
Third place to Kobayashi Maaya (JPN) in 27:47
Two other athletes completed the race.
(Photos by Akihiro Sugimoto - JPN)