TOKYO WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL MARATHON, JAPAN – Tosa won, Takahashi third

Reiko Tosa ran away from 2000 Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi just after 31km writes Ken Nakamura. It was Tosa’s third marathon victory. She had also won the 2004 Nagoya Women’s marathon, which qualified her for the 2004 Olympic marathon in which she finished fifth. She had also been a close runner-up to Lidia Simon in the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.

Conditions were less than favourable. Drizzle became steady rain by mid-race and the last half was also marred by a head-wind. Because Tosa did not break 2:26 she has no automatic qualification for the 2007 World Championships team, and has to await results from the Osaka Ladies and Nagoya Women’s Marathons.

Takahashi finished a disappointing third. It was her first loss against another Japanese, her slowest time, and her lowest finishing place in a marathon since her 2:31:32 debut at the 1997 Osaka Ladies Marathon.

The lead pack quickly dwindled to eight runners — Tosa, Takahashi, Zivile Balciunate (runner up last year), Olivera Jevtic (European silver medallist), Jen Rhines and Asha Gigi, plus the two pacemakers.

Akemi Ozaki, running her second marathon, caught up with the lead pack but Rhines, Jevtic and Balciunaite started to fall off the pace soon afterwards. Ozaki also started to fall behind, and ran most of the race between the lead and the chase packs.

After 20km, Gigi, who ran the BERLIN-MARATHON in September, was off the pace. At halfway Tosa and Takahashi were led through by Ivanova in 1:10:53. The rain was now steady and hopes of fast times further diminished as runners faced a headwind. Ivanova dropped out at 27km and the pace slowed further. At 30km Tosa and Takahashi were a minute ahead of Ozaki. „I did not surge at 31km,“ Tosa said after the race. Takahashi just fell away, as the splits confirm (3:29, 3:32 between 30-32km).

After 32km the gap quickly grew. Tosa covered the 30-35km section 42 seconds faster than Takahashi, and the race was over. From 35km, the runners must contend with the hill, and Takahashi was losing 20 seconds with each kilometre as Ozaki closed down, passing her with 3km to go.

In an interesting aside, Tosa commented: „Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday. I think I gave him a good birthday present.“ She is the first married female runner in Japan to win a major marathon.

WOMEN:
1 Reiko TOSA JPN 2:26:15
2 Akemi OZAKI JPN 2:28:51
3 Naoko TAKAHASHI JPN 2:31:22
4 Olivera JEVTIC SER 2:33:11
5 Zivile BALCIUNAITE LTU 2:33:18
6 Mary PTIKANY KEN 2:34:31
7 Jennifer RHINES USA 2:35:37
8 Atsede BAYSA ETH 2:37:48
9 Maki KONO JPN 2:39:48
10 Yumiko MINATO JPN 2:40:36

courtesy:
www.aims-association.org