Okayama and Maruichi Win Shibamata 100 km – Brett Larner – Japan Running News

Yamaguchi, Ruel and Fukuda all DNFd, Fukuda after only 50 km, Ruel after 60 km, and Yamaguchi not making it to 90 km. Having ignored the early fast pace and stuck to a steady 4:00/km, Masato Takahashi (Track Tokyo) was 2nd in 6:43:01. Veteran Hideo Nojo (Mitsui Fudosan) went out at around 3:45/km and held it until almost 40 km before slowing, finishing 3rd just behind Takahashi in 6:43:53. Along with Okayama, Ryoya Takabayashi, Masato Tanaka and Masato Namai all survived the lead group’s pace to finish, Takabayashi taking 4th, Tanaka 6th and Namai 7th.

Maruichi was alone from the gun, starting out at around 4:25/km and speeding up at fast as 4:18/km before slowing to finish 8th overall in 7:53:16 for the women’s win and improving on her runner-up performance two years ago by over 20 minutes.

Aiko Kanematsu (Team Oligol) and Yuka Adachi (Honjo RC) started off together closer to 4:30/km, Kanematsu ending up 2nd in 7:58:27 and Adachi 3rd in 8:40:31. 4th-placer Yuka Seki was the only other woman to go under 10 hours at 9:15:31.

1. Haruki Okayama (Comodi Iida) – 6:23:16

2. Masato Takahashi (Track Tokyo) – 6:43:01

3. Hideo Nojo (Mitsui Fudosan) – 6:43:53

4. Ryoya Takabayashi – 6:58:42

5. Naoki Kawashima – 7:16:43

6. Masato Tanaka – 7:18:54

7. Masato Namai – 7:28:17

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DNF – Jo Fukuda (Hoka)

DNF – Guillaume Ruel (France)

DNF – Jumpei Yamaguchi (Eldoreso)

1. Akiko Maruichi (GRlab) – 7:53:16

2. Aiko Kanematsu (Team Algol) – 7:58:27

3. Yuka Adachi (Honjo RC) – 8:40:31

4. Yuka Seki – 9:15:31