Russia Defends Title, Team USA Wins Silver Medal at Yokohama International Women’s Ekiden Fastest marathon road relay all-time by U.S. women – From Terrence Mahon, Ken Nakamura with assistance from Akihiro Onishi

YOKOHAMA, Japan – (February 25, 2007) – With three consecutive stage bests at the start, the Russian team convincingly won the 25th Yokohama International Women’s Ekiden marathon road relay in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 48 seconds on Sunday. Team USA led by 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. earned the silver medal in 2:16:04 to hold off Japan who finished third (2:16:07).

For the United States, it was another sign of its distance running resurgence. Although not a U.S. 6-leg marathon relay record because the distance configuration needs to be 5K, 10K, 5K, 10K, 5K and 7.2K, it nonetheless was the fastest marathon ekiden by a U.S. women’s team. Previous best was 2:17:09 at Chiba, Japan 1988 (also silver medal). The 2007 team also tied for the second best place at a women’s ekiden (Yokohama 1986 and Chiba 1988). Team USA won the 1989 Kagome-Ekiden International for Women (2:19:22) in Barcelona, Spain.

„The reason why we won is because we were able to put together a very good team, and we trained very hard for this race,“ said Lilia Shobukhova after Russia defended its Yokohama crown.

It was Russia’s ninth victory in the 25-year history of this ekiden. However, it was the first time Russia won back-to-back. The Russian team took the lead from the start and they never relinquished it. One common strategy for an ekiden is to line up the runners in the best form in the first few stages to take the commanding lead and then try to hold on to their lead. The Russians did exactly that, and cruised to the win.

Although the U.S. team closed the gap to 59 seconds after the 5th leg, it was the closest the U.S. team ever got to the lead. At the end, Russia won by one minute and 16 seconds over Team USA. For the second place U.S. team, it was their best finish here since 1986 when they also were runner-up. The Japanese team, third last year, again finished third. Although four of the six runners from the last year’s second place Chinese team were back again this year, they finished only 13th this year.

Under sunny, 40 degree and windy conditions on the out-and-back marathon course, Lilia Shobukhova of Russia led from the gun. U.S., Japan and Kenya’s lead-off legs attempted to stay with the Russian, but Shobukhova pushed the pace and passed 3K in 8:49 and 4K in 11:50. Meanwhile, Team USA’s Jen Rhines started to break away from Japan’s Yuriko Kobayashi around 2.9K. At the end of the 5K first leg, which Shobukhova covered in 14:55, a new stage record, Russia led the U.S. by 20 seconds. Rhines also run well as she covered the leg in 15:05. Kobayashi was third fastest (15:13), not as fast as her 2006 time, 15:10. Shobokhova broke her own leg record, 14:49, from last year. Two years ago, she also set the 4th leg 6K record.

With consecutive leg bests by Galina Bogomolova and Lidia Grigoryeva, Russia increased its lead in the 10K second leg and 6K third leg. In the second stage, Bogomolova covered the 10K in 31:08, one second faster than Team USA’s Deena Kastor. Bogomolova’s time was a new leg record, previous record 31:09, set by Grigoryeva last year. Kastor, who started 20 seconds behind Bogomolova, closed the gap to 11 seconds at the 5K, but in the second half of the leg, Bogomolova regained the advantage back.

In the third stage, Grigoryeva covered the 6K leg in 19:04 to put the Russian team further ahead. In perhaps the most competitive leg, Carrie Tollefson finished 8th in 19:30 and Team USA was now 47 seconds behind Team Russia.

In the 6K fourth leg, Yoko Miyauchi of Japan recorded the stage best of 19:18 and Amy Rudolph (USA) ran the 4th fastest time (19:58). The Russians now led the U.S. by minute and 16 seconds, while Japan was another 30 seconds back.

For the second consecutive leg, the Russian team was not able to record the stage best. The 2006 European 10,000m champion Inga Abitova had only third fastest time in 33:16 as Team USA’s Katie McGregor covered the 10K fifth leg in 32:59 and the U.S. team cut the deficit to 59 seconds from 1:16.

In the six and the final stage, Ayumi Hashimoto, the captain of the Japanese team ran brilliantly. She covered the 5.195K leg in 16:46, the fastest by 20 seconds. Hashimoto started 40 seconds behind American Elva Dryer, but at the end, Hashimoto fell short by three seconds. „I could see the U.S. team ahead, but I just could not catch up,“ said Hashimoto post-race. The Russian won comfortably in 2:14:48, followed by Team USA and Japan, 2:16:04 and 2:16:07 respectively.

25th Yokohama International Women’s Ekiden
Yokohama, JPN, Sunday, February 25, 2007

1) RUS, 2:14:48
2) USA, 2:16:04
3) JPN, 2:16:07
4) Kyushu, 2:19:12
5) KEN, 2:19:18
6) Kanto-Tokyo, 2:19:55
7) Chugoku-Shikoku, 2:20:34
8) Hokkaido-Tohoku, 2:20:54
9) GBR, 2:22:01
10) Tokai-Hokuriku, 2:22:09
11) Kinki, 2:22:18
12) ROM, 2:23:05
13) CHN, 2:23:16
14) Kanagawa, 2:24:57

Leg 1 – 5K
1) Lilia Shobukhova (RUS), 14:45, new stage record
2) Jen Rhines (USA / CA), 15:05
3) Yuriko Kobayashi (JPN), 15:13

Leg 2 – 10K
1) Galina Bogomolova (RUS), 31:08, new stage record
2) Deena Kastor (USA / CA), 31:09
3) Mara Yamauchi (GBR), 31:43

Leg 3 – 6K
1) Lidia Grigoryeva (RUS), 19:04
2) Hiroko Miyauchi (Kyushu), 19:15
3) Kaori Kumasaka (Hokkaido-Tohoku), 19:19
8) Carrie Tollefson (USA / MN), 19:30

Leg 4 – 6K
1) Yoko Miyauchi (JPN), 19:18
2) Maria Konovalova (RUS), 19:29
3) Caroline Chepkorir (KEN), 19:53
4) Amy Rudolph (USA / RI), 19:58

Leg 5 – 10K
1) Katie McGregor (USA / MN), 32:59
2) Misaki Katsumata (JPN), 33:09
3) Inga Abitova (RUS), 33:16

Leg 6 – 5.195K
1) Ayumi Hashimoto (JPN), 16:46
2) Olesya Syreva (RUS), 17:06
3) Yuka Takashima (Chugoku-Shikoku), 17:13
5) Elva Dryer (USA / CO), 17:23

Complete results and more at:
www.ntv.co.jp/w-ekiden2007/sokuhou/index.html

Source/Courtesy
www.runningusa.org
Source
runningusa