Mizuki Noguchi claims the course record in Tokyo (© Kazutaka Eguchi/Agence Shot)
Surging away from Kenyan Salina Kosgei, her last challenger, at 36.5 kilometres, Mizuki Noguchi, the reigning Olympic champion, won the Tokyo International Women’s Marathon in 2:21:37. It was a course record, eclipsing the 2:22:12 by Eri Yamaguchi recorded in the 1999 edition of the race.
It was quite a respectable performances considering the 40 metre uphill section of the course between kilometres 36 and 39. Additionally conditions were quite warm: the temperature at the start was 17 C., rising to 20 C one hour into the race.
With her victory, Noguchi thus became only the second runner to win the three big Japanese women’s marathons – Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Katrin Dorre of the DDR was the only runner to accomplish this feat before today.
“Because I heard my rivals are in great shape, I was scared,” Noguchi admitted after the race. “My preparation was very good,” she continued, before explaining the race conditions.
“The first half of the race was quite tough because of the head wind, but it was nothing compared to my training in St Moritz and Kunming. I had planed to go fast from the gun, but because of the head wind I decided to be bit more careful.”
The race was expected to be a showdown between Yoko Shibui and Noguchi. “I hate to lose, so when I was running side by side with Shibui, I was thinking, I cannot lose. I have a very competitive personality.” However, the expected showdown ended before it really began, for Shibui lost contact with Noguchi and Salina Kosgei before 30K, and finished a disappointing seventh. Kosgei hung on with Noguchi until the start of the uphill and finished in 2:23:31, within 10 seconds of her personal best.
How the race unfolded
Soon after the start, a lead pack of nine runners was quickly formed, passing the first kilometre in 3:24. Initially the runners appeared cautious with the pace because of the unseasonably warm weather along with the headwind. The lead pack, with the Noguchi in front was quickly reduced to seven – Noguchi, Shibui, Hiromi Ominami, Akemi Ozaki, Bruna Genovese, Kosgei, and Zivile Balciunaite. First to lose contact with the leader was Balciunaite.
The pack of six runners passed 5Km in 16:38 and 10Km in 33:27, with the pace remaining moderate partially due to the head wind. Soon after 10Km, the next casualty, despite the steady pace of around 3:20 for each Km, was Ozaki, who was second last year.
Five runners passed 15Km in 50:23, but a kilometre later the lead pack split into two: Shibui, Noguchi and Kosgei went to the lead, with Ominami and Genovese now trailing. After passing 20Km in 1:07:35, Kosgei fell a few steps behind the two leaders, however she regained contact and the trio passed the half marathon point in 1:11:16. After the turn-around point, with the wind now behind them, the pace started to pick up with the threesome churning sub-3:20 kilometre splits.
Noguchi covered 29Km to 30Km in 3:15, and just before the 30th, Shibui began to lose contact, now trailing by some six seconds. By 30Km, Shibui was six seconds behind Noguchi and Kosgei.
The five kilometre segment from 30Km to 35Km was covered in 16:26, the fastest split of the race. Noguchi covered the uphill 36th kilometre in 3:16, and she began to pull over the next kilometre. Noguchi covered the uphill five kilometres between 35 and 40 in an incredible 16:56, the fastest split in the history of the race. The previous best for the segment was 17:08 by Valentina Yegorova in 1994.
Meanwhile, Shibui was nowhere to be seen, her Olympic dream slipping away. In the 38th kilometre, she was passed by Genovese and dropped to fourth, and a kilometre later was also passed by Ozaki, and eventually drifted to seventh in 2:34:19, the slowest time of her marathon career.
With her impressive run, Noguchi is almost certain to be selected to the Japanese Olympic marathon team, unless more than one runner break Noguchi’s Asian record (2:19:12) in the Osaka and Nagoya women’s marathons next year.
Ken Nakamura with assistance from Akihiro Onishi for the IAAF
Leading results:
1. Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) 2:21:37, Course Record
2. Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:23:31
3. Bruna Genovese (ITA) 2:27:35
4. Akemi Ozaki (JPN) 2:28:39, Personal Best
5. Hiromi Ominami (JPN) 2:30:24
6. Mika Hikichi (JPN) 2:34:14
7. Yoko Shibui (JPN) 2:34:19
8. Zivile Balciunaite (LTU) 2:34:29
Splits:
5Km: 16:38
10Km: 33:27 (16:49)
15Km: 50:23 (16:56)
20Km: 1:07:36 (17:13)
Half :1:11:16
25Km: 1:24:23 (16:47)
30Km: 1:41:02 (16:39)
35Km: 1:57:28 (16:26)
40Km: 2:14:24 (16:56)
Finish: 2:21:37 (7:13)
