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Kano Makes Debut Back in Shiseido Uniform

by Brett Larner

2010 Nagoya International Women's Marathon winner Yuri Kano (Team Shiseido) ran her first race since leaving Second Wind AC and career-long coach Manabu Kawagoe at the end of the summer to return to her previous sponsor, Shiseido.  Wearing the new Shiseido uniform for the first time, Kano placed 4th in the women's 5000 m A-heat, at 15:57.80 the fastest Shiseido runner of the night ahead of marathoner Yoshiko Fujinaga who won the B-heat in 15:59.63.  Kano hopes to make Japan's marathon squad for next summer's London Olympics.

National champion Bukkyo University's Mai Ishibashi won the A-heat in a solid 15:37.56, with Bukkyo first-year Risa Shibuya likewise strong as she finished 3rd in 15:46.53.  The team's chances for defending its title at the upcoming National University Women's Ekiden Championships continue to look better and better.

In the men's and women's 10000 m A-heats both Tomomi Itakura (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) and Kumi Ogura (Team Shikoku Denryoku) had easy wins, Itakura clocking 28:36.49 to win by nearly 37 seconds and Ogura running 32:43.66 to win by almost 39 seconds.

Nighter Trial in Marugame
Marugame, Kagawa, 10/8/11
click here for ocmplete results

Women's 5000 m Heat 3
1. Mai Ishibashi (Bukkyo Univ.) - 15:37.56
2. Hitomi Nakamura (Team Panasonic) - 15:43.19
3. Risa Shibuya (Bukkyo Univ.) - 15:46.53
4. Yuri Kano (Team Shiseido) - 15:57.80
5. Misato Horie (Team Noritz) - 15:58.62

Women's 5000 m Heat 2
1. Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) - 15:59.63
2. Yuri Umemura (Team Panasonic) - 16:01.36
3. Atsuko Muraoka (Team Shiseido) - 16:01.90

Women's 10000 m
1. Kumi Ogura (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 32:43.66
2. Yuka Yano (Canon AC Kyushu) - 33:22.05
3. Rina Yamazaki (Team Panasonic) - 33:55.63

Men's 10000 m Heat 2
1. Tomomi Itakura (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:36.49
2. Yohei Nishiyama (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 29:13.46
3. Kosuke Murasashi (Team YKK) - 29:18.00

(c) 2011 Brett Larner
all rights reseverd

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