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**LuckySpikes** · 02-02-23, 00:29

Britain's team of 17 for the World Cross Country Championships in just over 2 weeks' time - https://www.worldathletics.org/compe...rld-cross-2023

Just one senior male running - poor show!

**LuckySpikes** · 05-02-23, 03:09

At the Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon in Japan, just finished ...

57:59 athlete Alexander Mutiso (KEN) won in a CR 59.17 from Cleophas Meyan (KEN) 59:18 and Andrew Lorot (KEN) 59:54.
In 4th place was Tomoki Ota. Before the race he stood at # 121 on the Japanese A-T list with his 61:39 PB. Now he's # 3 A-T with his 60:08 clocking! Then in 5th place 20yo (!) Kotaro Shinohara took a good chunk off his 61:01 PB to go # 4 JPN A-T with 60:11 - perfectly illustrating my point about the wealth of young Japanese talent that I made yesterday in the Live Streaming Links thread!

Australia's Jack Rayner fell off the pace around 7km. I didn't see him finish but I think he was about a minute or so back from the leading Japanese.

In the Women's race Pauline Kamulu (KEN) broke the course record by 4s in 67:22. She had gone off at a crazy pace, covering the first 3km in 9:09 (64:21 pace!). Rika Kaseda (JPN) ran very well for 2nd in 68:11 PB. She's a 23yo with a 31:39 10,000 PB who transitioned brilliantly to the marathon last year, debuting in Tokyo then running 2:21:55 in Berlin. Aussies Izzi Batt-Doyle & Sinead Diver were 3rd & 4th in 69:27 and 69:29.

Charlotte Purdue was a DNS.

**Occasional Hope** · 05-02-23, 12:02

I see Shaunae Miller Uibo is out for the season - she and Maicel are having a baby.

**LuckySpikes** · 05-02-23, 17:08

This morning the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country took place in Oropesa Del Mar, Spain.

I'm very pleased that this event is gaining more exposure with live streaming these days. Look what live streaming (as well as the recent involvement of Highgate) has done to raise the profile and quality of the European 10,000m Cup.

It wasn't a hugely exciting course today - mostly very flat but quite twisty-turny with about 250m of each 1.9km lap run on the beach in approx 60m sections. Last year's course in Oeiras (POR) was more interesting and challenging.

The very surprising winner of the Women's race was the unheralded Anjelina Nadai Lohalith. She's South Sudanese competing for a Tel Aviv club. Otherwise, the expected African domination didn't happen. Irene Sanchez-Escribano and the always-plucky Mariana Machado (POR) had fine races, finishing 2nd and 4th respectively, split by Fancy Cherono. The next non-Africans in 7th & 8th were the Spaniards, Isabel Barreiro and Agueda Marques (formerly Munoz). As she's a 1500m specialist (4:07 PB) I'm always quite impressed by Marques's ability on the country as well as her commitment to cross country. She races it quite a lot but, in that respect, she's not unique amongst Spanish 1500m athletes.

The Men's race was, as expected, dominated by the Africans - in this event each club is allowed one non-naturalised athlete - with Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) the totally unsurprising winner from Oscar Chelimo. The first non-African was 5th placer Aaron Las Heras (ESP) who's been running in the NCAA, followed in 6th by Sergio Paniagua (ESP) who's had a big breakthrough season on the country. Both of them are on the Spanish team for Worlds in 2 weeks' time. Ireland's Efrem Gidey was 7th.

Shame on commenatator Phil Minshull for not initially recognising the early leader of the Men's race! It was only the man with (to English speakers' ears) one of the best nicknames in athletics - "Chiki" Perez AKA Juan Antonio Perez (not that there's many athletes with commonly known nicknames).

Spanish & Portuguese clubs dominated the senior team podiums although Italy's Casone Noceto did take bronze in the Men's race led by Chelimo and Italo Quazzola.

However, in the U20 races there was no ESP/POR team domination. Mica Roma Blaj (ROU) took the Women's title from Fenerbahce (TUR) whilst in the Men's U20 race Fenerbahce won ahead of host club Playas de Castellon. French clubs took both the bronze team medals.

In the Mixed Relay Aimee Pratt ran the 2nd leg for Sporting Club de Portugal, taking over the baton/wristband in pretty much joint 2nd place and finishing it by drawing slightly clear of the 3rd place team which is where they stayed to claim silver behind Playas de Castellon who were anchored by Winnie Nanyondo.

Full results via https://www.conersyslive.net/Results/Schedule

**LuckySpikes** · 12-02-23, 21:04

I haven't watched the Dubai and Riyadh Marathons yet so can't comment on them. However, at the Cross della Vallagarina (Rovereto, ITA), a World XC Tour Bronze meeting ...

Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) won the Women's race. She's currently joint 7th on the World Rankings for Cross Country, meaning that she's in line to qualify for the World Championships 10,000m via that route (it's difficult to see her running the 30:40 standard). Of course, next weekend's World Championships could really shake those World rankings up.
Behind her, with a kilometre to go Harumi Okamoto (JPN) was a few seconds down on Likina Amebaw (ETH) but closed the gap and outsprinted Amebaw in the final straight to place 2nd.

1 Niyomukunzi 17:41
2 Okamoto 17:57
3 Amebaw 17:57
4 Elena Burkard (GER) 18:09
5 Rebecca Lonedo (ITA) 18:13
6 Giovanna Selva (ITA) 18:18

A Burundian also won the Men's race with Egide Ntakarutimana breaking the tape ahead of Neka Crippa (ITA), 27:27 to 27:47. Spain's Victor Ruiz was a disappointing 13th.

Re Harumi Okamoto's participation here, it must be long time since a Japanese athlete has raced in a European cross country race that wasn't a World Championship. Fair play to her for doing something different and it was well worth the trip I'd say. I'm wondering if she also has a European road race or two lined up for this trip.

There's definitely something going on with the Japanese athletes. They're competing much more in Europe these days. There was a number of them in recent indoor meetings but not all of them were preparing for the Asian Indoor Championships this weekend, e.g., Yumi Tanaka (60H) and Akihiro Higashida (60). Then last year there was a load in the Berlin & London marathons and also at the Nijmegen "7 Hills" 15km and in one of the Lisbon Half Marathons.

Perhaps the Japanese federation is encouraging their athletes to spread their wings and maybe providing some funding to help them do that?

Whatever the case, I say as a fan of Japanese athletics, long may it continue!

**LuckySpikes** · 17-02-23, 13:03

The World Cross Country Championships take place tomorrow in Bathurst, Australia. Prez Coe has said it's one of toughest World XC courses ever. Let's hope it matches the hyperbole!

Unfortunately, there's only about 45 nations sending athletes and only 2 (!) European nations are doing so - Spain (many of their best Women are there) and Britain with under-strength teams (though the Men's U20 team is pretty good).

You have to question the wisdom of holding it a) during the indoor season - it's usually a month later and b) a million miles across the world.

There's previews of each race via https://www.worldathletics.org/compe.../news/previews

I'm looking for a good performance by the Japanese teams, especially in the 2 women's races. In the senior Women's race they have their big-hitters Ririka Hironaka and Nozomi Tanaka backed up by Momoka Kawaguchi (31:57 10,000 PB last December) and Reimi Yoshimura (9:39 steepler & World Champs rep in Eugene). Kawaguchi is the veteran of the team at 24 years old ! Tanaka ran an indoor NR 8:45 for 3000 in the US last week so she's fit, but she's less tested over 10km. It was hard to judge Hironaka's form at the Asian Indoor Championships. 3000m is really at her lower limit and it was no great surprise that she was beaten by Yuma Yamamoto.

Their Women's U20 team is pretty good and look likely to be the top non-African team. That team of 6 includes Yuya Sawada, a 16yo who ran 4:12.5 (!) for 1500 last summer, as well as strong 5000m types like Nanaka Yonezawa (15:31 PB), Miku Muraoka (15:47 5km ekiden leg in December) and Mariya Noda (a great leg record at the recent Kitakyushu Invitational Women's Ekiden, beating a couple of good pros).

Their senior men's team isn't as strong - it doesn't include any of the multitude of Japanese men who've run sub-28 for 10,000 over the last couple of years.

The Men's U20 team is a bit of a mix of abilities. The 2 strongest athletes are Hiroto Yoshioka (13:23 5000 PB) and Sonata Nagashima (13:37 5000m PB).

**Occasional Hope** · 18-02-23, 08:28

Interesting news: WC Michael Norman plans to do a Fred Kerley and drop the 400 for the 100 this year and next.

**jjimbojames** · 18-02-23, 08:47

The fact he’s run 9.86s is definitely in his favour and it seems he wants a new challenge…but the field is a lot more loaded over there, than the 400m!

**Occasional Hope** · 18-02-23, 22:19

That was a shocking finish to the women's race at the World Cross. A really brutal course and conditions. TBH Gidey didn't really look happy on ths tart line, but then seemed pretty composed for most of the race.

**LuckySpikes** · 19-02-23, 17:33

At the World Cross Country Championships it was a tough course and there was a dramatic end to the Women's race. With 50m left Letesenbet Gidey was tiring with a fast-finishing Beatrice Chebet behind her. Then Gidey seemed to trip over one of the bumps on the final straight and fell, leaving Chebet to sprint by and win. Gidey got up to finish 4th but was DQ'd because an Ethiopian team official had run on to the course and helped her get back up.

Nozomi Tanaka had a super race. Although she was never in contention near the front, she steadily worked her way through the field to finish 14th, the first non-African born athlete by 30 seconds. Great strength for someone whose best event is the 1500. Ririka Hironaka was a DNS with injury niggles apparently. Abbie Donnelly was first Brit in 24th with Amelia Quirk 3 seconds behind. Two athletes who would be unfamiliar to most distance fans - Parul Chaudhary (IND) and Cian Oldknow (S Africa) - had great races in 20th and 27th respectively. I knew of Oldknow from South African road races I've watched but this performance far exceeds anything she did in those.

Jacob Kiplimo was an imperious winner of the Men's race. It was good to see Berihu Aregawi deliver for the silver ahead of Cheptegei in 3rd. GB's sole representative, Zak Mahamed, had a shocker in 76th.

In the Women's U20 race the Americans excelled themselves to take team bronze. The Japanese team started too cautiously I thought and although they worked through the field well and ended up packing 4 in the top 21, they finished 5th in the team race a point behind Uganda.

In the Men's U20 race the Japanese adopted the opposite tactic with their best two getting out to an early lead by 3 or 4 seconds. They really paid for it though with Yoshioka collapsing 10m from the finish line and not able to bum-shuffle himself quite enough to cross it, and Nagashima also a DNF. First Brit was Edward Bird in 18th.

**Occasional Hope** · 20-02-23, 00:15

Promising throws news: Ian Hodge reports that u20 javelin thrower Michael Allison threw 70.45 at Loughborough today - a PB and Euro u20 qualifier. This is only his third year in the event and it's good to see him continuing the great progress he made last year.

**Occasional Hope** · 20-02-23, 00:27

At the same event Charlotte Payne won the women's hammer with 68.33, ahead of Katie Head's 65.99.

**whatwouldIknow** · 20-02-23, 12:04

Fields for the Melbourne meeting, some UK interest across the program:

https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/aa/files/dlyibnq1hsup1syb.pdf

Maurie Plant Meet Melbourne 2023

https://www.athletics.com.au/events/170956

Athletics Australia is the national governing body for the sport of Athletics in Australia.

**LuckySpikes** · 20-02-23, 13:13

Originally posted by whatwouldIknow View Post

Fields for the Melbourne meeting, some UK interest across the program:

That Women's 1500 looks very good (note also the young Ethiopians at the bottom of the list).

Great to see Nozomi Tanaka in the 3000 (of course she is! See below). I expect she'll be attempting to break her 8:40.84 NR. She's worth more than that, 8:35 on the cards maybe?

Is there any elite distance runner on the planet who races more than Nozomi Tanaka? Probably not ...

2022 - 40 races !
2021 - 41 races !
2020 - 22 races (with COVID-enforced lay-off for 4 months)

**Ursus** · 20-02-23, 13:43

Originally posted by Occasional Hope View Post

Promising throws news: Ian Hodge reports that u20 javelin thrower Michael Allison threw 70.45 at Loughborough today - a PB and Euro u20 qualifier. This is only his third year in the event and it's good to see him continuing the great progress he made last year.

Top 3 in that comp all born in 2004 and all setting PBs over 68m. Encouraging but you can’t help feeling that conditions may have been favourable. Well done nonetheless.

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