Ryoko Kizaki dominates the field at 2011 Yokohama International Women’s Marathon - Athletics news
Japanese athlete, Ryoko Kizaki claimed a magnificent victory in a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 32 seconds, at the 2011 Yokohama International Women’s Marathon (IAAF Silver Label Road Race), in Yokohama, Japan.
The lead runners completed the first kilometre in a time of 3 minute and 21 seconds. Albina Mayorova, Volha Krautsova and Shoko Mori were the pace makers from the very start. Six runners, comprising of Yoshimi Ozaki, Ryoko Kizaki, Kaoru Nagao, Salina Kosgei,
Robe Guta and Hiroko Miyauchi ran at the frontline of the course as the lead pack.
One of the pace makers, Volha Krautsova, started to drift back before the 10 km mark in a time of 34 minutes and 6 seconds. The two pace makers, Albina Mayorova and Shoko Mori were responsible for the pace making from there onwards. At the 12 km mark, Shoko
Mori was left behind, leaving the pacing duty burden on Albina Mayorova.
Salina Kosgei also fell behind, leaving Ozaki, Nagao, Kizaki, Robe Guta and Hiroko Miyauchi in the frontline. The pack, then led by Mayorova as the pace maker, covered the 15 km mark in a time of 51 minutes and 8 seconds.
Around the 19km mark, the last of the pacemakers, Mayorova, was dropped out from contention, which left the rest on the frontline runners. The pacemakers were instructed to lead the runners until the 25km mark and after the final pacemaker dropping out,
the race had then commenced prematurely.
Kizaki led the running contention and she was followed by Ozaki and Nagao. After a while, the pace seemed slackening, as the 20 km split was 1 hour, 8 minutes and 45 seconds (last 5 km in 17 minutes and 37 seconds), and the half marathon split was 1 hour,
12 minutes and 42 seconds.
The 25 km mark was reached in a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 41 seconds. The 30 km mark was covered in a fast paced split time of 1 hour, 43 minutes and 59 seconds (last 5 km in 17 minutes and 18 seconds). At the 31 km mark, Nagao took over the lead in
the run, but was soon to drift at the back, as Yamauchi took over the lead to throttle the pace.
Yamauchi, Ozaki and Kizaki covered the 35 km mark in 2 hours, 1 minute and 34 seconds. At the 39 km mark, Kizaki took over the lead to push the pace and Yamauchi drifted back. In the final moments at 41.6 km mark, a palm-thumping clash was seen between Ozaki
and Kizaki, in which Kizaki prevailed in a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 32 seconds for the top spot.
She was followed by Yoshimi Ozaki for the second position, at a time of 2 hours 26 minutes and 49 seconds. The third position was taken by Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain, who covered the distance in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 24 seconds.
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