Mizuki Noguchi running 5000m in Gyeonggi-Do Hwaseong, Korea (© Kazutaka Eguchi - Agence SHOT)
The second edition of the Samsung Distance Challenge was held today in Gyeonggi-Do Hwaseong, Korea, and was highlighted by a women’s 5000m, and a men’s 10km Race Walk.
Japan’s Mizuki Noguchi, the 2004 Athens Olympic women’s Marathon champion was the star name of the women’s 5000m. She pushed the pace from the front throughout the race, but with one lap to go China’s Zhou Chunxiu who had been at the back of the pack for most of the race, put in a finishing burst to beat the 26-year-old Olympic gold medallist.
Chunxiu, 26, who finished in 33rd place in the Olympic Marathon behind the Japanese, crossed the finish line today in 15:34.79 with Noguchi, second in 15:42.53.
This was Noguchi’s third race since her Athens triumph. She had previously run a 73:07 Half Marathon in Marugame, Japan on 6 February, and a 31:44.29 10,000m on 13 May in Naruto, Japan.
Noguchi, who has been in a training camp in Kumming, China, commented on today’s race saying - "the atmosphere of a meeting was good. I was able to run comfortably. (Aiming) for an autumn marathon, my preparations seem to be going smoothly.”
In the men’s 10km Race Walking, the former World and European 20km champion Ilya Markov of Russia, who is now 32 years of age, took a good win in 39:34, ahead of China’s Xu Xingde(39:37) and Hyunsub Kim of Korea (39:40).
Kazutaka Eguchi (Agence SHOT) for the IAAF
