Ren Tazawa Triumphs in 10,000m at 2023 Asian Athletics Championships

BANGKOK, (July 12) – Ren Tazawa, the talented young Japanese long-distance runner, won the gold medal in the 10,000m race at the 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Thailand on Wednesday. Tazawa clocked a time of 29.18.44 for the gold medal to beat Koech Kimutai Shadrack (29:31.63) of Kazakhstan and Abhishek Pal of India (29:33.26).

Tazawa came into the championships with a personal best of 27:23.44 in the 10,000m, set in 2021, so it wasn’t a surprise to see that the 22-year-old ended at the top of the podium today.

Ren Tazawa dominated from early

The 2018 silver medalist in the 5000m at the Asian U20 Championships, led the race from early, setting the pace with a time of 2:49.56 in the first 1000m. He continued to dominate the contest, leading at every intermediate time check, and eventually crossing the finish line first.

Pal, who pushed hard in the last 400m and overtook Yuto Imae of Japan to finish with the bronze medal, reflected on his performance.

“I saw Imae slowing down in the last two laps. I gradually tracked him down and pushed hard in the last 400m to win bronze,” Pal said after the race and quoted by ESPN. “The weather was okay at the start of the race but was unbearable in the second half.

“The bronze in the 10,000m has added to my confidence. I should do better in the 5,000m race,” he added.

Earlier this year, Tazawa ran 27:28.04 in San Juan Capistrano, California, on March 4, followed by a 27:51.21 finish in Nobeoka on May 4, and a 27:40.40 time in London on May 20, prior to him winning the gold medal today at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023.