By YUKI YAMAGUCHI/ Staff Writer
January 16, 2023 at 18:57 JST
KYOTO--With her team far behind, Sherry Drury took the “tasuki” sash in a national women’s ekiden long-distance relay race here on Jan. 15 and ran like a sprinter, her arms swinging wide.
The Japanese-Canadian junior high school student stole the spotlight after setting a new record for the third stage and overtaking 17 runners.
Drury, a Kakuzan junior high school third-grader in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, posted a blistering record time of 9 minutes and 2 seconds in the three-kilometer third stage.
Her impressive run slashed 8 seconds off the previous record time.
“I was aiming for (a new record for the single section) so I’m very happy,” Drury said.
She began back in the pack in 38th place after receiving the sash. Drury covered the first kilometer in 2 minutes and 55 seconds as she chased down the runners ahead of her.
She maintained the fast pace and overtook 17 of her competitors by the time she handed off the sash.
The third stage of the nine stages covering 42.195 kilometers is reserved for junior high school athletes in the annual All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Women’s Ekiden Championships.
The race starts from and ends at Takebishi Stadium Kyoto. Forty-seven teams from the nation’s 47 prefectures compete. Drury competed for Okayama Prefecture’s team.
Drury was born to a Canadian father and a Japanese mother. She began running in the fourth grade of elementary school.
Last summer, Drury won the 1,500-meter race at the national junior high school championships.
She also set a new meet record of 2:45.84 in the 1,000-meter race in the under-16 category at a competition held in October.
Her junior high school has only three girls in its track and field club.
Drury said she has only competed in local mixed-gender ekiden long-distance relay races.
“I felt so good to run on such a big stage,” she said with a smile. “I love running, so I want to continue to run in high school.”
In the All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Women’s Ekiden Championships, the Osaka Prefecture team took first place, followed by teams from Kyoto and Fukuoka prefectures. The Okayama Prefecture team finished 18th.
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Sherry Drury, a third-grade junior high school student, runs in the third stage of the All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Women’s Ekiden Championships on Jan. 14. (Provided by Nikkan Sports)
