Skip to main content

Yoko Shibui runs 40km PB in training for Tokyo International Women`s Marathon

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2007/10/16/0000698768.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

On October 15th, former Japanese women`s marathon national record holder Yoko Shibui (2:19:41, Berlin 2004) broke her 40km PB during a training run as part her preparation for the Tokyo International Women`s Marathon on November 18th. In Tokyo, one of Japan`s Olympic selection races, Shibui will face defending Olympic gold medallist and current Japanese national record holder Mizuki Noguchi (2:19:12, Berlin 2005).Shibui ran this 40km training run to simulate staying with Noguchi, who is heavily favored to win Tokyo. The next day, Shibui left Japan for a high-altitude training camp in Kunming, China.

-----That`s it for the translation. This looks like it`s going to be an incredible race if both Shibui and Noguchi make it to the starting line intact. With Reiko Tosa having secured a spot on the Beijing Olympic team by medalling at the World Championships there are only two slots left but three qualifying races, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. It`s very unlikely that whoever comes in second in Tokyo will be selected and also probable that the winner will not be selected if the winning times in Osaka and Nagoya are faster. Thus it seems like neither of these sub-2:20 women can afford to run a conservative race. The Tokyo Int`l course is pretty challenging with large uphills in the last few km, but Eri Yamaguchi ran 2:22:12 and Gert Thys ran 2:06:33 there in `99 so fast times are possible. I think that they`ll be going for the course record (Yamaguchi`s time) at an absolute minimum, possibly sub-2:20.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

Long Time Coming - Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera's Road to the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half

Back in pre-pandemic days Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera  were still in college, Akasaki at Takushoku University and Onodera at Teikyo University . At the 2019 Ageo City Half Marathon they frontran most of the race together, dead set on finishing in the top two Japanese collegiate spots to win invitations to the 2020 United Airlines NYC Half. For Akasaki it had already been a year and a half wait. Inspired by Kenta Murayama 's 1:00:57 5th place in finish in New York in 2017 and Kei Katanishi 's 7th-place in 2018, Akasaki went for it his junior year in his debut at the 2018 Ageo Half . "Coming up to 10 km I was in the lead pack and feeling good, so I knew I had a shot at going to New York and got pretty excited," he said. But right after the 10 km turnaround point he tripped and fell, and by the time he was back up the lead group was out of range. He finished 20th in 1:03:07, over a minute and a half behind top Japanese university man Ken Nakayama . "I was f...