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Japanese National Marathon Record Holders Noguchi and Takaoka to Run Jitsugyodan Half Marathon (updated)

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp200803140100.html
http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20080305k0000m050043000c.html
http://www.tbs.co.jp/program/marathon_20080316.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The Japan Jitsugyodan Track and Field Association has announced the field for this year's 36th edition of the All-Japan Jitsugyodan Half Marathon Championships, to be held March 16 in Yamaguchi. This year's race will feature women's full marathon national record holder and Beijing Olympic marathon team member Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) as well as men's full marathon national record Toshinari Takaoka (Team Kanebo), who also holds the course record of 1:01:07.

The women's field includes 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo), looking for revenge for last year's Olympic marathon selection race, as well as 'Japan's Fastest Mama,' Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren), who ran an Olympic A-standard 10000 m late last year. Also appearing are Osaka World Championships 10000 m competitor Akane Wakita (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) and Kei Terada (Team Tenmaya), 2nd in last summer's Bankok Universiad meet. It promises to be a battle of the top female track stars in Japan.

Other runners in the men's field include Athens Olympic marathon 5th place finisher Shigeru Aburaya (Team Chugoku Denryoku) and Hakone Ekiden 'God of the Mountain' Masato Imai (Team Toyota Jidosha Kyushu), appearing for the first time in this event after making his jitsugyodan debut at this year's New Year Ekiden. Imai's teammate Yu Mitsuya, who ran the 5000 m in last summer's World Championships, will also run, as will Team Chugoku Denryoku's rookie Naoki Okamoto, a former Nihon University ace who was 2nd on the 3rd stage of this year's Interprefectural Ekiden. Team JFE Steel's new Kenyan member Joseph Gitau is also scheduled to run. A true clash between veterans and the next generation of runners.

Translator's note: This is the professional half marathon championship race. It will be broadcast nationwide at 2 pm on the 16th. Video highlights of past editions of the Jitsugyodan Half Marathon are available here.

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