Skip to main content

World Championships Women's Marathon Team to Train Together in Boulder

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20090310-OHT1T00006.htm

translated by Brett Larner

Rikuren's new division charged with strengthening Japanese marathoning announced on Mar. 9 that it plans for the members of the women's marathon team for this August's World Championships to prepare together at a special training camp in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A. The planned camp will begin in mid-May and last for about one month, ending before the June 25-28 National Track and Field Championships in Hiroshima. Along with the extra motivation of working together toward a common goal, it is hoped that the improved medical care and communication between coaches made possible by having all of the runners together in one location will help to increase the international competitiveness of the national team members.

Confirmed team members Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) and Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) will take part in the camp, and probable members Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) and Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) have likewise been invited. Team Shiseido head coach Tsutomu Hiroyama (42) commented, "It sounds like a pretty good idea." Working together may well be the answer to bringing Japanese marathoners back to the front.

Translator's note: The original article does not mention the other confirmed team member, former national record holder Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo), which suggests she will not train with the others.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Kano is running london marathon this spring. I can't wait to see her run a fast time. I'm so glad Japanese runners are starting to run overseas marathons. Last year no Japanese runners ran. Kano will face a tough competition. There's gonna be Catherine Ndereba, Constantina, Wami ,Adere, Mikitenko.
Anonymous said…
Does Kano want to win the World marathon majors? She'll get 500,000 if she wins. If she wins the london marathon she'll get 25 points.

Most-Read This Week

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox  for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...

Nat'l University Ekiden Updates Here

Looks like I just went over my update limit on Twitter - sorry, it's the first time I've tried to use it for this. I'll look for another option next time. In the meantime I'll add updates to the comments below. Not sure if that has a max too but I guess we'll find out. Update: Part one of the Nationals commentary can be found here .

Keita Satoh Running New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

1500 m U20 NR holder Keita Satoh (Nike Swoosh TC) is running this weekend's New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile , the first time that a Japanese man has been invited in the race's 45-year history. In university Sato had to change focus away from middle distance to the half marathon-scale lengths of the Hakone Ekiden stages, but since graduating in March and relocating to Flagstaff he has refocused on the 1500 m, going from 3:43.19 in April in his first 1500 m in almost 4 years to 3:38.30 over the course of 5 races. Fifth Avenue will be his last race before heading back to Japan for one more track 1500 m and some down time. Men's entries with best 1500 m times in last 3 years: Stefan Nillessen (NED) - 3:29.23 (2025) Flavien Szot (FRA) - 3:30.74 (2025) Oliver Hoare (AUS) - 3:31.07 (2024) Jake Heyward (GBR) - 3:31.18 (2026) Titouan Le Grix (FRA) - 3:31.46 (2026) Romain Mornet (FRA) - 3:31.62 (2025) Adam Spencer (AUS) - 3:31.83 (2026) Pieter Sisk (BEL) - 3:31.85 (2025) Gary Martin (...