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2009 As Seen By JRN Readers

JRN's most-read articles of 2009 by month:

January
Japanese runners to watch in 2009.Jan. 8
Bringing back the classic: Fukushi in Osaka. - Jan. 23

February
Masters runner Yoshihisa Hosaka sets 60+ world record at Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon. - Feb. 2

March
Reiko Tosa's "homemade" training for Tokyo finale. - Mar. 18
The man in the wig speaks. - Mar. 25

April
Mimura leaves Asics to start own company. - Apr. 5
A report from Rikuren's New Zealand training camp. - Apr. 11

May
Weekend Japanese track action roundup. - May 18

June
Phuket Marathon helping to rebuild local economy. - June 16

July
From the editor: women's marathoning and the autumn sky. - July 2
Big Mouth scores the big ticket - Ueno in Berlin. - July 28
Life after 2:08 - an interview with Takayuki Nishida. - July 29

August
Osaka Mayor Hashimoto announces Osaka Marathon for 2011. - Aug. 6
Showing women a new way: Yukiko Akaba's challenge. - Aug. 12
Yukiko Akaba talks about her final training for World Championships marathon. - Aug. 14

September
30 runners stung by killer hornets during mountain race near Kyoto. - Sept. 21

October
The Hakone Ekiden Trials from the inside. - Oct. 18
University men's weekend in review: NCAA Pre-Nats vs. Hakone Ekiden Qualifier. - Oct. 19
Training for the Hakone Ekiden with Josai University.Oct. 21
Morinomiyako Ekiden preview - Kojima and Nishihara. - Oct. 22
"No Bridges, No Fun" - Speed, Beauty and Mystery at the Venice Marathon. - Oct. 28

November
Credit where credit is due: American and Japanese men aged 18-22 pt. I.  - Nov. 26

December
Fukuoka time. - Dec. 4
The 2010 Hakone Ekiden preview. - Dec. 30

(c) 2009 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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Most-Read This Week

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 (...

Multiple National Records This Weekend

Olympic and World champion Haruka Kitaguchi got the biggest headlines among Japanese athletes this weekend, overcoming a rough last year and a half that included injury and a coaching change to break her own javelin throw NR by over a meter and a half to win the inaugural WA Ultimate Championship in Budapest. U20 WR and Asian AR holder Ziyi Yan opened with a big 68.05, 0.67 m further than Kitaguchi's best-ever from back in 2023. That could have been the end, but Kitaguchi came back from a 61.15 m first attempt to throw a massive 68.92 m NR on her next one, ultimately enough for the win. She still has a long way to go to match the 18-year-old Yan's 71.74 m from May, but it was a clear statement that Kitaguchi is back. Back home at the National Corporate Track and Field Championships in Kyoto, women's pole vault NR holder Misaki Morota continued a solid comeback season of her own, bettering her NR from May by 1 cm with a 4.51 m on her first attempt. Morota took another 3...