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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

Arao Becomes 1st Man in 40 Years to Score Back-to-Back Ome Road Race Wins

30 km is an under-appreciated distance, and both of Japan's big races at that distance happened Sunday. At the Ome Road Race in western Tokyo's mountains, Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao (ND Software) became the first man since the great Kunimitsu Ito in 1985-1986 to win back-to-back years. Arao, who finished 39th of 40 on his leg at the New Year Ekiden last month, stayed in the pack through 20 km before going on the attack, putting over a minute on New Year Ekiden Sixth Stage CR breaker Yudai Shimazu (GMO). Sub-1:31 winning times are rare on the tough and hilly Ome course, but Arao's 1:30:54 almost equaled his 1:30:50 from last year, making him the first Japanese man ever to do it twice and second only to CR holder Ezekiel Cheboitibin . Next up Arao races the Tokyo Marathon, where he is targeting sub-2:06. Shimazu was 2nd in 1:31:58 and Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) 3rd in 1:32:07. Cheboitibin was only 9th, running almost 8 minutes off his CR in 1:36:42. Shi...

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field

Last year's top 3 Sheila Chepkirui , Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba are back for this year's Nagoya Women's Marathon on Mar. 8, but things are being set up more for it to be a race between Chepkirui, 2:17:49 in Berlin 2023, Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda , 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024. Aynalem has the freshest sub-2:20 of the 3, with neither Chepkirui nor Maeda having done it in 2 years. Maeda's only recent result is a 1:10:07 from Houston last month, but when she ran her NR she didn't have any kind of tuneup race to indicate her fitness so it's probably best not to read too much into that. If it goes out as a 2:18 race those are the only 3 who can probably hang with it. If it turns out to be more of a 2:20 race like when Chepkirui won in 2:20:40 last year then there's a group of 7 at the 2:20-2:22 level who will be in the picture, including Chumba, Selly Chep...