Tokumoto, Aizu, Hoshi, Sugihara Top Weekend Road Action; 8 High Schoolers Sub-30

by Brett Larner

Two of Japan's big spring 10-milers took place this weekend, the Himejijo Road Race on Saturday and the Karatsu Road Race on Sunday. In Himeji, two-time 5000 m national champion Kazuyoshi Tokumoto (Team Nissin Shokuhin) won his second road race of the year, outkicking Takuji Morimoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) to win the men's 10 mile race in 47:34. It was also his second time winning Himejijo, having taken top honors at the 2006 race. Tokumoto plans to run next month's Biwako Mainichi Marathon before leaving Nissin to take a university coaching position. In the women's 5 km, Yoko Aizu (Team Shikoku Denryoku) had an easy win in 16:17, 11 seconds ahead of teammate Yuka Tagahara.

Sunday's Karatsu Road Race proved to be the bigger of the two. In the men's 10 mile race, Komazawa University graduate Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) had the first big result of his pro career, outkicking double 1500 m and 5000 m national champion Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) to take the win in 47:00. At Komazawa Hoshi was part of a powerful quartet with fellow '10 classmates Takuya Fukatsu (Team Asahi Kasei), Yusuke Takabayashi (Team Toyota) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta). Sidelined by injuries his senior year, Hoshi has been all but forgotten as Fukatsu, Takabayashi and Ugachi have gone on to dominate the pro circuit, but his win in Karatsu suggests he is close to returning his name to a position alongside those of his former teammates.

2011 women's 10000 m national champion Kayo Sugihara (Team Denso) had a good run to win the women's 10 km in 33:03, with Miku Kakimoto (Kyushu Prep H.S.) winning the high school girls' 5 km in 16:56. Despite most of the country's top high school runners being in Chiba for the Chiba International XC Meet the high school boys' 10 km was outstanding, with Shuhei Kondo (Oita Tomei H.S.) leading a record eight high schoolers under 30 minutes as he won a photo finish against rival Yugo Muroi (Nihon Bunri Prep H.S.) in 29:37.

2012 Himejijo Road Race
52nd running, Himeji, Hyogo, 2/11/12
click here for complete results

Men's 10 Miles
1. Kazuyoshi Tokumoto (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 47:34
2. Takuji Morimoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 47:36
3. Shinichi Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 47:57
4. Masashi Kitagawa (Team Toenec) - 48:03
5. Jun Shinoto (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 48:09

Women's 5 km
1. Yoko Aizu (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 16:17
2. Yuka Tagahara (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 16:28
3. Asaka Iwai (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 16:36

2012 Karatsu Road Race
52nd running, Karatsu, Saga, 2/12/12

Men's 10 Miles
1. Sota Hoshi (Team Fujitsu) - 47:00
2. Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 47:02
3. Kyohei Nishi (Team Kyudenko) - 47:06
4. Kiragu Njuguna (Kenya/Daiichi Kogyo Univ.) - 47:11
5. Yuya Ito (Team Toyota) - 47:21

Women's 10 km
1. Kayo Sugihara (Team Denso) - 33:03
2. Kotomi Takayama (Team Sysmex) - 33:12
3. Keiko Nogami (Team Juhachi Ginko) - 33:13

High School Boys' 10 km
1. Shuhei Kondo (Oita Tomei H.S.) - 29:37
2. Yugo Muroi (Nihon Bunri Prep H.S.) - 29:37
3. Kenya Anan (Oita Tomei H.S.) - 29:44

High School Girls' 5 km
1. Miku Kakimoto (Kyushu Prep H.S.) - 16:56
2. Miki Hirai (Shiraishi H.S.) - 16:56
3. Rie Uchida (Shiraishi H.S.) - 17:01

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyu Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

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