Skip to main content

Kawauchi Commits to Lake Biwa, Plans to Make Changes to Training

translated and edited by Brett Larner
source article links at bottom


A day after finishing 6th at the Fukuoka International Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (25, Saitama Pref.) announced his intent to try again for the Moscow World Championships team at the March 3rd Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, the final selection race for Moscow following the Feb. 3 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon and the Feb. 24 Tokyo Marathon.  "I have committed to run Lake Biwa," said Kawauchi.  "Now it's time to think about what is necessary in order to focus everything on that."  Kawauchi ran his marathon debut at the 2009 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon.  2013 will be his first time running Lake Biwa.

Fukuoka 4th-place finisher Arata Fujiwara (31, Miki House) was disappointed to hear that his comrade Kawauchi plans to run Lake Biwa.  Fujiwara has already committed to run the Tokyo Marathon a week earlier.  Having done crash training for Fukuoka "in order to run with Kawauchi," Fujiwara was positive about the race's outcome, saying, "It was really stressful and exciting, a super interesting experience."  Kawauchi indicated that he has chosen Lake Biwa because Tokyo is inconvenient for his work schedule at Saitama's Kasukabe High School, where applications for incoming students are processed every year the morning after Tokyo.  Fujiwara commented, "Well, if that's what he said then I can't force him, but I really hope to see him run in Tokyo."

Later the same day Federation director of men's marathoning Takeshi Soh told reporters that he hopes to include both Kawauchi and Fujiwara among the ten men to be invited to a Federation-sponsored intensive marathon training camp in Nobeoka, Miyazaki next March.  Having confirmed both men's interest post-race on the 2nd, Soh explained, "I want to raise the bar at every level, among corporate runners, pros, amateurs and collegiates.  I think it will be very good for them to have an opportuniy to square off against each other.  Together we can improve Japan's overall level."  Fukuoka runner-up Hiroyuki Horibata, 26, coached by Soh at the Asahi Kasei team, welcomed the chance, saying, "Those two guys don't train with other top-notch athletes like corporate runners do, but they still get the results.  I'm really curious about what they're doing.  I can't wait to work with them."

The training camp will be Kawauchi's first time to work together with corporate-league runners in a Federation-sponsored program.  Having built up his own unique methodology of training together with other amateurs and racing frequently, the camp will represent a change of direction.  After finishing 6th in Fukuoka he announced plans to re-examine his system, saying, "I haven't been able to do 100% ideal training, so I realize that bit by bit I have to make a few changes to the way I'm doing things.  If I don't look around and learn from others' knowledge and wisdom then I won't continue to make progress."  Shortly afterward came the call from Soh.  "I'd love to go," Kawauchi told him.  "I have to keep adjusting and improving the way I train.  I hope the camp will be an incentive."  Prior to both Lake Biwa and the Federation training camp, Kawauchi plans to race the Feb. 17 Kumanichi 30 km Road Race.

The morning after Fukuoka Kawauchi was out at 5:00 a.m. for a two-hour run through the city.  After breakfast he hurried off to Fukuoka Airport in order to catch a flight home in time for his regular afternoon work at Kasukabe H.S.  "When I say I'm going to do a race it's never just a training run.  I always give it the best I have that day," he said before disappearing into the morning rush hour subway crowds.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/p-sp-tp0-20121204-1055271.html
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/p-sp-tp0-20121204-1055270.html
http://mainichi.jp/sponichi/news/20121204spn00m050001000c.html
http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/1203/SEB201212030023.html
http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.jp/2011/02/rocky-of-marathon-world-saitama.html
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20121210-OHT1T00168.htm

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Chien Breaks TPE NR, Iwata Betters ID-Class WR - Weekend Track Roundup

The last weekend of the academic and fiscal year saw at least 5 meets with good results domestically and abroad. Kicking things off Friday was the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, where Tomohiro Shinno and Naoto Hasegawa took 1st and 3rd in the men's high jump, both of them only clearing 2.18 m along with 2nd-placer Roman Anastasios . 12 other Japanese athletes were in action on the second day of the meet on Saturday, where 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura ran 3:42.84 for 6th in the men's 1500 m. Nagiya Mori had a better one in the men's 3000 m with a 7:45.40 for 4th. Both Yota Mashiko and Rui Suzuki cleared 8:00 too, Mashiko's 7:53.84 the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese-born high schooler. Abigail Fuka Ido and Nagisa Takahashi both placed 3rd in their events, Ido going 23.85 (-0.9) in the women's 200 m and Takahashi clearing 1.82 m in the women's high jump. 8 Japanese men were at The TEN in California to run 10000 m. In the B-heat won by Edward Marks in ...

JAAF Announces World Road Running Championships Half Marathon Team

The JAAF announced the men's and women's half marathon teams today for this fall's World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen: Women Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon) - 1:09:14 (1st, 2026 Osaka Half) Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:20 (1st, 2026 Nat'l Corp. Half) Rina Shimizu (Noritz) - 1:09:22 (2nd, 2026 Osaka Half) Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) - 1:09:23 (3rd, 2026 Osaka Half) Men Tomoya Ogikubo (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:00:22 (4th, 2026 Marugame Half) Yuma Nishizawa (Toyota Boshoku) - 1:00:26 (5th, 2026 Marugame Half) Neo Namiki (Subaru) - 1:00:29 (6th, 2026 Marugame Half) Daisuke Sato (Chuo Univ.) - 1:00:40 (7th, 2026 Marugame Half) Mile and 5 km teams, if any, will be decided after June's National Track and Field Championships. © 2026 Brett Larner , all rights reserved

Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...