Isshiki CR at Kanagawa Half After Last-Minute Wrong Turn (updated)

by Brett Larner

While many of the top Hakone Ekiden stars were lining up in Shikoku at the Marugame Half, a half dozen of the top Hakone teams had their first and second-years just south of Tokyo for the 36th running of the Kanagawa Half Marathon. A large pack ran at course record pace through 15 km before Hakone 5th-placer Aoyama Gakuin University's star first-year Tadashi Isshiki took off. Relative unknowns Daisuke Nakamura (Kokushikan Univ.) and Takuya Maeda (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) went after him, but over the last 3 km Isshiki built a 20-second lead that never cracked. On track for Kanagawa's first sub-63 clocking, just after the final left turn Isshiki followed a course marshall's flag directing the lead police motorcycle and briefly ran off the course. He quickly realized the error and recovered but lost precious seconds and had to be content with a 1:03:01 course record in his half marathon debut.

Nakamura outran Maeda for 2nd, also clearing the course record in 1:03:20 with Maeda missing it by a second in 1:03:26. The top five all ran under 64 minutes, the most ever at Kanagawa and another sign of the increasing level of Kanto-region university men's distance running. Women's results were thin, but winner Nanami Niwa (Hakuho Joshi H.S.) was very impressive with a 1:14:46 debut, one of the fastest winning times in Kanagawa history.

Local Kanagawa powerhouse Nittai University, the 2013 Hakone Ekiden Champion and 3rd-place this year, gives Kanagawa a pass each year in favor of the Moriya Half Marathon northeast of Tokyo in Ibaraki. In a dual meet with Chiba-based Chuo Gakuin University, Nittai athletes took four of the top five spots. Last year Niitai's Yoshiki Koizumi outran teammate Hikaru Kato to win by 2 seconds, but this year the roles were reversed as Kato kicked it in for the win over Koizumi by 3 seconds, just dipping under 64 minutes.

36th Kanagawa Half Marathon
Isogo, Kanagawa, 2/2/14
click here for complete results

Men's Half Marathon
1. Tadashi Isshiki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:01 - CR, debut
2. Daisuke Nakamura (Kokushikan Univ.) - 1:03:20 - PB (CR)
3. Takuya Maeda (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:26 - PB
4. Shun Yamamura (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:38 - PB
5. Kokoro Watanabe (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:56 - PB
6. Yuta Inage (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 1:04:08 - debut
7. Masahiro Uchida (Niigata Rokin) - 1:04:14 - PB
8. Tenta Sasaki (Jobu Univ.) - 1:04:35
9. Kento Kikutani (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:04:37 - PB
10. Yuhei Ushiyama (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 1:04:39 - PB

Women's Half Marathon
1. Nanami Niwa (Hakuho Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 1:14:46 - debut
2. Kazusa Yoshinari (Kokushikan Univ.) - 1:20:27
3. Mayumi Uchiyama (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 1:20:50

Women's 10 km
1. Maki Izumida (Hakuho Joshi Gakuin H.S) - 33:12
2. Naruha Sato (Eda H.S.) - 33:45
3. Yurina Kinoshita (Eda H.S.) - 34:14

Men's 10 km
1. Katsuhiro Doimaru (Soka Univ.) - 30:41 - debut
2. Yuji Sernard (Soka Univ.) - 30:42
3. Masaya Yamamoto (Soka Univ.) - 30:47

30th Moriya Half Marathon
Moriya, Ibaraki, 2/2/14
click here for complete results

Men's Half Marathon
1. Hikari Kato (Nittai Univ.) - 1:03:58
2. Yoshiki Koizumi (Nittai Univ.) - 1:04:01
3. Hajime Sakamoto (Nittai Univ.) - 1:04:46
4. Daiki Numata (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 1:04:52
5. Yuki Kimura (Nittai Univ.) - 1:04:55

(c) 2014 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 Tokyo 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

japan running news

Search This Blog