Sakamoto 2nd in Volksbank Muenster Marathon

Sakamoto 2nd in Volksbank Muenster Marathon - Japanese Overseas Results

by Brett Larner

Japanese athletes raced in three European road races in three different countries on Sunday, 2015 Zurich Marathon winner Yoshiko Sakamoto (Y.W.C.) leading the way at Germany's Volksbank Muenster Marathon. Starting off at a conservative pace that left her 20 seconds behind the lead group at 5 km and over a minute and a half behind by 15 km, over the second half she overtook three women, Ethiopian Belaynesh Yigezu, then Kenyans Janet Cheruiyot and Salina Jebet, to move into 2nd. 2015 Nairobi Marathon winner Elizabeth Rumokol of Kenya, the only woman in the field to have broken 2:30, took 1st in 2:33:01, Sakamoto next in 2:38:46 and Jebet 3rd in 2:42:27. "I wanted to try to run with the lead group, but they went out too fast," Sakamoto said post-race. "I was hoping for a faster time but I'm really, really happy to have gotten 2nd. This was the first time I've ever enjoyed myself while racing seriously."

In the Muesnter men's race 2016 Katsuta Marathon course record-setter Shingo Igarashi (Josai Univ. Coaching Staff) didn't have the same kind of day. With the leaders going out faster than planned on low-2:09 pace Igarashi let go after 5 km. Like Sakamoto he was left entirely alone, but in his case nobody came back to him. #1-ranked Duncan Koech of Kenya, still on track for the 2:10:25 course record at 30 km, took the win in 2:12:59, his countryman Rogers Melly next in 2:13:38 and pacer Hosea Kipkemboi choosing to finish the race in 2:13:59 for 3rd. Igarashi was a distant 8th in 2:20:58. "I had a minor stress fracture in April after Boston and had to take some time off," he said post-race. "I thought I had had enough time to get ready for this and felt light and fresh before the race, but my stamina wasn't where it needed to be."

In the Czech Republic, 2016 Gold Coast Airport Marathon winner Misato Horie (Team Noritz) ran the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10 km with teammate Kikuyo Tsuzaki, the winner of last year's Sydney Half Marathon. With winner Violah Jepchumba of Kenya missing the world record by just 3 seconds in 30:24, Horie could manage only 34:10 for 10th and Tsuzaki 35:20 for 13th.

At the U.K.'s Great North Run half marathon, 2:08:00 marathoner Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko) replicated Tsuzaki's placing with a similar time margin from the front-end action. As local hero Mo Farah outran American Dathan Ritzenhein for a third-straight Great North Run title in 1:00:04, Maeda was a non-factor, 50 seconds off the leaders after 5 km and moving backwards from there to finish 13th in 1:06:20.

Volksbank Muenster Marathon
Muenster, Germany, 9/11/16
click here for complete results

Women
1. Elizabeth Rumokol (Kenya) - 2:33:01
2. Yoshiko Sakamoto (Japan/Y.W.C.) - 2:38:46
3. Salina Jebet (Kenya) - 2:42:27
4. Janet Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 2:44:54
5. Vanessa Rosler (Germany) - 3:00:12
-----
DNF - Belaynesh Yigezu (Ethiopia)

Men
1. Duncan Koech (Kenya) - 2:12:59
2. Rogers Melly (Kenya) - 2:13:38
3. Hosea Kipkemboi (Kenya) - 2:13:59
4. Joel Kositany (Kenya) - 2:14:22
5. Arnold Kipatoi (Kenya) - 2:17:20
-----
8. Shingo Igarashi (Japan/Josai Univ.) - 2:20:58

Birell Prague Grand Prix 10 km
Prague, Czech Republic, 9/10/16
click here for complete results

Women
1. Violah Jepchumba (Kenya) - 30:24
2. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) - 31:08
3. Afera Godfay (Ethiopia) - 31:49
4. Gladys Cherono (Kenya) - 31:58
5. Lucy Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 32:59
-----
10. Misato Horie (Japan/Noritz) - 34:10
13. Kikuyo Tsuzaki (Japan/Noritz) - 35:20

Great North Run Half Marathon
Newcastle, U.K., 9/11/16
click here for complete results

Men
1. Mo Farah (U.K.) - 1:00:04
2. Dathan Ritzenhein (U.S.A.) - 1:00:12
3. Emmanuel Bett (Kenya) - 1:01:22
4. Bashir Abdi (Belgium) - 1:02:03
5. Duncan Maiyo (Kenya) - 1:02:06
-----
13. Kazuhiro Maiyo (Japan/Kyudenko) - 1:06:20

text and photo © 2016 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

japan running news

Search This Blog