Honjo Higashi H.S. and Nihon Yakka University Win Saitama Ekiden

http://www.saitama-np.co.jp/news/2017/02/06/08.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

111 men's and women's teams took part in the 84th edition of the Saitama Ekiden on Feb. 5, running from Saitama Shintoshin to Kumagaya Sports Park Field. Fresh from representing Saitama for the first time at December's National High School Ekiden, the Honjo Higashi H.S. girls scored their first-ever Saitama Ekiden win, covering the five-stage, 20.5 km women's course in 1:12:14. Honjo Higashi's third, fourth and fifth runners Mayuko Saito, Nanami Ishihara and Tomomi Miyasaki each won their stages to move up their team up place by place into 1st after a slow start.

In the six-stage, 42.195 km men's race, Nihon Yakka University took the top position for the first time in 2:08:13 thanks in part to a 36:07 course record on the 12.1 km Third Stage by Kenyan Simon Kariuki. The Musashino Ogoshi H.S. boys were the top-finishing high school position for the first time in five years, taking 5th overall in 2:11:07. Running for the Saitama Prefecture Government team, London World Championships men's marathon team hopeful Yuki Kawauchi was 3rd on the Third Stage behind Kariuki and Titus Mumo (Musashino Gakuin Univ. A) in 36:59.

84th Saitama Ekiden
Saitama Shintoshin, Saitama, 2/5/17
men: 85 teams, six stages, 42.195 km
women: 26 teams, five stages, 20.5 km
click here for complete results

Men
Top Team Performances
1. Nihon Yakka Univ. - 2:08:13
2. Musashino Gakuin Univ. A - 2:10:23
3. Josai Univ. - 2:10:28
4. SDF Academy - 2:10:57
5. Musashi Ogose H.S. - 2:11:07

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (6.595 km) - Yuta Tameike (Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 19:37
Second Stage (3.1 km) - Kentaro Miyahira (Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 9:08
Third Stage (12.1 km) - Simon Kariuki (Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 36:07 - CR
Fourth Stage (3.9 km) - Kaito Komayama (Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 11:52
Fifth Stage (10.5 km) - Ryo Ishita (SDF Academy) - 32:56
Sixth Stage (6.0 km) - Hiromitsu Sakuraba (Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 17:56

Women
Top Team Performances
1. Honjo Higashi H.S. - 1:12:14
2. Shohei H.S. - 1:12:50
3. Sakado Nishi H.S. - 1:14:11

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (4.0 km) - Minami Takano (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 13:54
Second Stage (3.7 km) - Rika Kaneda (Shohei H.S.) - 12:47
Third Stage (1.4 km) - Mayuko Saito (Honjo Higashi H.S.) - 4:54
Fourth Stage (5.4 km) - Nanami Ishihara (Honjo Higashi H.S.) - 19:14
Fifth Stage (6.0 km) - Tomomi Miyasaka (Honjo Higashi H.S.) - 21:19

Hassan Runs NR/CR for Osaka Win, Dibaba Hits Women's CR, Yoshida and Shuley Earn Legends

This was maybe the most entertaining marathon in years. After rocking the 2nd leg at last year's Hakone Ekiden Hibiki Yoshida (Sunbelx) ran an incredible 1:01:01 CR for the 21.9 km New Year Ekiden 2nd leg last month, equivalent to a 58:47 half marathon. That predicted a 2:03:27 marathon if he ever ran one, and when Yoshida announced he was debuting at this year's Osaka Marathon he wasted no time in saying it'd be a shot at the 2:04:55 NR. Things went out fast enough with a 14:50 split through 5 km, 2:05:11 pace, but Yoshida just couldn't hold back and took off at 8 km. He clearly DGAF about what was probably going to happen as his projected finish kept getting faster, 2:04:41, 2:04:15, 2:03:51, 2:03:40, edging closer and closer to what his New Year time predicted, but not helped along by the fact that he missed 4 out of his first 5 drink bottles. People laughed, and then cheered him on. 30 km was the first time he slowed, his finish projection dropping to 2:03:53, an...

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...

M.I.A.

Sorry to have been silent for a while. JRN associate editor Mika Tokairin was in Taiwan for Ironman Penghu, where she won her age group to qualify for Kona for the first time. Right after that we moved for the first time in 14 years, and immediately after that I headed to the U.S. to help Keita Sato get settled in his new training base in Flagstaff. We'll be resuming normal operations shortly with a big roundup of results over the last 2 weeks. Brett Larner

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