Katanishi and Ise Follow Shitara's Footsteps to United Airlines NYC Half

For the last seven years the New York Road Runners have invited a pair of Japan's best collegiate runners from November's Ageo City Half Marathon to run against world-class competition at the United Airlines NYC Half. The very first year of the program in 2012, one of the two sophomores from Toyo University to earn the invitation was future half marathon and marathon Japanese national record holder Yuta Shitara.

Since Shitara's trailblazing 1:01:48 in that race, others have gone to New York and come back to rise to the top of Japan's distance running world. Following in their footsteps are Komazawa University teammates Kei Katanishi and Shogo Ise. Katanishi, the gold medalist in the half marathon at the 2017 World University Games, was the top Japanese university man in Ageo last November and went on to break 62 minutes for the first time with a 1:01:58 at the Marugame Half in February. Ise, a second-stringer at Komazawa with two wins at second-tier Japanese half marathons to his name, pulled off a crafty race in Ageo to outrun some of the top Hakone Ekiden stars for the second Japanese spot and join Katanishi in New York.

A top-level star and an ambitious underdog. Accompanied by their coach Atsushi Fujita, the former Japanese national record holder in the marathon with a best of 2:06:51, the pair ride a wave of excitement and self-confidence across Japan driven by Shitara's 2:06:11 record in Tokyo earlier this week. JRN will be on-site with Katanishi, Ise and Fujita to provide on-the-ground support and to cover their race from the inside.

2018 United Airlines NYC Half Elite Athlete Field Highlights

New York, 3/18/18
times listed are best in last three years except where noted

Men
Dathan Ritzenhein (U.S.A.) - 1:00:12a (Great North Run 2016)
Teshome Mekonen (Ethiopia) - 1:00:27 (Prague 2015)
Stephen Sambu (Kenya) - 1:00:41 (Houston 2018)
Haron Lagat (U.S.A.) - 1:01:01 (Houston 2018)
Chris Derrick (U.S.A.) - 1:01:12 (NYC 2017)
Tim Ritchie (U.S.A.) - 1:01:23 (Philadelphia 2015)
Wilson Chebet (Kenya) - 1:01:35 (NYC 2016)
Noah Droddy (U.S.A.) - 1:01:48 (NYC 2017)
Shadrack Biwott (U.S.A.) - 1:01:55 (San Jose 2016)
Kei Katanishi (Japan/Komazawa Univ.) - 1:01:58 (Marugame 2018)
Andrew Bumbalough (U.S.A.) - 1:02:04 (NYC 2015)
Chris Thompson (Great Britain) - 1:02:44 (Glasgow 2016)
Abdi Abdirahman (U.S.A.) - 1:02:46a (Great North Run 2016)
Scott Fauble (U.S.A.) - 1:03:06 (Columbus 2016)
Shogo Ise (Japan/Komazawa Univ.) - 1:03:10 (Ageo City 2017)
Parker Stinson (U.S.A.) - 1:03:17 (Houston 2017)
Eric Gillis (Canada) - 1:03:41 (Berlin 2016)
Tim Young (U.S.A.) - 1:03:44 (Columbus 2016)
Soufiane Bouchikhi (Belgium) - 1:03:45 (Den Haag 2015)
Matt Llano (U.S.A.) - 1:03:52 (San Diego 2015)
Futsum Zeinasellassie (U.S.A.) - 1:04:02 (Monterey 2017)
Matt Leach (Great Britain) - 1:04:22 (San Jose 2017)
John Raneri (U.S.A.) - 1:04:29 (Philadelphia 2015)
Trevor Hofbauer (Canada) - 1:04:30 (Philadelphia 2015)
Harbert Okuti (Uganda) - 1:04:42 (Brooklyn 2016)
Jonas Hampton (U.S.A.) - 1:04:46 (Jacksonville 2016)
Tim Chichester (U.S.A.) - 1:04:56 (Jacksonville 2016)
Ben True (U.S.A.) - debut - 27:41.17 10000m (Stanford 2012)

text and photo © 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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,

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

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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