Japan Announces Team for Valencia World Half Marathon Championships

On Mar. 6 the JAAF announced the Japanese women's and men's teams for the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships scheduled for Mar. 24 in Valencia, Spain. The women's team has few surprises, made up of the top two Japanese women from December's Sanyo Ladies Half Marathon, Miyuki Uehara (Daiichi Seimei) and Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal), the top Japanese women at February's Marugame Half and National Corporate Half Marathon, Kaori Morita (Panasonic) and Yuka Hori (Panasonic), and high-potential marathoner Honami Maeda (Tenmaya), winner of August's Hokkaido Marathon and 2nd at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2:23:46.

Maeda's inclusion is clearly geared to give one of the people the JAAF views as potential 2020 Tokyo Olympics marathon team material some international championships racing experience, and that decision making process is even more clearly at work in the men's team selection. #1-ranked man Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei), holder of a 1:00:50 best and 1:00:57 for 5th in New York last year, just ran the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on Sunday, 20 days before the World Half. 5000 m national record holder Suguru Osako (NOP) has a 1:01:13 best and ran 2:07:19 in Fukuoka in December to qualify for the MGC Race 2020 Olympic trials.

Neither Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) nor Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku) has ever broken 1:03, making their selection baffling at first glance in light of Japan's incredible depth at the half marathon. But as recent 2:09 marathoners who have likewise qualified for the MGC Race, Sonoda in Beppu-Oita a month ago and Uekado is Fukuoka, the JAAF is correctly viewing the Valencia World Half as the only chance for either to get the opportunity to run in an international championships should they make the Tokyo Olympic team.

The only non-marathoner in the group is Kenta's twin brother, 10000 m national record holder Kota Murayama (Asahi Kasei). Kota's only serious half marathon to date was a conservative 1:02:00 at the National Corporate Half last month, but between that, his track credentials and the stellar sub-63 pacing job he did in Tokyo to take Yuta Shitara (Honda) to the marathon national record it's obvious Kota has room to improve. A lot of room.

Team rosters below. Times listed are the athlete's best in the last three years except where noted.

Women
Miyuki Uehara (Daiichi Seimei) - 1:09:13 (Sanyo Ladies Half 2017)
Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) - 1:09:14 (Sanyo Ladies Half 2017)
Kaori Morita (Panasonic) - 1:10:10 (Marugame Half 2018)
Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) - 1:10:22 (Sanyo Ladies Half 2017)
Yuka Hori (Panasonic) - 1:11:05 (National Corporate Half 2018)

Men
Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) - 1:00:57 (NYC Half 2017)
Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) - 1:01:13 (Marugame Half 2017)
Kota Murayama (Asahi Kasei0 - 1:02:00 (National Corporate Half 2018)
Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) - 1:03:00 (Marugame Half 2016)
Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:03:28 (Marugame Half 2016)

© 2018 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

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