Kamino Over Kawauchi at Takashimadaira 20 km

With last week's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai having changed from 20 km to the half marathon distance the Takashimadaira 20 km Road Race is now Japan's premier 20 km, four laps of a perfectly flat 5 km loop in Tokyo's northwestern suburbs. Working his way back from a DNF last month at the Berlin Marathon, independent Daichi Kamino (New Balance) went head-to-head this year with 2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't), a regular at Takashimadaira.

After a slow 15:27 opening lap Kamino went to the front, picking up the pace to 15:18 for the second lap and cutting the lead group down from a dozen to six. 2014 Ageo City Half Marathon winner Koki Takada (Sumitomo Denko) and collegiate men Kotaro Hirata (Teikyo Univ.), Fuma Nakamura (Teikyo Univ.) and Tomoya Yoneda (Tokai Univ.) hung with Kamino and Kawauchi through a 15:15 third lap until Kamino attacked again.

Hirata and Kawauchi tried to follow, but Kamino was too much to keep up with. Running alone the rest of the final lap he crossed the finish line in 1:00:37 to win Takashimadaira for the first time. With his characteristic fast finish Kawauchi disposed of Hirata, closing to within 11 seconds of Kamino in the last kilometer for 2nd in 1:00:48. Hirata was the top university finisher at 3rd in 1:00:53. Shiori Shimomura (Comody Iida) won the women's race in 1:16:01

Kawauchi's time was equivalent to a 1:04:08 half marathon, his second-best performance of 2018 and a good step toward his planned Italian debut at next weekend's Huawei Venice Marathon. He and Kamino will next face each other three weeks after that at the Ageo City Half Marathon where they will be joined by half marathon national record holder Yuta Shitara (Honda).

43rd Takashimadaira Road Race

Takashimadaira, Tokyo, 10/21/18

Men's 20 km
1. Daichi Kamino (New Balance) - 1:00:37
2. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 1:00:48
3. Kotaro Hirata (Teikyo Univ.) - 1:00:55
4. Fuma Nakamura (Teikyo Univ.) - 1:01:10
5. Koki Takada (Sumitomo Denko) - 1:01:17
6. Tomoya Yoneda (Tokai Univ.) - 1:01:23
7. Yuta Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 1:02:01
8. Yuki Harazuka (Kanagawa Univ.) - 1:02:07
9. Tomohiro Oka (Teikyo Univ.) - 1:02:08
10. Mizuki Otsuka (Teikyo Univ.) - 1:02:50

Women's 20 km
1. Shiori Shimomura (Comody Iida) - 1:16:01
2. Mitsuko Hirose (Tokyo Wings) - 1:17:24
3. Yuka Aoyama (Crest) - 1:17:34

© 2018 Brett Larner

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

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