Inoue Runs Second-Fastest Time Ever at Tamana Half in Tuneup for Boston

While many of the other main contenders for September’s MGC Race, Japan’s new 2020 Olympic trials marathon, were focused on trying to run super fast times at the Tokyo Marathon, 2018 Asian Games gold medalist Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) did his last major tuneup for next month’s Boston Marathon at the 70th edition of Kumamoto’s Kanaguri Hai Tamana Half Marathon.

Throughout the race Inoue went head-to-head with 2018 winner Patrick Muendo Mwaka (Aisan Kogyo) before finally dropping him in the final kilometers. At 1:02:21 Mwaka was more than 30 seconds up on his winning time from last year, but Inoue surged away from him to win in 1:02:12, his best half marathon time in four years and the second-fastest winning time in Tamana’s 70-year history. Only five people had ever broken 63 minutes at Tamana previously, but this year the top eight all did it, 8th-placer Shunsuke Kanbe (Komazawa Univ.) running a PB 1:02:56. Boston-bound Shizuoka Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov’t) was over a minute and a half behind Inoue in 1:03:46 for 11th.

3rd in last month’s National Corporate 10 km Championships, Miku Daido (Iwatani Sangyo) won the women’s 10 km in 33:52 in a photo finish with teammate Nami Aoki and just a step ahead of Minaru Okamoto (Shiseido). Kenyan Victor Kimosop (Fukuoka Daiichi H.S.) won the high school boys’ 10 km in 29:40, with teammates Koki Sato and Hitoshi Yuasa (both Miyazaki Nihon Prep H.S.) 2nd and 3rd in 29:51 and 29:57.

70th Kanaguri Hai Tamana Half Marathon

Tamana, Kumamoto, 3/3/19
complete results

Men’s Half Marathon
1. Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) – 1:02:12
2. Patrick Muendo Mwaka (Aisan Kogyo) – 1:02:21
3. Naoya Takahashi (Yasukawa Denki) – 1:02:42
4. Atsumi Ashiwa (Honda) – 1:02:44
5. Yuki Arimura (Asahi Kasei) – 1:02:44
6. Kento Otsu (Toyota Kyushu) – 1:02:45
7. Yuki Matsumura (Honda) – 1:02:49
8. Shunsuke Kanbe (Komazawa Univ.) – 1:02:56 - PB
9. Shunya Nomura (Yasukawa Denki) – 1:03:23
10. Kiyoshi Koga (Yasukawa Denki) – 1:03:43

Women’s 10 km
1. Miku Daido (Iwatani Sangyo) – 33:52
2. Nanami Aoki (Iwatani Sangyo) – 33:52
3. Minaru Okamoto (Shiseido) – 33:53
4. Shino Hasegawa (Wacoal) – 33:55
5. Wakana Itsuki (Kyudenko) – 34:04

High School Boys’ 10 km
1. Victor Kimosop (Fukuoka Daiichi H.S.) – 29:40
2. Koki Sato (Miyazaki Nihon Prep H.S.) – 29:51
3. Hitoshi Yuasa (Miyazaki Nihon Prep H.S.) – 29:57

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Tokumoto and Yamakawa Take Over at Shibaura Kogyo in Quest for Hakone Debut

In a quest to make its first Hakone Ekiden, Shibaura Kogyo University announced this week that former Surugadai University head coach Kazuyoshi Tokumoto , 45, and former Reitaku University head coach Tatsuya Yamakawa , 40, will take over as head and assistant coach starting in April. In a statement issued by the university Tokumoto commented, "I'm pleased to have been named head coach of Shibaura Kogyo University's track and field team. When they came to feel me I could feel their passion about achieving their dream of becoming the first science and technology university to compete in the Hakone Ekiden. I was happy to accept because I felt that this was an environment in which I could grow too. It's my responsibility to help them become the 45th university ever to compete in Hakone. I hope that you'll enjoy Act II of the Tokumoto Show and cheer us on as Shibaura Kogyo heads down the road to Hakone." Yamakawa's comments read, "I arrived early in Feb...

Nanjing World Indoor Championships Day One Japanese Results

Indoor track isn't much of a thing in Japan, but there's still a small national team at this weekend's Nanjing World Indoor Championships . High jumpers Naoto Hasegawa and Sota Haraguchi were the only Japanese athletes in action in final on Friday's opening day. Hasegawa became the first Japanese man to make top 8 in a World Indoor Championships high jump final, taking 7th with a 2.20 m SB. Haraguchi was 13th of 13 with a 2.14 m SB clearance. In the men's 400 m Fuga Sato made it through the opening heats with a 46.60 SB for 2nd in Heat 3, while Ryo Yoshikawa ran only 47.47 for 5th in Heat 2 and did not advance. Sato was eliminated in the semifinals after he was last in SF1 in 48.31. Yoshiki Kinashi and Naoki Nishioka both made it through the men's 60 m heats, Kinashi running 6.60 m for 2nd in Heat 8 and Nishioka 6.67 for 3rd in Heat 4. In the semifinals both were eliminated, Nishioka improving to 6.62 for 4th in SF3 and Kinashi running 6.63 for 5th in SF2....

Nanjing World Indoor Championships Day Two Japanese Results

As with yesterday , only one Japanese athlete competed in a final on the 2nd day of the Nanjing World Indoor Championships . Ranked 7th on SB in the field of 12 in the women's 3000 m, NR holder Nozomi Tanaka finished 10th in 8:47.93 over 10 seconds behind winner Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia. Yuma Maruyama was also in action on the first day of heptathlon competition, sitting at 11th of 12 at the end of the day with 3135 points. Maruyama's best individual event placings were 9th in both the 60 m and long jump. In the men's 60 mH Tetsuro Nishi was the fastest time qualifier for the semifinals, running 7.79 for 5th in Heat 2. It would have taken at least 7.61 to get through the semis to the final, but Nishi could only turn in a 7.83 for 6th in SF2 and did not advance. The Nanjing World Indoor Championships wrap up Sunday. © 2025 Brett Larner , all rights reserved

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