Know Your Japanese Runners in Boston

It's a week until the Boston Marathon. After decades of its best giving it a miss Boston is coming back into fashion among Japan's elite marathoners. With top three finishes in the men's race the last two years we just might see three in a row for the first time since the golden years back in 1965-1967. A brief introduction to who'll be on the starting line this year:

Nami Hashimoto
PB/SB: 2:33:22 (Nagoya 2019)
Hashimoto has been on a roll so far this year, winning her debut at the Jan. 27 Katsuta Marathon in 2:34:18, running a PB of 1:46:30 three weeks later for 2nd at the Ome 30 km, then bettering her Katsuta time another three weeks later with a 2:33:22 at the Nagoya Women's Marathon. Both Katsuta and Ome send top-placing finishers to Boston, making this Hashimoto's international debut.

Hiroto Inoue
PB/SB: 2:06:54 (Tokyo 2018)
Generally considered to have the best chance of making Japan's 2020 Olympic marathon team, Inoue had a stellar 2018 with a 2:06:54 in Tokyo and a gold medal in the Jakarta Asian Games marathon. Pursuing racing instead of a faster time since his 2:06:54, Inoue arrives in Boston off his best half marathon in four years, a 1:02:12 win at the Mar. 3 Tamana Half Marathon. After training for Boston in New Zealand he told Japanese media, "More than just running it I want to win."

Nao Isaka
PB/SB: 2:36:48 (Katsuta 2019)
Like Hashimoto running her marathon debut at Katsuta on Jan. 27, Isaka earned her place in Boston by finishing 3rd in 2:36:48. So far she has been solid internationally, winning the 2016 Porto Half Marathon in Portugal and taking 2nd at last December's Singapore Half Marathon.

Hiroki Kai
SB: 2:17:29 (Katsuta 2019)
Kai won the hilly Katsuta Marathon men's race just 12 seconds off his best to score a Boston invitation. Two weeks later he ran a 1:04:58 PB at the National Corporate Half Marathon Championships. A full-time massage therapist, Kai is a two-time winner of Thailand's Phuket Marathon, taking it in 2017 and 2018.

Yuki Kawauchi
SB: 2:09:21 (Lake Biwa 2019)
After winning Boston last year Kawauchi struggled through much of the rest of 2018, running three of the slowest marathons of his career. Near the end of the year things started to turn around, and at March's Lake Biwa Marathon he broke 2:10 for the first time in almost two years with a 2:09:21. His mother Mika will also be running Boston in Wave 4.

Masao Kizu
PB/SB: 2:18:21 (Nobeoka 2018)
Going the Ome 30 km route to Boston after a 1:01:45 PB at the Feb. 3 Marugame Half, Kizu was the top Japanese man there at 2nd overall in 1:33:30. Coached by former marathon national record holder Toshinari Takaoka, Kizu's only previous marathon experience was a 2:18:21 debut for 7th in Nobeoka last year just before his graduation from Nihon University.

Kaoru Nagao
SB: 2:36:09 (Nagoya 2019)
A former member of the Universal Entertainment corporate team now competing as a club runner, Nagao was 4th in Ome in 1:47:49 to earn a Boston invitation. Four weeks later she ran 2:36:09 at the Nagoya Women's Marathon, over nine minutes off her PB but the best time of her club era by a long shot. In her only previous international marathon Nagao was 22nd in the 2017 NYC Marathon in 2:44:26.

Hayato Sonoda
PB/SB: 2:09:34 (Beppu-Oita 2018)
With an awkward tilt of his head reminiscent of Hiromi Taniguchi, Sonoda has been working his way up through the ranks the last couple of years, peaking with a 2:09:34 for 2nd at last year's Beppu-Oita Marathon. This year he was 8th in 2:10:39, and in his Boston tune-up, the Mar. 17 Niigata Half Marathon, he only managed a 1:06:01 for 21st.

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...

japan running news

Search This Blog