Over 40 Elite Japanese Athletes Racing This Weekend's Brooklyn Mile

This weekend's Brooklyn Mile is being held as a virtual race from Friday through Sunday instead of its usual road mile format. There's no shortage of other races doing the same right now, but Brooklyn has done something unique by setting itself up with a prize money pool pulled from entry fees, with the remaining 80% going to COVID-19 relief charities. It's an innovative idea in which anyone can take part and that gives the faster end of each age group something to shoot for with funding from the mass participants.

The current instability in the area leaves a question mark as to how many of those there will be. But on paper at least the potential is there for a very competitive three days, and with everyone around the world looking for ways to adapt racing to the current situation this looks like an approach worth supporting. Over forty elite-level Japanese middle and long-distance athletes, university, corporate league and pro, female and male, will be taking part with support from JRN. Some of the main names on the Japanese list:

Women
Ran Urabe (Sekisui Kagaku) - 2019 national champ, 800 m and 1500 m
Erina Hosoi (Keio University) - 2017 national champ, U18 800 m
Yoshiko Sakamoto (Team F.O.R.) - 40+ NR holder, 3000 m and 5000 m
Miharu Shimokado (Brooks) - 2020 Ehime Marathon winner

Men
Ryoji Tatezawa (DeNA Yokohama) - 2017-18 national champ, 1500 m; former indoor mile NR holder; CR setter, 2020 Hakone Ekiden Sixth Stage
Yasutomo Takenaka (Iga T&F Assoc.) - 40+ NR holder, 1500 m
Yasunari Kusu (Ami AC) - 2019 world leader, 2000 m steeplechase
Joel Mwaura (Kurosaki Harima) - 2020 Okukuma Half winner, 2018 national corporate champ, 10000 m
Rikuto Iijima (Ami AC) - 2014 national champ, U18 800 m, 2015 national H.S. champ, 800 m
Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Ami AC) - 2015 national H.S. champ, 1500 m
Yusuke Tamura (Kurosaki Harima) - 2019 World XC Championships national team
Asuka Tanaka (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:10:13 at 2018 Tokyo Marathon
Masato Yokota (Two Laps TC) - former 800 m NR holder, 2012 London Olympics national team

Leaderboard results will be posted on the Brooklyn Mile site throughout the weekend. We'll be linking any videos that Japanese athletes post of their runs and posting their results after the three-day race window is closed. Register here to take part yourself.

© 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved