2021 Okinawa Marathon Canceled

In light of the continued development of the coronavirus crisis, the organizing committee of the 29th Okinawa Marathon scheduled for Feb. 21, 2021 has decided to postpone the race for one year out of concern for the safety and well-being of the participants and volunteers who help make our event possible, for the local spectators along the course, and for everyone else involved in the race. The new date for the 29th running will be Feb. 20, 2022.

The organizing committee had explored options and began preparations for holding the race, but the following are the reality of the current situation in relation to the coronavirus:

1. Eliminating the risk of infection among 15,000 participants, staff and volunteers is not possible.
2. In the event of second and third waves of infection it would not be possible to establish adequate emergency medical services to deal with coronavirus infections, making it impossible to ensure the safety of the race.
3. Due to the nature of the marathon as an event, it is not possible to avoid people being crowded close together.

We ask for the understanding of all runners and supporters who had been looking forward to our race, and we hope to see an end to this situation soon that we can welcome you all to our 29th edition in 2022. Like our race's catchphrase says, "People, dreams, love: You'll find them all here." We'll continue to work toward that ideal, making a race where runners and locals can come together and share the moment in space and time. We can't wait to see you again at the Okinawa Marathon.

Sachio Kuwae
Director, Okinawa Marathon Organizing Committee

Translator's note: Along with the 2021 Marugame Half Marathon and Ome 30 km, Okinawa is the eighth major Japanese marathon of 2021 to cancel so far. A breakdown of the current situation among Japan's 29 main marathons from October through December, representing over 300,000 finishers total among each race's previous edition, and 2021 announcements:

Oct. 4: Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon (7,457) - canceled
Oct. 4: Matsumoto Marathon (6,455)- canceled
Oct. 11: Niigata City Marathon (6,784) - canceled
Oct. 18: Chiba Aqualine Marathon (9,541) - canceled
Oct. 25: Kanazawa Marathon (10,408) - canceled
Oct. 25: Mito Komon Marathon (9,995) - canceled
Oct. 25: Shimada Oikawa Marathon (6,589) - canceled
Oct. 25: Iwate Morioka City Marathon (5,729) - canceled
Nov. 1: Yokohama Marathon (25,195) - canceled
Nov. 1: Toyama Marathon (12,603) - canceled
Nov. 1: Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon (8,650) - canceled
Nov. 8: Okayama Marathon (13,491) - canceled
Nov. 8: Fukuoka Marathon (11,349) - canceled
Nov. 8: Ibigawa Marathon (5,818) - canceled
Nov. 15: Kobe Marathon (19,444) - canceled
Nov. 22: Tsukuba Marathon (11,461) - canceled
Nov. 23: Fukuchiyama Marathon (6,429) - canceled
Nov. 23: Ohtawara Marathon (1,697) - canceled
Nov. 29: Osaka Marathon (31,594) - canceled
Nov. 29: Mt. Fuji International Marathon (7,200) - canceled
Nov. 29 Nagasaki Peace marathon (1st running, field of 10,000) - canceled
Dec. 6: Shonan International Marathon (16,821) - postponed to Feb. 28, 2021
Dec. 6: Naha Marathon (14,660) - canceled
Dec. 6: Fukuoka International Marathon (370) - TBA
Dec. 13: Saitama International Marathon (13,340) - canceled
Dec. 13: Nara Marathon (11,137) - canceled
Dec. 13: Aoshima Taiheiyo Marathon (8,043) - canceled
Dec. 20: Hofu Marathon (2,724) - scheduled with limited field size
Dec. 20: Mie Matsuzaka Marathon (1st running, field of 7,000) - canceled

2021

Jan. 10 - Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon (10,954) - canceled
Jan. 31 - Katsuta Marathon (10,627) - canceled
January - Osaka International Women's Marathon (423) - TBA
Feb. 14 - Ehime Marathon (9,554) - registrations postponed
Feb. 21 - Kyoto Marathon (13,894) - canceled
Feb. 21 - Kochi Ryoma Marathon (10,924) - scheduled
Feb. 21 - Okinawa Marathon (7,990) - canceled
Feb. 28 - Shonan International Marathon (16,821) - scheduled (moved from Dec. 6)
Feb. 28 - Iwaki Sunshine Marathon (5,259) - scheduled
February - Kumamoto Castle Marathon (10,444) - canceled
February - Kitakyushu Marathon (9,485) - canceled
February - Himeji Castle Marathon (6,938) - TBA
February - Beppu-Oita Marathon (3,141) - TBA
February - Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon (536) - TBA
Mar. 7 - Tokyo Marathon (151) - scheduled
Mar. 14 - Shizuoka Marathon (9,802) - canceled
March - Koga Hanamomo Marathon (8,766) - canceled
March - Kagoshima Marathon (9.356) - TBA
March - Saga Sakura Marathon (8.509) - TBA
March - Sakura Marathon (5,614) - TBA
March - Nagoya Women's Marathon (96) - TBA

source article:
https://okinawa-marathon.com/announce-20200814.html
translated Brett Larner

Morii Surprises With Second-Ever Japanese Sub-2:10 at Boston

With three sub-2:09 Japanese men in the race and good weather conditions by Boston standards the chances were decent that somebody was going to follow 1981 winner Toshihiko Seko 's 2:09:26 and score a sub-2:10 at the Boston Marathon . But nobody thought it was going to be by a 2:14 amateur. Paris Olympic team member Suguru Osako had taken 3rd in Boston in 2:10:28 in his debut seven years ago, and both he and 2:08 runners Kento Otsu and Ryoma Takeuchi were aiming for spots in the top 10, Otsu after having run a 1:01:43 half marathon PB in February and Takeuchi of a 2:08:40 marathon PB at Hofu last December. A high-level amateur with a 2:14:15 PB who scored a trip to Boston after winning a local race in Japan, Yuma Morii told JRN minutes before the start of the race, "I'm not thinking about time at all. I'm going to make top 10, whatever time it takes." Running Boston for the first time Morii took off with a 4:32 on the downhill opening mile, but after that Sis

Saturday at Kanaguri and Nittai

Two big meets happened Saturday, one in Kumamoto and the other in Yokohama. At Kumamoto's Kanaguri Memorial Meet , Benard Koech (Kyudenko) turned in the performance of the day with a 13:13.52 meet record to win the men's 5000 m A-heat by just 0.11 seconds over Emmanuel Kipchirchir (SGH). The top four were all under 13:20, with 10000 m national record holder Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) bouncing back from a DNF at last month's The TEN to take the top Japanese spot at 7th overall in 13:24.57. The B-heat was also decently quick, Shadrack Rono (Subaru) winning in 13:21.55 and Shoya Yonei (JR Higashi Nihon) running a 10-second PB to get under 13:30 for the first time in 13:29.29 for 6th. Paris Olympics marathoner Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) was 9th in 13:30.62. South Sudan's Abraham Guem (Ami AC) also set a meet record in the men's 1500 m A-heat in 3:38.94. 3000 mSC national record holder Ryuji Miura made his debut with the Subaru corporate team, running 3:39.78 for 2n

93-Year-Old Masters Track and Field WR Holder Hiroo Tanaka: "Everyone has Unexplored Intrinsic Abilities"

In the midst of a lot of talk about how to keep the aging population young, there are people with long lives who are showing extraordinary physical abilities. One of them is Hiroo Tanaka , 93, a multiple world champion in masters track and field. Tanaka began running when he was 60, before which he'd never competed in his adult life. "He's so fast he's world-class." "His running form is so beautiful. It's like he's flying." Tanaka trains at an indoor track in Aomori five days a week. Asked about him, that's the kind of thing the people there say. Tanaka holds multiple masters track and field world records, where age is divided into five-year groups. Last year at the World Masters Track and Field Championships in Poland he set a new world record of 38.79 for 200 m in the M90 class (men's 90-94 age group). People around the world were amazed at the time, which was almost unbelievable for a 92-year-old. After retiring from his job as an el

japan running news

Search This Blog