Wanjiku and Yegon Go Sub-27:40 - Long Weekend Track Roundup

As everyone tunes up for the Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden, New Yeark Ekiden and Hakone Ekiden, Saturday's Hachioji Long Distance meet was the main event. But it wasn't the biggest meet of the long weekend, and it didn't produce the fastest men's 10000 m time.

Both of those claims went to Monday's Kanto Region University Time Trials meet at Sagamihara Gion Stadium in rural Kanagawa. With ten heats of men's 10000 m and one women's 10000 m on the program, the seventh heat saw Musashino University first-year Charles Kamau Wanjiku improbably solo the second-fastest time ever by a student at a Japanese university, 27:30.09. Wanjiku's time put him 5 seconds ahead of Hachioji fast heat winner Justus Soget (Honda) and almost two laps ahead of runner-up Yuichiro Ono (Teikyo Univ.).

Heat 9 was supposed to have been the main event at the Kanto meet, and although it lost a bit of flair to Wanjiku's incredible run, fourth-year Gaku Hoshi (Teikyo Univ.) ran a solid PB of 28:20.63 to lead the top three in his heat under 28:30, including Komazawa University first-year Mebuki Suzuki, 2nd in 28:23.87. The top 18 in Hoshi's heat were all under 29 minutes, with Wanjiku the only other runner in the heat to pull it off. Women's results were relatively low-key, with fourth-year Kyoka Kudo (Nittai Univ.) taking the top spot in 34:12.45.

Kanto wasn't the only meet other than Hachioji to unexpectedly see a time under 28 minutes. At Saturday's Heisei Kokusai University Time Trials meet in Saitama, Hakone Ekiden Third Stage course record annihilator Vincent Yegon (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) took 9 seconds off his PB with a solo 27:38.48 to win by nearly a minute over high schooler Patrick Kinyanjui (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.), 2nd in 28:32.41. It was a return to form for Yegon, who has mostly struggled since Hakone last January, and increases his chances of being picked by his coach for TKU's Hakone lineup this time around. Takashi Ichida and Shuho Dairokuno of New Year Ekiden champ Asahi Kasei went 1-2 in the fastest 5000 m heat in 14:02.55 and 14:05.59.

Across Saitama at the Waseda University Time Trials meet on Saturday, Waseda second-yeat Ryuto Igawa ran a 10000 m PB of 28:12.13 to lead the top four under 28:20 and the top 16 under 29 minutes. The top three in the B-heat were also under 29, with fourth-year Eiki Noguchi (Toyo Univ.) leading the way in 28:56.48.

Down south in Hiroshima, Dan Kiplangat (JFE Steel) took the top spot in the Chugoku Corporate Time Trials 10000 m fast year in 28:32.95. The top 14 all followed Kiplangat under 29 minutes, with B-heat top two Nagisa Moriso (Chugoku Denryoku) and Wesley Kimutai (Chugoku Denryoku) doing the same in 28:58.93 and 28:59.03.

Back up in Kanto, the day before the Kanto Time Trials meet the long distance segment of the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, rescheduled from May, took place at same venue as the time trial meet the next day. Usually the highest-level collegiate men's distance track of the year, the rescheduled date up against Hachioji and the Kanto Time Trials meant it was a fraction of its usual self. Second-year Charles Ndungu (Nihon Univ.) won the men's 10000 m in 29:10.73, with second-year Kei Takase (Senshu Univ.) running 14:17.84 to win the men's 5000 m. Despite fewer options women's results were on the same kind of level, fourth-year Sae Hanada (Juntendo Univ.) taking the 5000 m title in 16:28.36 and second-year Satsuki Imai (Daito Bunka Univ.) the 10000 m in 34:59.12.

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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