A Quick Guide to Japanese Marathoners Racing Overseas This Fall

In the last week or two, four major international marathons have announced elite fields that include Japanese athletes, mostly men. There aren't many homegrown elite-level races for them to pick from, either for men or women.

Postponed from the spring, despite corona numbers breaking new records almost daily the Tokyo Marathon is still scheduled to go ahead Oct. 17, a date that plops it right in the middle of ekiden season for both corporate men and especially women. The men-only Fukuoka International Marathon will hold its 75th and final running on Dec. 5, the traditional date that has contributed to its downfall due to a conflict with the New Year Ekiden less than four weeks later. The Hofu Marathon is two weeks after Fukuoka, even more in conflict with the New Year Ekiden, and with a World Athletics Elite Label this year it may be capitalizing on the void in women's racing opportunities by giving something approaching parity to its women's field. Or maybe not.

With those being the only real stay home chances this year, a decent number of Japanese athletes are taking the risk of going overseas to race. There are usually groups of Japanese corporate league men at the Sydney Marathon and Chicago Marathon selected based on their performances at spring domestic marathons. This year a group of four will be at the Vienna Marathon on Sept. 12, including Kento Kikutani, 2:07:26 at Lake Biwa this year, Yuta Koyama, 2:08:45, Koki Yoshioka, 2:10:13, and Koyama's talented teammate Daiji Kawai, a better runner than his 2:10:50 best would indicate.

At the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 26 two more of the breakthrough people from Lake Biwa are scheduled to line up, Hidekazu Hijikata, 2:06:26, and Kazuki Muramoto. 2:07:36. 2019 Fukuoka winner Taku Fujimoto is also on the bill.

Oct. 10 at the Chicago Marathon national record holder Kengo Suzuki is a late add to the field . Veteran Masato Kikuchi, 2:07:20 at Lake Biwa this spring and the only Japanese man to have gone sub-61 for the half marathon three times in his career, is also entered. Sho Watanabe is the only Japanese man in Chicago's wheelchair race.

Watanabe will be one of the wheelchair athletes scheduled to double the next day at the Boston Marathon, where he is joined by Hiroki Nishida, Kota Hokinoue and Tomoki Suzuki. Boston will also feature a Para-Athletics division with prize money for the first time, and there to claim some of it will be T12 women's world record holder Misato Michishita.

Running with support from JRN, club runner Shiho Kaneshige will be making her Boston debut in the elite women's field, her only previous international performance having been a 1st-place finish in the mass start race in a then-PB 2:33:16 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Continuing Boston's longtime tradition of inviting back past winners, Yuki Kawauchi will also make an appearance.

Watanabe will be back in action at the Nov. 7 TCS New York City Marathon, as in Chicago the only Japanese man on the list. Haruka Yamaguchi will be the only Japanese athlete in the elite women's race, an interesting club runner who was the first Japanese athlete across track and field and road running to compete abroad during the pandemic, ran as an Olympic torchbearer this summer, and is scheduled to run as a guide for a blind athlete during the Tokyo Paralympics marathon. Akira Tomiyasu will likewise be the only Japanese runner in the elite men's race off a 2:10:29 debut at Lake Biwa earlier this year. Appearing with support from JRN, both Yamaguchi and Tomiyasu are optimistic about bettering the best-ever Japanese performances at New York.

More names will be added to the lists above as they are officially announced by race organizers. If all the races end up happening there could be a dynamic marathon season ahead for Japan, even if the by nature conservative Tokyo is unable to go ahead.

Haruka Yamaguchi photo c/o Haruka Yamaguchi

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

japan running news

Search This Blog