Mashiko 8:11.12 JHS 3000 m NR - Long Weekend Track Highlights

Ekiden season got up to full speed this weekend, but there was still a healthy chunk of track action across the country. The main event was the National Sports Festival Thursday through Monday in Tochigi. In the junior men's 3000 m Rui Suzuki (Yachiyo Shoin H.S.) ran 8:01.26 for the win, the 3rd-fastest time ever by a Japanese high schooler. Yamato Hamaguchi (Saku Chosei H.S.) was 2nd in 8:07.66, but the biggest news was 3rd-placer Yota Mashiko, a 9th-grader at Fukushima's Kagamiishii J.H.S. Already the junior high school 3000 m NR holder after running 8:15.04 in August, Mashiko chopped 4 seconds off that mark with a new 8:11.12 NR.

The junior men's 5000 m was also fast, with the top 8 all breaking 14 minutes and the top 14 under 14:10, all high schoolers. Hiroto Yoshioka (Saku Chosei H.S.) took the top spot in 13:53.85, Sonota Nagashima (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) 2nd in 13:54.80 and Yoshihiro Kusuoka (Keisei H.S.) 3rd in 13:55.84.

In the junior women's 3000 m Caroline Kariba (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) won in 8:56.79, the only athlete under 9 minutes. 2022 World U20 Championships 1500 m 6th-placer Yuya Sawada (Hamamatsu Shiritsu H.S.) was 2nd in 9:14.70 just off her PB, with Kana Mizumoto (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) 3rd in 9:15.54.

National University Women's Ekiden champion Meijo University's Yuma Yamamoto broke the senior women's 5000 m meet record with a PB 15:16.71, beating NR holder Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) by over 6 seconds. Her teammate Narumi Kobayashi continued to struggle in her comeback from a coronavirus infection that kept her off the 2022 World Championships 10000 m squad, running only 15:58.21 for 8th.

At the Chubu Region Corporate Track and Field Championships in Gifu the main result was in the men's 10000 m, where Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) ran a PB 27:33.67 for the win, 7 seconds up on Evans Keitany (Toyota Boshoku) and 9 on Bedan Karoki (Toyota). Minato Oishi (Toyota) was the only Japanese man under 28 minutes, running 27:57.32 for 6th. 8 men total went under 28 minutes.

Tokai University didn't make it to Monday's Izumo Ekiden, instead holding a home track time trials meet. Shota Shimazaki (Kanagawa Univ.) won a 3-way sprint finish over corporate leaguers Jinnosuke Matsumura (Comodi Iida) and Ryoma Takeuchi (ND Software) in the men's 10000 m, taking 1st in 28:58.70 with Matsumura 2nd in 28:59.76 and Takeuchi 3rd in 29:00.95. Newcomer Timothy Kibet (Makes) won the men's 3000 in 8:03.73.

In Izumo, alternates from the ekiden ran a track 5000 m time trial as part of a local meet. Leakey Kamina (Soka Univ.) took the top spot in 14:00.43, with ekiden winner Komazawa University alts Kensuke Tsuburan and Takuma Yamakawa 2nd and 3rd in 14:04.61 and 14:10.20.

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

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