The 2023 Hakone Ekiden Champs Komazawa University at the United Airlines NYC Half

2023 Hakone Ekiden champion Komazawa University's 1st and 8th runners from its winning team Kensuke Tsubura and Yuto Akahoshi were at the United Airlines NYC Half Sunday with head coach Hiroaki Oyagi and his wife Kyoko Oyagi as part of the partnership between race organizers NYRR and November's Ageo City Half Marathon set up by JRN in 2012. For both athletes it was the first time for them to ever go outside Japan.

Akahoshi, a 3rd-year at Komazawa who ran his PB of 1:02:00 at Ageo last fall, lasted longer in the main pack, staying with the group that ended up filling 4th through 14th after the breakaway move up the East Side by world record holders Jacob Kiplimo and Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and Moroccan Zouhair Talbi. In the last 5 km he dropped back to finish 14th in 1:03:49, just behind 2022 Fukuoka International Marathon winner Maru Teferi of Israel.

"My goal was to come here and try to stay with some of the best athletes in the world, so I'm pretty disappointed that I lost touch after 15 km," he told JRN post-race. "Neither my time nor my place hit my targets, but it was still a great experience to run against people like this in one of the world's top races. I know it's going to help me in my future career."

Tsubura, who graduates next week and will give up running to begin preparation to become a monk at his family's Buddhist temple, came to NYC on only 2 weeks of training after a stress fracture following his excellent opening leg run at Hakone in January. He lasted in the pack through 10 km before losing ground, overtaking and then running with British early breakaway leader Chris Thompson before getting caught by American Galen Rupp in the last km and finishing 18th in 1:05:01.

"I'm really disappointed that I wasn't able to come here in good condition," he said post-race. "But I knew this was going to be my last race, and it makes me truly happy to have been able to do it in front of coach Oyagi and Kyoko. This is the end of my road, but I'm really glad I had a career as an athlete and that I chose to have it at Komazawa University."

For Oyagi, the United Airlines NYC Half was the last race in a 28-year career as head coach at Komazawa that produced 27 wins at the Big Three University Ekidens, 11 sub-2:09 marathoners, a 2:06:51 marathon national record in 2000, the fastest-ever half marathon and 10000 m times by a Japanese-born collegian, U20 3000 m and 5000 m NR, and a long list of other achievements.

"It was one of the joys of my life to have been coach at Komazawa University for 28 years," Oyagi said after the race. "It was a lot of fun. There were hard times, but when I look back at it now and see what the people I helped develop have gone on to accomplish, I think I did a good job as coach. I have nothing but gratitude to everyone I worked with. Thank you all."

United Airlines NYC Half

New York, 19 Mar. 2023

Men

1. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) - 1:01:31

2. Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) - 1:02:09

3. Zouhair Talbi (Morocco) - 1:02:18

4. Ben True (U.S.A.) - 1:02:57

5. Edward Cheserek (Kenya) - 1:02:58

6. Andrew Butchart (Great Britain) - 1:02:58

7. Nico Montana (U.S.A.) - 1:03:00

8. Reed Fischer (U.S.A.) - 1:03:02

9. Frank Lara (U.S.A.) - 1:03:07

10. Teshome Mekonen (U.S.A.) - 1:03:08

11. Connor Winter (U.S.A.) - 1:03:10

12. Kennedy Kimutai (Kenya) - 1:03:20

13. Maru Teferi (Israel) - 1:03:41

14. Yuto Akahoshi (Japan) - 1:03:49

15. Rory Linkletter (Canada) - 1:04:21

16. Chris Thompson (Great Britain) - 1:04:32

17. Galen Rupp (U.S.A.) - 1:04:57

18. Kensuke Tsubura (Japan) - 1:05:01

Women

1. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) - 1:07:21

2. Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) - 1:07:55

3. Karoline Grovdal (Norway) - 1:09:53

4. Diane van Es (Netherlands) - 1:10:43

5. Desiree Linden (U.S.A.) - 1:12:21

6. Dakotah Lindwurm (U.S.A.) - 1:12:25

7. Molly Huddle (U.S.A.) - 1:12:27

8. Natasha Wodak (Canada) - 1:12:33

9. Jeralyn Poe (U.S.A.) - 1:12:46

10. Erika Kemp (U.S.A.) - 1:13:18

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 Tokyu 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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