Kanakuri Memorial and More - Weekend Preview

Outdoor track season gets moving this weekend with at least three competitive meets across the country. The Hokuriku Region Corporate Championships in Niigata and Chugoku Corporate Time Trials in Hiroshima are solidly in the second tier, but the main event happens Saturday in Kumamoto at the Kanaguri Memorial Meet. Streaming of Kanaguri starts at 15:30 local time above, with the main races happening later in the evening. Meet schedule and start lists here.

Both the men's and women's 1500 m feature three of Japan's all-time top five. The men's race is slightly stronger, with NR holder Kazuki Kawamura (Toenec), all-time #3 Nanami Arai (Honda) and #4 Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.). The women's race has NR holder Nozomi Tanaka (New Balance), #3 Ran Urabe (Sekisui Kagaku) and #5 Yume Goto (Uniqlo).

Two others in the Japanese men's 1500 m all-time top ten, #6 Keita Sato (Komazawa Univ.) and #10 Yuta Bando (Fujitsu), are opting for the 5000 m. Just back from altitude training in Boulder, U20 NR holder Sato will face H.S. NR holder Hiroto Yoshioka (Juntendo Univ.) in Yoshioka's college debut and first race since collapsing on the finish line at February's World XC Championships, and 11 of the best Japan-based Kenyans. Five of the other best collegiate men are opting for the B-heat, which will feature Mebuki Suzuki (Komazawa Univ.), Shotaro Ishihara (Tokai Univ.), Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.), Tomonori Yamaguchi (Waseda Univ.) and Taishi Ito (Waseda Univ.).

The women's 5000 m is also heavy on Japan-based Kenyan talent, including sub-15 runners Eva Cherono (Toto), Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo), Naomi Muthoni (Universal) and Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera). Last year's 8th-fastest Japanese woman Momoka Kawaguchi (Uniqlo) is the top domestic entry, but Minami Yamanouchi (Shimamura) is also in the field as she rebuilds her career in her second season at the Shimamura team.

Top-level Kenyans like Rodgers Kwemoi (Aisan Kogyo) and Vincent Yegon (Honda) lead the men's 10000 m which is heavy on marathoners who've qualified for October's Paris Olympic marathon trials. Kento Kikutani (Toyota Boshoku), Minato Oishi (Toyota), Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku), Yuki Sato (SGH) and Tatsuya Maruyama (Toyota) fill that category, with interesting additions from fastest-ever Japanese collegiate half marathoner Kotaro Shinohara (Komazawa Univ.) and former H.S. 5000 m NR holder Kosuke Ishida (Toyo Univ.).

Mao Uesugi (Starts) is the only Olympic trials marathoner in the women's 10000 m, where her main competition is 1:07:56 half marathoner Dolphine Omare (U.S.E.) and last year's 7th-fastest Japanese woman Wakana Itsuki (Kyudenko). JRN will be on-site at the Kanaguri Memorial Meet to cover it live on Twitter and Instagram.

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,

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

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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