Kanakuri Memorial Meet Highlights

Kumamoto's Kanakuri Memorial Meet kicked off Japan's outdoor track season Saturday. In cold and windy conditions Hakone Ekiden great Vincent Yegon made his debut for two-time New Year Ekiden champ Honda with a win in a four-way battle over the last lap, dropping Samson Ndirangu (Sunbelx) in the last 50 m for 1st 27:37.85 to 27:39.67. Tomoki Ota (Toyota) was 3rd in 27:42.49, with collegiate half marathon champ Kotaro Shinohara of Hakone Ekiden winner Komazawa University 4th in 27:43.13, the 4th-best ever by a Japanese-born collegiate man.

The women's 10000 m had only five athletes on the starting line, and it was 2022 National Corporate Half Marathon champion Dolphine Omare (U.S.E.) all the way. Omare clocked 31:44.67, over 30 seconds up on top Japanese woman Misaki Hayashida (Kyudenko). Hayashida was 2nd in 32:15.97, with all four Japanese women clearing 32:45.

The men's 5000 m was split into six heats, with Heat 6 winner Emmanuel Korir (Mitsubishi Juko) turning in the fastest time of the day in 13:24.54 by 0.25 over new Tokyo Kokusai University recruit Amos Kibet. Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) was the top Japanese man in 13:26.03 for 4th, with U20 NR holder Keita Sato (Komazawa Univ.) 8th in 13:30.12. H.S. In his debut for Juntendo University NR holder Hiroto Yoshioka was 11th in 13:56.34.

A transfer from Asahi Kasei, Benuel Mogeni Magoma (Yasukawa Denki) took Heat 5 in 13:27.60 by 0.44 over Kazuki Tamura (Sumitomo Denko), who continues his comeback from a long pre-Olympic injury. Heat 4 went almost as fast as Heat 6, with Peter Kibui Wangari (NTN) getting the win in a photo finish with James Mutok (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.), 13:24.725 to 13:24.728.

Kamimura Gakuen High School's Caroline Kariba closed with a 2:53 final 1000 m to win what up to that point was a slow women's 5000 m A-heat, running 15:23.69 to beat 14:30.77 runner Eva Cherono (Toto) by 0.23. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) was close behind in 3rd in 15:24.04, with Nagisa Shimotabira (Senko) the fastest Japan woman in 15:32.94 for 7th. Rina Nabeshima (Sekisui Kagaku) won the B-heat in 15:36.88, with 31-year-old Olympic marathon trials qualifier and mother Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu) surprising with a 15:37.17 for 2nd, her best time since running her PB of 15:32.22 back in 2012.

Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) won the women's 3000 m in 8:59.75, beating runner-up Risa Yamazaki (Nittai Univ.) by over 15 seconds.

In her first race with new sponsor Uniqlo, Yume Goto outkicked NR holder Nozomi Tanaka (New Balance) over the last 150 m to win the women's 1500 m in 4:17.98. Tanaka faded badly and was almost caught by a fast-closing Aoi Suzuki (Nitori), just holding her off by 0.12 for 2nd in 4:20.11.

Ryoji Tatezawa (DeNA) also came from behind to win the men's 1500 m in 3:41.00, running down all-time #3 Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.), #4 Nanami Arai (Honda) and others to do it. NR holder Kazuto Kawamura (Toenec) was only 12th in 3:48.67.

Complete results here.

Chesang and Kipkoech Win Hot Gifu Half

Hot conditions held back fast times at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon Sunday, where Ugandan Stella Chesang and Kenya Hillary Kipkoech took the top spots over last year's winners Dolphine Nyaboke Omare and Amos Kurgat . In the women's race Chesang, Omare and Kenyan-born Bahraini Eunice Chebichii Chumba went out as a trio, Japan-based Hellen Ekarare with them initially but eventually dropping out. After a 15:39 opening 5 km Chumba started to slip off, and by 15 km Chesang was on her own. Chesang won in 1:07:59, solid given the conditions, with Omare 2nd in 1:08:31 and Chumba 3rd in 1:09:10. Rinka Hida was the first Japanese woman, 5th overall in 1:12:06 behind Australian Genevieve Gregson . A lead men's pack of 11 went through 5 km in 14:31, but by 10 km it was down to Kipkoech, Kurgat, , Timothy Kiplagat , Ugandan Stephen Kissa and Japan-based Kenyans Patrick Mathenge Wambui and Anthony Maina . At 15 km in 43:40 only Kurgat and Kipkoech were left, and over the last 5

10000 m National Championships Preview

Less than five months since the 2023 10000 m National Championships went down at the 2021 Olympic stadium in Tokyo, the 2024 edition happens Friday at Shizuoka's Ecopa Stadium, with NHK broadcasting it live starting at 19:25 local time. Doubling up on Nationals like this lets Japanese athletes double dip on placing points to try to get into the Paris Olympics on rankings. But between the number of people who've hit the 30:40.00 women's standard and 27:00.00 men's standard and the lopsided eight spots given away to top placers at World XC, there are only four women's spots and three men's available via rankings. Of those, three of the four women's spots and two of the three men's spots are currently occupied by top placers at December's 2023 Nationals, Ririka Hironaka , Haruka Kokai and Rino Goshima for women and Ren Tazawa and Tomoki Ota for men. The 2023 Nationals did get close to the standards, with Hironaka leading the top four women under

Drury and Mashiko Lead Four Japanese Golds - U20 Asian Championships Day 4

The closing day of the Dubai U20 Asian Athletics Championships saw Japan go out big, with four gold medals led by dominant runs by Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) and Yota Mashiko (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.). Making her international debut, the 16-year-old Drury led start to finish in the women's 1500 m final, grinding down the rest of the field and putting over 4 seconds on runner-up Sandilea Vinod of India over the last 300 m to win in 4:21.41. Drury's splits: 1:11-2:24-(3:19)-3:35-4:21. There's still a long way for Drury to go, but in terms of form and confidence this was the best she has looked since her legendary breakthrough CR at last year's National Women's Ekiden, and you could see more than a glimmer of what everyone is hoping is really there. Mashiko was even more dominant in the men's 3000 m. Coming out on the front end of some pushing and shoving in the first 50 m, Mashiko led the entire way. By 300 m he had a measurable gap that never got smaller, and af

japan running news

Search This Blog