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.

Japan Announces Complete London Olympics Athletics Team

by Brett Larner Click here for JRN's complete video coverage of the 2012 Japanese Olympic Trials, 27 videos making up nearly three hours of footage. The Japanese Federation and Olympic Committee announced the complete lineup of Japan's team of 48 athletes for this summer's London Olympics track and field events at a press conference on June 11. The team features 11 national record holders and 18 current national champions and is young overall, with a heavy preponderance of first-time Olympians including a World Junior gold medalist, 13 collegiates and one high schooler. The Fujitsu corporate team is overwhelmingly the best-represented, boasting 8 Olympic team members, while Chukyo University tops the collegiate list with 3 athletes on the team. Suzuki, whose Suzuki Hamamatsu AC club team exists outside the corporate league, also has 3 Olympians. No Olympic team selection process is free of controversial decisions, and the omission of women's 10000 m Jr. NR hold

Yamagata-Based Alexander Mutiso Aims to Be #1 in Paris Olympics Marathon

Having been named to the Kenyan men's team for this summer's Paris Olympics, Alexander Mutiso , 27, of the Nanyo, Yamagata-based ND Software corporate team, told the Yamagata Newspaper on May 13 that his goal for the Olympic marathon is "to be #1." Having lived in Yamagata for 10 years, Mutiso has strong attachment to the area and credits its environment for helping him develop, saying, "Ever since I came to Yamagata I've been running well." He left for Kenya on May 14 to join the Kenyan national team training camp, aiming to be in perfect condition when he arrives in Paris for the main event. Mutiso came to Japan in 2015, joining the ND Software team and taking up residence in Nanyo. "I don't like the cold winters in Yamagata so much, but the other seasons are nice." From that base he has grown into the athlete he is now, competing in races across Japan and around the world. Compared to the track, his strengths lie more in long road races

Weekend Track Update

The biggest domestic meet of the weekend was the four-day Kanto Region Track and Field Championships , but there were other good meets happening across the country. At the Kinami Memorial Meet in Osaka, Kazuto Iizawa (Sumitomo Denko) had a near-miss on the Japanese NR, running a meet record 3:35.77 for the win to come in at all-time JPN #2. 2nd through 4th-placers Abraham Guem (South Sudan), Felix Muthiani (Kenya) and Dezhu Liu (China) were all under the old MR and under 3:38, and the top 10 all went under 3:40. All told it was one of the best non-international championship men's 1500 m ever on Japanese soil. The women's 3000 mSC also saw a new MR from Shuangshuang Xu (China) in 9:47.45, with 2nd through 4th-placers Miu Saito (Nittai Univ.), Georgia Winkcup (Australia) and Manami Nishiyama (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) all breaking 10 minutes. At part one of the Chugoku Corporate Championships in Hiroshima, Rebecca Mwangi (Daiso) had an easy win in the women's 5000 m

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