Regional Corporate Track Championships Highlights

Regional corporate league track and field championship meets are split between two weekends, with this weekend seeing meets in the Kansai, Chubu and Chugoku regions.

At the 67th Kansai Region Corporate Track and Field Championships in Naruto, Tokushima, Yuki Ishii (NTT Nishi Nihon) and Sodai Shimizu (Otsuka Seiyaku) both went under the men's 5000 m meet record from 2007, Ishii getting the win in a new MR of 13:36.94 and Shimizu 2nd in 13:38.96. Takuya Kitasaki (NTT Nishi Nihon) took the men's 10000 m in 28:42.99 and Tomohiro Chimori (Otsuka Seiyaku) the men's 1500 m in 3:46.43. Yuta Koga (Otsuka Seiyaku) broke his own MR in the men's 5000 m RW, going over 19 seconds under his record from last year to win in 18:55.71.

Marathoner Yuka Ando (Wacoal) and steepler Yuno Yamanaka (Ehime Ginko) went 1-2 in both the women's 10000 m and 5000 m, Ando running 32:53.12 to win the 10000 m on Friday and 15:44.99 to take the 5000 m on Sunday, and Yamanaka 32:56.28 and 15:48.65 for 2nd in both. Yamanaka also ran the 1500 m on Saturday, running 4:23.22 for 4th behind winner Jerusha Yuri Mayaka (Otsuka Seiyaku), 4:20.63 for the win. Complete video of all three days of the meet is on the KJR Youtube channel.

At the 67th Chubu Region Track and Field Championships in Gifu, men's 1500 m NR holder Kazuki Kawamura (Toenec) won the 1500 m final in an easy 3:47.36, on Saturday, then was back Sunday to win the open men's 5000 m in 13:45.18. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) won the competitive men's 5000 m in a new MR of 13:29.24, with Tomoki Ota (Toyota) running the fastest Japanese time at 13:38.77. The top four went under 28 minutes in the men's 10000 m, Joseph Karanja (Aichi Seiko) getting the win in 27:47.35.

Akane Yabushita (Toyota Jidoshokki) duplicated Yamanaka's triple on an even more limited time scale, winning the women's 1500 m in 4:18.93 at 17:00 Saturday, then the 10000 m 20 minutes later in 34:19.19. Sunday she was back for the 5000 m where she was the top Japanese finisher at 3rd in 15:52.58. Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) won in 15:32.87, Desta Burka (Denso) taking 2nd in 15:38.92.

In other events, Taiji Hongo (Onotech) and Yoshikazu Sakakura (TGK) both broke the men's 100 m MR, Hongo clocking 10.37 (-0.1) in the semifinals and Sakakura 10.37 (+1.3) to win the final. Masateru Yugami (Toyota) broke his own MR in the men's discus throw by almost two meters, throwing 58.76 m on his third attempt. Akane Minamisawa (Matsumoto Doken) set a MR of 58.97 to win the women's 400 mH. Complete video of both days of the meet is on the CJR Youtube channel.

The 62nd Chugoku Region Corporate Track and Field Championships are split between this weekend and next, with the men's 10000 m and women's 5000 m having happened Saturday and everything else scheduled for next weekend. Both graduates of local ekiden superpower Sera High School, Cosmas Mwangi (Chugoku Denryoku) won the men's 10000 m in 28:18.26, with Rebecca Mwangi (Daiso) taking the women's 5000 m in 15:24.28.

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

World Championships Medalist Racewalking Coach Mizuho Sakai Recognized With Highest Coaching Honor

The 2023 Mizuno Sports Mentor Awards recognizing excellence in coaching were held Apr. 23 in Tokyo. Toyo University assistant coach and race walking coach Mizuho Sakai was given a gold award, the program's highest honor, and expressed her thanks and joy in a speech at the award ceremony. The coach of 2023 Budapest World Championships men's 35 km race walk bronze medalist Masatora Kawano , Sakai said, "This is an incredible honor and I'm truly grateful. As a child I wanted to be in the sporting world and I've spent my life in that world. My end goal was always to play a supporting role for other athletes, so I'm honored to be recognized in this way." Sakai's husband Toshiyuki Sakai , head coach of Toyo's three-time Hakone Ekiden champion team, attended the awards gala with her and was also introduced to the audience. After bowing he took a seat in front of her and watched with warmth as she received recognition for her outstanding work. The Mizun

Okumoto and Kondo Score Silver and Bronze - U20 Asian Championships Day One

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