Yoshii and Takino Run Big at Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup

Opposite the Hangzhou Asian Games and World Road Running Championships, the Continental Tour Bronze Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup meet took place this weekend in Niigata.

The highlight on Saturday came in its last race, the men’s 5000 m A-heat, where 20-year-old Shunsuke Yoshii, a 2nd-year at Hakone Ekiden runner-up Chuo University, ran 13:22.01 for the win after getting quality pacing almost the entire way from pacer Amos Bett (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.). Chuo 4th-year Shota Nakano was 2nd in 13:28.04 and Yusuke Tamura (Kurosaki Harima) 3rd in 13:29.12. Combined with their older brothers Yamato Yoshii and Kazuki Tamura, Yoshii and Tamura now stand as the fastest and 3rd-fastest brothers over 5000 m in Japanese history.

Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) handled pacing work in the women’s 5000 m, where Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) was the last one left standing at Akidor’s pace with a 15:36.47 for the win. 2nd-placer Yuna Takahashi ran 15:42.37, with 3rd and 4th-place Mikuni Yada (Edion) and Chika Kosakai (Japan Post) just under 15:45.

Yuri Nishida (Kusatsu Higashi H.S.) took the women’s 800 m A-heat in 2:04.15 over a field of corporate league and college athletes, Kaishi Kitamura (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) scoring the men’s 800 m win in 1:47.75.

Sunday featured a fuller program on the track and in the field. Miku Takino (Kyoto Tachibana H.S.) became the first high schooler under 57 seconds in the women's 400 mH, winning the A-heat in a new H.S. NR of 56.90. Ken Toyoda (Keio Univ.) had a stellar run in the men's 400 mH B-heat, winning in 48.47, the 4th-best collegiate time ever, and faster than A-heat winner Kaito Tsutsue's 48.77.

2023 World Cross Country Championships mixed relay gold medalist Mirriam Cherop (Shin Nihon Jusetsu) made her Japanese debut with a win in the 1500 m, just off her PB in 4:07.62 but opening almost 4 seconds on Tomoka Kimura (Sekisui Kagaku) over the last lap. "It was very easy," she told JRN post-race. "Next time, 4:03." Yudai Noguchi (Toenec) took the men's race in 3:42.95.

With Yoshihide Kiryu and Yuki Koike racing in Hangzhou, most of the rest of the older guard in Japanese men's sprinting ran well in Niigata. Shota Iizuka (Mizuno) took the 200 m final in 20.42 (-0.0), with Shuhei Tada (Sumitomo Denko) winning the 100 m final in 10.24 (+0.1). NR holder Ryota Yamagata (Seiko) ran only 10.34 for 4th after clocking 10.31 (+0.7) in his qualifying heat.

In the 400 m, Joseph Nakajima (Toyo Univ.) came up short of joining the sub-45 club, just off his 45.04 best from Budapest with a 45.12 for the win by almost a second over Rikuya Ito (Sumitomo Denko). Haruna Kuboyama (Imamura Byoin) won the women's race in 54.00.

On the field, last year's women's discus throw winner Jade Lally was back to win again after getting screwed over by UK Athletics in Budapest World Championships team selection. Lally's 3rd attempt of 58.53 m was enough for the win over local hero Nanaka Kori (Niigata Albirex RC), who closed with a 55.20 m throw for 2nd.

Petra Sicakova, a longtime training partner of women's javelin throw world champion Haruka Kitaguchi and Czech national champion, almost got the win with a final throw just off her PB at 59.64 m, moving up from 5th to overtake longtime leader Yuka Sato (Niconiconori) for 1st. But it didn't last long, as Sato closed with a 60.37 m comeback to take the win and knock Sicakova back to 2nd. Momone Ueda (Zenrin) was 3rd at 58.81 m. Rin Suzuki (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) won the men's javelin with a final throw of 77.49 m.

Yuto Seko (Shiga T&F Assoc.) won the men's high jump as the only man to clear 2.24 m, beating Budapest team member Naoto Hasegawa (Niigata Albirex RC) and NR holder Naoto Tobe (JAL). Yuto Toriumi (Nihon Univ.) had a solid last two jumps in the men's long jump, going 7.96 m (+0.6) and 7.97 m (+1.1) to win over Daiki Oda (Yamada Holdings), 2nd at 7.84 m (+0.7). Ayaka Kora (JAL) won the women's long jump with her 6.34 m (+1.1) opening attempt.

Complete results here.

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 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,

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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