japan running news

by Brett Larner Bahraini national record holder Eunice Kirwa did it again, easily breaking the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon women's course record in 1:08:55 to win by over two minutes.  Kenyan Rebecca Kangogo Chesir was the only one to put up some competition, running with Kirwa through 5 km in 15:49 before dropping back to take 2nd in 1:11:09.  Formerly Japan-based Ethiopian Betelhem Moges started much more conservatively, over 30 seconds behind the lead pair at 5 km but closing to take 3rd close enough to record the same 1:11:09 finish time as Chesir.  Japan's Rio Olympics marathon medal hopeful Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) started in the 2nd pack with Moges but fell far off pace in the second half, taking 6th overall in 1:12:04 and just holding off Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) for top Japanese honors. In the men's race Kenyan Kenneth Keter pushed a lead group of nine, eight Africans plus Mongolian national record holder Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Team NTN) through a...

Gifu, 5/15/16 click here for complete field listing times listed are 2013-2016 bests except where noted Women Eunice Kirwa (Bahrain) - 1:08:06 (Marugame 2016) Rebecca Kangogo Chesir (Kenya) - 1:08:21 (Milan 2015) Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia) - 1:09:23 (Olomouc 2014) Visiline Jepkesho (Kenya) - 1:09:43 (Adana 2016) Yuka Ando (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:09:51 (Sanyo 2015) Sayo Nomura (Japan/Daiichi Seimei) - 1:10:03 (Sanyo 2013) Kayoko Fukushi (Japan/Wacoal) - 1:10:04 (Berlin 2014) Lauren Kleppin (U.S.A.) - 1:10:16 (Copenhagen 2014) Eri Makikawa (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:10:27 (Marugame 2014) Mao Kiyota (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 1:10:31 (Valencia 2015) Bornes Jepkirui (Kenya) - 1:10:32 (Azpeitia 2014) Men Bedan Karoki (Kenya/DeNA) - 59:14 (Copenhagen 2015) Paul Kuira (Kenya/Konica Minolta) - 59:47 (Marugame 2015) Kenneth Keter (Kenya) - 59:48 (Venlo 2016) Martin Mathathi (Kenya) - 1:00:11 (Marugame 2014) James Rungaru (Kenya/Chuo Hatsujo) - 1:00:12 (Nice ...

by Brett Larner The world's largest women-only marathon, Sunday's Nagoya Women's Marathon is the end of the Japanese Olympic marathon selection saga, if not the end of the drama.  2015 World Championships marathon bronze medalist Eunice Kirwa (Bahrain) is back to defend her title, and will, her last race a 1:08:06 win last month at Japan's Marugame Half in national record time.  Formerly-Japan based Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia) is her only real international competition, but it would take an off day from Kirwa for Moges to really stand a chance. At the 2014 Asian Games Kirwa beat Japan's Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) for gold.  Kizaki comes to Nagoya with the best time in the last three years among Japanese women, 2:23:34 in Nagoya in 2013, but while Kirwa's star has only risen since then Kizaki's hit a brick wall.  In 2015 she only raced once, placing only 13th on her stage at December's National Corporate Women's Marathon.  There's nothing ...

http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/olomouc-ronoh-kipsang-pacemaker-wins-kiplagat Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon Olomouc, Czech Republic, 6/22/14 Men 1. Geoffrey Ronoh (Kenya) - 1:00:17 2. Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) - 1:00:25 3. Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) - 1:01:42 4. Wilfred Kirwa Kigen (Kenya) - 1:01:56 5. Joel Kipkoech Kimutai (Kenya) - 1:02:49 6. Nicholas Kipchirchir Bor (Kenya) - 1:03:20 7. Viktor Rothlin (Switzerland) - 1:03:23 8. Kenji Yamamoto (Japan/Team Mazda) - 1:03:28 9. Marcin Chabowski (Poland) - 1:03:32 10. Paul Kariuki Mwangi (Kenya) - 1:03:33 Women 1. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) - 1:08:53 2. Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia) - 1:09:23 3. Hirut Alemayehu (Ethiopia) - 1:10:57 4. Faith Jeruto Kipsum (Kenya) - 1:11:12 5. Janet Jelagat Rono (Kenya) - 1:12:40 6. Alyson Dixon (Great Britain) - 1:13:12 7. Kotomi Takayama (Japan/Team Wacoal) - 1:13:22 8. Mame Feyisa (Ethiopia) - 1:13:25 9. Yukari Abe (Japan/Team Shimamura) - 1:13:34

2014 Dubai Marathon Dubai, 1/24/14 click here for complete results Men 1. Tsegaye Mekonnen Asefa (Ethiopia) - 2:04:32 - debut 2. Markos Geneti Guteta (Ethiopia) - 2:05:13 3. Girmay Birhanu Gebru (Ethiopia) - 2:05:49 - PB 4. Tamirat Tola Adera (Ethiopia) - 2:06:17 - debut 5. Azmeraw Bekele Molaign (Ethiopia) - 2:07:12 - PB 6. Shumi Dechase Leche (Bahrain) - 2:07:13 7. Abrha Milaw Asefa (Ethiopia) - 2:07:46 - PB 8. Abera Kassw Belay (Ethiopia) - 2:08:18 - debut 9. Abdeimounaim Harroufi (Morocco) - 2:09:11 - debut 10. Belachew Alemayehu Ameta (Ethiopia) - 2:09:50 - PB ----- 17. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Japan/Team Konica Minolta) - 2:13:41 - debut Women 1. Mulu Seboka Seyfu (Ethiopia) - 2:25:01 2. Meselech Melkamu Haileyesus (Ethiopia) - 2:25:23 3. Firehiwot Dado Tufy (Ethiopia) - 2:25:53 4. Meseret Hailu Debele (Ethiopia) - 2:26:20 5. Betelhem Moges Cherenet (Ethiopia) - 2:26:42 - debut 6. Amane Gobena Gemeda (Ethiopia) - 2:27:05 7. Fantu Eticha Jimma (Ethiopia) - 2:27...

by Brett Larner Three Japanese men from two rival companies were on the roads in Europe this weekend competing over the half marathon distance.  At the Great North Run former Meiji University captain Minoru Ikebe  (Team Honda) had the fastest time of the three, running just off his PB in 1:03:48, the fastest time ever by a Japanese man on the Great North Run course even though far off winner 2011 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon winner and London Olympics bronze medalist  Wilson Kipsang 's winning time of 59:06.  Former Team Denso runner and 2012 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Tiki Gelana  (Ethiopia) took 3rd in the women's race behind the outstanding debut of Tirunesh Dibaba  (Ethiopia) and runner-up Edna Kiplagat  (Kenya), the 2011 World Championships marathon gold medalist. In the Czech Republic at the Usti nad Ladem Half Marathon, 2011 World Championships men's marathon team member Yoshinori Oda  (Team Toyota) ran almost 30 seconds off Ikebe'...

by Brett Larner The local titans dominated three significant regional ekidens over the weekend.  In disaster-hit Miyagi, Sendai Ikuei H.S. , alma mater of the late Samuel Wanjiru  and 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa  (Team Mizuno), had superb runs in both the boys' and girls' races to sweep the National High School Ekiden Championships Miyagi Prefecture Qualifier.  Running on a modified course due to lasting tsunami damage, Sendai Ikuei runners won every stage in both the six-stage, 42.1 km boys' race and five-stage, 21 km girls' race.  Particularly dominant boys included the Hattori twins, Yuma and Hazuma , who won the 8.1 km Third Stage and 8 km Fourth Stage by margins of 2:18 and 1:38, Kenyan first-year Hiram Ngatia , who won the 5 km Sixth Stage by 1:11 in his ekiden debut, and anchor Tadashi Isshiki  who clocked 13:55 for the 5 km road course to win by over one minute.  The boys' team totalled 2:02:17 versus second-place Rifu H.S. ' 2:1...

by Brett Larner After most of its spring road season was cancelled in the wake of the Mar. 11 disasters to strike its northeastern region, a sign came that Japan's running community has started to get back on its feet in the form of the release of the entry lists for the first major domestic track meet of the season, the Apr. 9 Kanaguri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu. The A-heats of the men's and women's 5000 m promise much of the best action. In the men's 5000 m, along with Josephat Ndambiri (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.), Ibrahim Jeilan (Ethiopia/Team Honda) and a host of other top Japan-based African talent, two runners will receive special focus. Hakone Ekiden star Ryuji Kashiwabara (Toyo Univ.) kicks off his senior year with the stress of his home prefecture Fukushima being the site of Japan's ongoing nuclear troubles. Having run 28:23 for 10000 m last fall as a high school student in earthquake and tsunami-hit Senda...

by Brett Larner Start lists for today's National Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden Championships are now available. Click here for a link to the list of names in Japanese. Some notable names: First Stage Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) Tomoka Inadomi (Team Wacoal) Mizuho Nasukawa (Team Univ. Ent.) Second Stage Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia/Team Denso) Ann Karindi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshokki) Felista Wanjugu (Kenya/Team Univ. Ent.) Christine Muyanga (Kenya/Team Panasonic) Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Team Starts) Doricah Obare (Kenya/Team Hitachi) Third Stage Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya) Misaki Katsumata (Team Daiichi Seimei) Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) Kayo Sugihara (Team Denso) Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) Kazue Kojima (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) Hiroko Shoi (Team Nihon ChemiCon) Yuko Shimizu (Team Sekisui Kagaku) Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) Mai Ito (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) Fourth Stage Yuka Kak...

2010 Hachioji Long Distance Meet Kamiyugi Koen Track, Hachioji, Tokyo, 11/24/10 click here for complete results Women's 5000 m 1. Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia/Team Denso) - 15:24.53 2. Kayo Sugihara (Team Denso) - 15:24.66 3. Hiromi Koga (Team Denso) - 15:50.45 4. Yuko Mizuguchi (Team Denso) - 15:52.70 5. Yuka Takashima (Team Denso) - 15:54.89 Men's 10000 m - Heat 5 1. Yusuke Takabayashi (Team Toyota) - 28:10.19 2. Samuel Kariuki (Kenya/Team Konica Minolta) - 28:16.85 3. Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota) - 28:19.73 4. Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) - 28:29.40 5. Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Team Konica Minolta) - 28:34.54 Men's 10000 m - Heat 4 1. Shingo Mishima (Team Toyota) - 28:51.03 2. Takeshi Kumamoto (Team Toyota) - 29:13.80 3. Tsubasa Maeda (Team YKK) - 29:14.51 Men's 10000 m - Heat 3 1. Ryotaro Nitta (Team Konica Minolta) - 28:56.88 2. Takanobu Otsubo (Osaka City Hall AC) - 29:07.51 3. Noriyuki Nabetani (Osaka City Hall AC- 29:14.71 Men's 10000 m - Heat 2 1. Wataru Yamaguchi (T...

by Brett Larner It was a busy weekend across Japan, with six major ekidens taking place simultaneously. For professional men there were four regional qualifiers for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden, while for women there was the Fukui Super Ladies' Ekiden featuring corporate, university, regional and amateur teams, and the regional East Japan Women's Ekiden. Among the highlights: Ritsumeikan University had a surprise win over rivals Bukkyo University and every corporate team in the Fukui Super Ladies' Ekiden. Four of the six Ritsumeikan runners took stage bests, leading the team to a course-record 1:34:56 for 30 km. Bukkyo was 2nd without a single stage best, while Team Denso took 3rd thanks to stage bests from aces Betelhem Moges and Kayo Sugihara . Chiba Prefecture prevented another Nagano Prefecture win at the East Japan Women's Ekiden, taking four of nine stage bests. Anchor Chika Horie , who runs for Team Universal Entertainment and is usually thought of as a marat...

2010 Central Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden click here for complete results Stage Best Performances First Stage (6.8 km) - Maiko Kushima (Niigata Albirex RC) - 21:47 Second Stage (4.2 km) - Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia/Team Denso) - 12:29 Third Stage (10.2 km) - Yuka Takashima (Team Denso) - 34:29 Fourth Stage (4.6 km) - Yuki Kiuchi (Niigata Albirex RC) - 15:29 Fifth Stage (11.0 km) - Yuko Mizuguchi (Team Denso) - 36:03 Sixth Stage (5.395 km) - Shizuka Marumo (Team Denso) - 18:11 Top Team Performances - 42.195 km 1. Team Denso - 2:18:59 2. Niigata Albirex RC - 2:23:24 3. Team Yutaka Giken - 2:23:37 4. Team Kojima Press - 2:24:45 5. Team Aichi Denki - 2:26:05 (c) 2010 Brett Larner all rights reserved

by Brett Larner Japan's fall track season is well underway, a transition period designed to sharpen the summer base as the focus shifts to the ekiden season. The Monday, Oct. 11 national holiday saw two major track meets alongside the Izumo Ekiden. The Niigata Big Athletics Festa focused on 10000 m for the distance runners. Former Sendai Ikuei H.S. standout Paul Kuira (Kenya/Team Konica Minolta) led the way with a 27:50.64 to move into the 2010 worldwide top 30. In second came Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) in a PB of 28:07.99, just clearing the 2011 World Championships B-standard. The women's 10000 m added two more Japanese women to the 2010 worldwide top 30, with veteran Kayo Sugihara (Team Denso) clearing the World Championships A-standard in 31:44.93 and Remi Nakazato (Team Daihatsu) the B-standard in 31:53.22. In other Niigata events, Miwa Yokoyama (Niigata Meikun H.S.) broke the prefectural high school girls' 5000 m record with a solo 15:58.81, winning by ...

2010 National Jitsugyodan T&F Championships - Top Results click here for complete results Men's 5000 m - Final 1. Jonathan Ndiku (Kenya/Team Hitachi Cable) - 13:45.69 2. Yusuke Takabayashi (Team Toyota) - 13:48.26 3. Josephat Ndambiri (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.) - 13:49.06 4. Micah Njeru (Kenya/Team Toyota Boshoku) - 13:51.13 5. Hideyuki Anzai (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 13:52.14 6. Tomoyuki Morita (Team Kanebo) 13:52.48 7. Kenta Murotsuka (SDF Academy) - 13:53.13 8. Takaya Iwasaki (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 13:53.68 9. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:56.84 10. Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:57.61 Women's 5000 m - Final 1. Ann Karindi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 15:25.40 2. Doricah Obare (Kenya/Team Hitachi) - 15:27.89 3. Tomoka Inadomi (Team Wacoal) - 15:29.56 4. Yuko Shimizu (Team Sekisui Giken) - 15:29.58 5. Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya) - 15:31.47 6. Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) - 15:45.80 7. Christine Muyanga (Kenya/Team Panasonic) - 15:46.61 8. Sh...

by Brett Larner 2010 National Jitsugyodan T&F Championships - Top Results click here for complete results Men's 5000 m Heat Three 1. Josephat Ndambiri (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.) - 13:56.08 2. Kenta Murotsuka (SDF Academy) - 13:56.13 3. Yuki Matsuoka (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 13:56.61 4. Hiroki Kadota (Team Kanebo) - 13:56.62 5. Takamasa Uchida (Team Toyota) - 13:56.79 6. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:57.01 7. Tsubasa Maeda (Team YKK) - 13:58.44 8. Hidehito Takamine (Team Fujitsu) - 13:58.73 9. Yoshikazu Kawazoe (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:59.28 10. Hitoshi Nishi (Team Sagawa Express) - 14:03.99 Women's 5000 m Heat One 1. Ann Karindi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 15:59.42 2. Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya) - 16:00.14 3. Shoko Mori (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) - 16:00.20 4. Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) - 16:00.38 5. Tomoka Inadomi (Team Wacoal) - 16:00.38 6. Yuko Shimizu (Team Sekisui Giken) - 16:00.43 7. Felista Wanjugu (Kenya/Team Universal Ent.) - 16:02.72 8. Hiroko Shoi (T...

2010 Hokuren Distance Challenge Fukagawa Meet - Top Finishers click here for complete results Men's 10000 m A-heat 1. Micah Njeru (Kenya) - 27:57.91 2. Alex Mwangi (Kenya) - 27:59.59 3. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) - 28:01.54 - PB Women's 10000 m 1. Hiroko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera) - 32:09.01 2. Remi Nakazato (Team Tenmaya) - 32:12.10 3. Aki Odagiri (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) - 32:43.45 Men's 10000 m B-heat 1. Masato Imai (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 28:37.89 2. Hideyuki Anzai (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 28:38.99 3. Kenichi Jiromaru (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 28:42.17 Men's 10000 m C-Heat 1. Teruto Ozaki (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:56.82 2. Jeon Eun Hoi (South Korea) - 29:11.41 3. Ryuji Watanabe (Team Asahi Kasei) - 29:15.62 Men's 3000 m 1. Kazuki Hayashi - 8:08.46 2. Tomoya Shirayanagi - 8:08.65 3. Kosuke Murasashi - 8:08.82 Women's 3000 m 1. Betelhem Moges (Ethiopia) - 9:12.74 2. Mai Ito - 9:17.41 3. Sayo Nomura - 9:24.51 (c) 2010 Brett Larner all rights reserved

by Brett Larner In high winds, Kenyan Bitan Karoki (Team S&B) took his first win in his new team colors as he ran 13:48.17 in the men's 5000 m at the 44th Oda Memorial Track and Field Meet on Apr. 29. Last month Karoki graduated from Sera High School to take a place with the elite Team S&B. Interestingly, the runner-up in the Oda Memorial 5000 m was his succesor at Sera, Kenyan Charles Durango , who clocked 13:58.15. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) finished 3rd in 14:04.70 over Kenyan Samuel Ganga (Team Mazda). The women's 5000 m was a closer-pitched battle, turning into a three-way sprint finish. Ethiopian Betelhem Moges (Team Denso) came out on top in 15:38.70, with Kenyans Felista Wanjugu (Team Universal Entertainment) and Danielle Filomena Cheyech (Team Uniqlo) just a step behind. Just behind, Hitomi Niiya (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) outleaned Yuko Shimizu (Team Sekisui Kagaku) for 4th. 2010 Oda Memorial Track & Field Meet - Top Finishers click event ...

by Brett Larner Ethiopian Nahom Mesfin (Team Kanebo) and 1500 m national record holder Fumikazu Kobayashi (Team NTN) got the track season started off with a duel over 1500 m at the Kanaguri Memorial Track Meet April 10 in Kumamoto. With a PB performance Mesfin came out a step ahead as both runners broke Kobayashi's 5 year old meet record. Kenyan Ann Karindi (Team Toyota Jidoshoki) fell 0.11 seconds short of the women's 1500 m meet record but still set a PB of 4:09.41 and beat national record holder and teammate Yuriko Kobayashi by 9 seconds. The other meet record of the day came in the high school boys' 5000 m, where Takashi Ichida (Kumamoto H.S.) ran 14:11.75 to break the existing meet record by 6.5 seconds. The old record holder, Ikuto Yufu (Komazawa Univ.), made his university debut in the men's 5000 m where he was 8th in a creditable PB of 13:53.20. Kenyan Josephat Ndambiri (Team Komori Corp.) took an unsurprising win in the men's 5000 m as Kenyans went ...

by Brett Larner Kenyan star Philes Ongori (Team Hokuren) got the 25th anniversary Fukui Super Ladies' Ekiden started in style with a stage record performance on the 6 km 1st leg. After a conservative first kilometer in which she matched paces with fellow Kenyan Danielle Philomena Cheyech (Team Uniqlo) and top university woman Kazue Kojima (Ritsumeikan Univ.), Ongori sped away to clock 18:28, breaking the 12 year-old record by 7 seconds. Cheyech attempted to follow and initially opened a comfortable gap, but the gritty Kojima returned for a sprint finish in which Cheyech prevailed by only a stride, timed at 19:11 to Kojima's 19:12. Hokuren's lead looked formidable as the team ran on course record pace through the end of the 4th stage, but despite a strong showing as anchor at last week's East Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden 5th leg runner Saori Nejo ran into trouble and lost ground to the chasers. Surprisingly, the team that was running her down was not 10-time cha...

by Brett Larner Fukagawa, Hokkaido was the site for the second part of the six-meet Hokuren Distance Challenge series on June 10. The men's 3000 m was the most anticipated race of the evening, being as it was the pro debut of the injury-prone university star and Beijing Olympian Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B). Running his first race since setting a new stage record on the third leg of his final Hakone Ekiden on Jan. 2, Takezawa won the 3000 m by a slim margin over another former Hakone star, Yuki Matsuoka (Team Otsuka Seiyaku). Takezawa's time of 8:05.44 was far from his PB of 7:53.20, but he was using the 3000 m as a test run for the 5000 m at the next Challenge meet in Shibetsu on June 14. In that race Takezawa, who holds a 5000 m PB of 13:19.00, will go for the World Championships B-standard time of 13:29.00 before he runs the National Track and Field Championships 5000 m at the end of the month. A more significant result occured in the men's 10000 m. Yusei Nakao (Team...