japan running news

http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/ottawa-marathon-2015-mekuria-birhanu Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Ottawa, Canada, 5/24/15 click here for complete results Women 1. Aberu Zennebe (Ethiopia) - 2:25:30 2. Rebecca Chesir (Kenya) - 2:25:41 3. Abebech Afework (Ethiopia) - 2:25:53 4. Agnes Kiprop (Kenya) - 2:26:12 5. Meselech Melkamu (Ethiopia) - 2:26:45 ----- 11. Rika Shintaku (Japan/Shimamura) - 2:33:34 DNF - Zivile Balciunaite (Lithuania) Men 1. Girmay Birhanu (Ethiopia) - 2:08:14 2. Philip Kangogo (Kenya) - 2:09:56 3. Chele Dechase (Ethiopia) - 2:09:59 4. Rachid Kisri (Morocco) - 2:10:18 5. Peter Kirui (Kenya) - 2:10:23 ----- DNF - Deriba Merga (Ethiopia)

By David Monti (c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved Toyo University's Kento Otsu (#2) and Yuta Shitara (#4).  Photo by Kazuyuki Sugimatsu . NEW YORK (01-Mar) -- The New York Road Runners announced today that some of the distance running's top international stars would run the seventh annual NYC Half on Sunday, March 18, joining USA Olympians Desiree Davila , Kara Goucher , Meb Keflezighi and Dathan Ritzenhein at America's most competitive spring half-marathon. Race director Mary Wittenberg , the NYRR's president and, called the additions to the race "a dynamic field of stars," adding that "the NYC Half will provide a thrilling preview" for this summer's Olympic Marathon. Leading the list on the women's side are defending champion, Caroline Rotich of Kenya (1:08:52 PB); the fastest-ever women's half-marathoner on U.S. soil, Kim Smith of New Zealand (1:07:11); and reigning ING New York City Marathon champion, Firehi...

This is part two in JRN's four-part series of interviews with the key people in Samuel Wanjiru 's life in Japan.   Click here for the introduction to the series, an explanation of how it came about, and links to the other interviews .  Check back tomorrow for part three, an interview with Wanjiru's former teammates Yu Mitsuya  and Masato Imai . Barcelona Olympics marathon silver medalist Koichi Morishita is the man who showed Samuel Wanjiru how to be a marathoner, but under his coaching Wanjiru also set all of his world records from the junior 10000 m record to his three times cracking the best-ever half-marathon mark.  Six weeks after Wanjiru's death Morishita agreed to a one-on-one interview about Wanjiru's years with the Toyota Kyushu corporate team, their coach-athlete relationship, and his post-Japan marathon career.  Morishita was candid and unexpectedly introspective in his opinions of what went wrong, including his own mistakes.  In this intervie...

by Brett Larner Wilson Kipsang wins in a CR 2:06:13. Click here for video highlights courtesy of NHK. Like last weekend's Tokyo Marathon, the 2011 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon , Biwako for short, was blessed with excellent conditions. The final domestic selection race for this summer's World Championships, Biwako played out as largely according to script as Kenyan Wilson Kipsang broke aggressive Ethiopian rival Deriba Merga over the final kilometers to win in a world-leading course-record 2:06:13, while a young Japanese marathoner, 24 year-old Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei), stepped up with a PB of nearly 2 1/2 minutes to crack the 2:09:30 time requirement for a guaranteed spot on the Worlds team, finishing 3rd in 2:09:25. Despite none of them having a PB under 2:11 versus all six invited foreign elites having PBs under 2:09, the top contingent of Japanese athletes brought A-game, taking seven of the top ten spots, four under 2:11, five with PBs, one in a debut, and ...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20110305-744913.html http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/news/20110306k0000m050070000c.html translated by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner Wilson Kipsang (Kenya): "It's going to be a tough race but I'll do my best. I'm going for the course record [2:07:34]. 2:05 is my target." Deriba Merga (Ethiopia): "[Kipsang] is definitely strong, but the marathon is not the same every time." Satoshi Yoshii (Team Sumco): "I also have a chance [to run a fast time like Kawauchi at last week's Tokyo Marathon]. I want to take it." Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki): "[Although I only have a 29 minute 10000 m best like Kawauchi,] I do better in big races over longer distances." Masato Imai (Team Toyota Kyushu): "I'm running Biwako, not Tokyo [against Kawauchi]. I don't have to be so tense." Kensuke Takahashi (Team Toyota): "When I was [at the Berlin World Champs...

by Brett Larner The 66th running of the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon , known throughout Japan simply as Biwako, takes place this Sunday, Mar. 6. The final selection race for the Japanese men's marathon team for this summer's World Championships, Biwako's elite field this year highlights the disparity in elite Japan's men's marathoning over the last two years. On the one side is the overseas field of six, without a doubt the best Biwako's organizers have assembled to date. All six have PBs under 2:09, four of them set last year and none older than 2008. Kenyan Wilson Kipsang leads the way with a stellar 2:04:57 mark set at last fall's Frankfurt Marathon. Kipsang is here for one purpose: to do what Ethiopian Olympic medalist Tsegaye Kebede did for the Fukuoka International Marathon in 2009 and give the race a course record on par with the world's best. Kipsang is the heavy favorite, but he faces tough competition from Ethiopia's Deriba Merga , fr...

by Brett Larner The organizers of the 2011 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon announced their elite field today for this year's 66th running on Mar. 6, and they have done an outstanding job of assembling a world-class overseas field. All six foreign elites hold sub-2:09 PBs, four set last year and none older than 2008. Wearing bib #1 will be Kenyan Wilson Kipsang , who ran a stunning 2:04:57 to win last fall's Frankfurt Marathon. With the trend in Japan moving away from small, elite-only marathons and toward the big city marathon format there is no doubt that Biwako, as the race is universally called within in Japan, is bringing Kipsang in hopes of a 2:04 clocking to stay competitive in the arms race with Fukuoka, with a 2:05:17 course record courtesy of Beijing Olympics and Berlin WC bronze medalist Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia), and Tokyo, which has called upon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) to summon up a course-record run later this month. Kipsang should have a s...

JRN will be on location at the 2010 Ottawa Marathon for the next week. Apologies for any interruptions to regularly scheduled service during this time, but we will be bringing you exclusive coverage throughout race weekend. This year's outstanding men's field includes world junior record holder Bazu Worku (Ethiopia), 2:07 men Philip Manyim (Kenya) and Teferi Wodajo (Ethiopia), 2:08 runner Arata Fujiwara (Japan) and defending champion David Cheruiyot (Kenya). The 10 km features luminaries Deriba Merga (Ethiopia) and Dire Tune (Ethiopia). For complete elite field listings, click here for the marathon or here for the 10 km .

http://runottawa.ca/index.php/en/media/media-centre/2010/05/19/550 Arata Fujiwara (Proposer Japan) makes his racing debut since going independent last month at the May 30 Ottawa Marathon . 2010 Ottawa Marathon Elite Field - Top Entrants click here for complete elite field listing Men Bazu Worku (Ethiopia) - 2:06:15 (2009) Philip Manyim (Kenya) - 2:07:41 (2005) Teferi Wodajo (Ethiopia) - 2:07:45 (2009) Arata Fujiwara (Japan) - 2:08:40 (2008) Hussan Adelo (Ethiopia) - 2:09:09 (2010) Hillary Kimaiyo (Kenya) - 2:09:54 (2008) John Njoroge (Kenya) - 2:10:00 (2006) Wegayehu Girma Tefera (Ethiopia) - 2:10:09 (2010) Gebo Burka Gameda (Ethiopia) - 2:10:18 (2009) David Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 2:10:36 (2007) Women Rose Kerubo (Kenya) - 2:29:22 (2007) Lioudmila Kortchaguila (Canada) - 2:29:42 (2007) Alemitu Abera (Ethiopia) - 2:31:01 (2010) Merima Mohammed (Ethiopia) - 2:33:56 (2009) Radiya Adlo (Ethiopia) - 2:35:00 (2009) 10 km click here for complete elite field listing Men Deriba Merga (Ethiopia) -...

http://iaaf.org/LRR09/news/newsid=49362.html

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/flash/KFullFlash20090201050.html translated by Brett Larner Beijing Olympics men's marathon competitor Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) is planning to race in April's London Marathon. Team Chugoku Denryoku head coach Yasushi Sakaguchi revealed his star runner's plans following Sato's 3rd place finish at the Feb. 1 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon. In poor condition at the Beijing Olympics, Sato ran extremely badly, but as he entered 2009 Sato began to feel positive about racing again and recovered much of his previous form. Coach Sakaguchi commented, "It's not completely decided yet, but Sato himself strongly wants to do well in a race overseas this spring." Translator's note: Atsushi Sato is the Asian record holder in the half marathon with a time of 1:00:25 from the 2007 World Half Marathon championships. He ran a PB of 2:07:13 at the 2007 Fukuoka International Marathon against Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya) an...

http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2009/01/20090109t64043.htm translated by Brett Larner Former Japanese men's marathon national record holder Atsushi Fujita (32, Team Fujitsu) is on the road to a rebirth after finding a new style in his running. Fujita set the former national record of 2:06:51 at the 2000 Fukuoka International Marathon, but he has never been able to meet his goals since. "I set that record just running on momentum and energy," says Fujita. "Next time I want to do it by precise calculation." His first step on his new road will be at March's Tokyo Marathon. A 2:06 marathon is 3 minutes per km. Last year Fujita focused on his track speed, running a new 5000 m PB of 13:54.65 and his fastest 10000 m since 2000. In the New Year Ekiden he ran the 3rd-fastest time on the 4th stage to lead Team Fujitsu to its first victory in 9 years. Fujita reflects, "The last few years I lost some of my speed. I had to work hard to run 3 minute pace." As the y...

originally published in the 2008 Fukuoka International Marathon program translated by Brett Larner with editorial assistance from Mika Tokairin Click here for a Spanish-language translation of my English translation of the original Japanese article. Translator's note: Fukuoka-based sportswriter Akio Harada of the Asahi Newspaper conducted this excellent interview with 2007 Fukuoka International Marathon winner Samuel Wanjiru prior to the 2008 race. Wanjiru, who lives part of the year in Fukuoka, won Kenya's first Olympic marathon gold medal in an Olympic record time of 2:06:32 in Beijing this past summer. Merry Christmas. Q. You won Beijing by running an incredibly fast pace. This was only my third marathon, so I thought I would just try to run it the way I've done the others so far. My first marathon was Fukuoka in December, 2007. The second time was London in April, 2008. In both of them I'd planned to run about 3 minutes per km, so I thought I should just run Beijin...