japan running news

2018 Valencia World Half Marathon ChampionshipsValencia, Spain, 3/24/18
click here for complete results and splits

Women
1. Netsanet Gudeta Kebede (Ethiopia) - 1:06:11 - women-onlyWR
2. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) - 1:06:54
3. Pauline Kaweke Kamulu (Kenya) - 1:06:56 - PB
4. Eunice Chebichii Chumba (Bahrain) - 1:07:17
5. Zeineba Yimer (Ethiopia) - 1:06:07 - PB
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17. Kaori Morita (Japan) - 1:10:46
19. Mao Ichiyama (Japan) - 1:11:02
35. Honami Maeda (Japan) - 1:12:09
70. Yuka Hori (Japan) - 1:15:24

Men
1. Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor (Kenya) - 1:00:02
2. Abraham Naibei Cheroben (Bahrain) - 1:00:22
3. Aron Kifle (Eritrea) - 1:00:31 - PB
4. Jemal Yimer (Ethiopia) - 1:00:33
5. Getaneh Molla (Ethiopia) - 1:00:47
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24. Suguru Osako (Japan) - 1:01:56
46. Kenta Murayama (Japan) - 1:03:07
71. Hayato Sonoda (Japan) - 1:04:12
82. Daisuke Uekado (Japan) - 1:04:48
108. Kota Murayama (Japan) - 1:06:49

Kampala, Uganda, 3/26/17
click here for complete results

U20 Women
1. Letesenbet Gidey (Ethiopia) - 18:34
2. Hawi Feysa (Ethiopia) - 18:57
3. Celliphine Chepteek Chespol (Kenya) - 19:02
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15. Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Japan) - 20:24
17. Yuka Sarumida (Japan) - 20:28
19. Hayaka Suzuki (Japan) - 20:40
22. Rika Kaseda (Japan) - 20:51
31. Wakana Kabasawa (Japan) - 21:20
49. Hikari Onishi (Japan) - 22:05

U20 Men
1. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) - 22:40
2. Amdework Walelegn (Ethiopia) - 22:43
3. Richard Yator Kimunyan (Kenya) - 22:52
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27. Kazuya Nishiyama (Japan) - 25:15
37. Yoji Sakai (Japan) - 25:41
42. Ryunosuke Chigira (Japan) - 25:51
51. Sodai Shimizu (Japan) - 26:11
78. Keita Yoshida (Japan) - 27:23

Senior Women
1. Irene Chepet Cheptai (Kenya) - 31:57
2. Alice Aprot Nawowuna (Kenya) - 32:01
3. Lilian Kasait Rengeruk (Kenya) - 32:11
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24. Yuka Hori (Japan) - 34:54
40. Mao Ichiyama (Japan) - 35:52
59. Fumika Sasaki (Japan) - 37:02
78. Kaori Morita (Japan) - 38:24

Senior Men
1. Geoffrey…

by Brett Larner

Led by a 10th-place overall finish by Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) with support from top-20 placings by Miho Shimizu (Team Hokuren) and Mizuki Matsuda (Team Daihatsu), the Japanese women narrowly held off Australia to score the team bronze medal at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.  All three scoring members turned in solid runs, Ando and Matsuda seconds off their bests and Shimizu, the fastest on the team with a PB of 1:09:41 at last month's National Corporate Half Marathon Championships, just over a minute off hers.

Likewise bronze medal quality on paper with one runner with a 1:00:54 best, two under 1:01:30 and a fourth at 1:01:53, the Japanese men left their races at home as they struggled to make the top five.  Komazawa University second-year Naoki Kudo, 5th in last year's World University Games Half Marathon, was the top Japanese man and the only one to break 64 minutes as he finished 22nd in 1:03:41.  The other two scoring members…

by Brett Larner
Incognito at the expo.
After two failed attempts and a year mostly lost to self-inflicted injury following a moderate ankle sprain late last December, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) turned in his best race of the year and one of the best of his career at the TCS New York City Marathon, negative splitting 2:13:29 for 6th place overall as the top non-African finisher.

Kawauchi and winner Stanley Biwott (Kenya) pre-race.

Running NYC for the third time with support from JRN, Kawauchi looked strong and comfortable through the relatively slow 1:06:50 first half, rolling with the ebbs and flows of New York's unpaced, hilly race.  Coming off the Queensboro Bridge after 25 km in the lead pack for the first time in his three NYCM attempts, he stayed in contention as part of a group of eight leaders as the pace went as fast as 2:55/km heading up to the Bronx, focused and mostly free of his characteristic pained grimace.

Finally losing touch when Kenyan winner Stanley…