japan running news

by Brett Larner

九州実業団毎日駅伝

優勝おめでとうございます(*^^*) pic.twitter.com/R9KGe1AdJV — manamin (@kinokonoko0916) November 3, 2016
Corporate men's ekiden season got started Thursday with two regional qualifiers for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden coporate men's national championships.  In the Kyushu Region, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems went back and forth with favorite Asahi Kasei throughout the race to score its first-ever regional win.  Shuho Dairokuno (Asahi Kasei) got things started right with a 1:22 lead over Ryo Kiname (MHPS) on the 12.9 km First Stage.  Mitsubishi's new Kenyan Enock Omwamba caught Asahi Kasei's Takaya Arake on the Second Stage, both teams handing off to their third runners at the same time.  Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) opened a 42-second lead over Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei), but on the next stage Murayama's twin brother Kota Murayama, the 10000 m national record holder, cut Mitsubishi's lead down to 11 seconds.  Takashi Ichida turned it into a 59-second Asah…

by Brett Larner

Three half marathons over the long weekend marked the start of the transition from ekiden season to the winter and early spring road season.  The first elite-level Japanese half marathon of the year, Sunday's 41st Unzen Obama Half Marathon, saw a great battle almost to the line between pro Taku Miyahara (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) and Keisuke Sago (Takushoku Univ.).  Miyahara took the title in 1:04:21, just 2 seconds off the course record which dates back to 1996, with Sago 4 seconds back in 1:04:25.  Miyahara's teammate Hayato Mera (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) was over a minute behind in 3rd in 1:05:40.

The same day in Tokyo, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) started off his season as usual at the 14th Mari Tanigawa Half Marathon.  Starting off at world record pace with a 2:42 opening km he soon settled down to take 1st in 1:05:31, his second win and fastest time at the Tanigawa Half. Kaori Yoshida (Puma RC) won her fourth-straight women's race in 1:15…