japan running news

2014 Incheon Asian Games women's 10000 m bronze medalist Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) has finally emerged from a long, dark tunnel. Running her first half marathon in five years this February she broke her PB by one second. "I feel as though I've managed to get the hands moving a little on a watch that had stopped," she said, measuring her words thoughtfully.

Hagiwara graduated from Shizuoka's Tokoha Kikugawa H.S., joining the Uniqlo corporate team where she was coached by Hideo Suzuki who had previously led World Championships medalist Reiko Tosa to success in the marathon. With her Asian Games bronze and a run that helped the Japanese national team win the 2014 International Chiba Ekiden she quickly gained attention.

But when injury struck she was forced to cancel her planned marathon debut, and things started to fall apart. She had a disastrous run in the 10000 m at the 2016 National Championships and failed to make the Rio Olympic team. When her coach …

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp201209220128.html

translated by Brett Larner

On the first day of competition at the National Corporate Track and Field Championships, Sept. 21 at Fukuoka's Hakatonomori Field, Paul Tanui (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) won the men's 10000 m in 27:30.22  The top Japanese finisher, Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota), was 4th in 27:41.57, the fastest time ever by a Japanese runner at the Championships.  Sally Chepyego (Kenya/Team Toyota) took the women's 10000 m in 31:33.76, with Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) 2nd, London Olympian Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) 3rd, and Ayumi Hagiwara (Team Uniqlo) 4th in 32:00.73.

Just 20, the unknown Hagiwara put on a show in the 10000 m.  Running for Uniqlo in just her second year out of high school, Hagiwara challenged national record holders Kobayashi and Fukushi throughout the race, ultimately finishing just behind them in 4th.  Just 155 cm, the diminutive new star's eyes were bright as she told report…

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2011042100608
translated by Brett Larner
Team Uniqlo announced this week that longtime Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo head coach Hideo Suzuki, 59, would be taking over as head coach at Uniqlo effective May 1. Suzuki led Chiba's Funabashi H.S. girls' ekiden team to two national championships before becoming head coach at Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo, which he led until 2009. Under his leadership Mitsui became the best team in the country, winning countless National Corporate Women's Ekiden titles. Individual team members also became among Japan's best, including two-time Olympian and double World Championships marathon medalist Reiko Tosa and 10000 m national record holder and former marathon national record holder Yoko Shibui.
Speaking of his goals for the Uniqlo team, Suzuki commented, "I want to help the team members move even one step closer toward becoming athletes competitve at the global level. I want to help them build on their…

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2009/01/26/11.html
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20090127-OHT1T00083.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Three main races will be used to select the five members of the Japanese national women's marathon team for this summer's World Championships marathon in Berlin. The top Japanese finishers at the Tokyo International Women's Marathon, Osaka International Women's Marathon and Nagoya International Women's Marathon are automatically selected for the team, meaning last Sunday's Osaka International winner Yoko Shibui has now secured a place on the team alongside Tokyo International winner Yoshimi Ozaki. Joining them will be the top Japanese finisher at March's Nagoya International, in which 2007 Tokyo Marathon winner Hitomi Niiya and 2002 Rotterdam Marathon winner Takami Ominami are scheduled to compete.

For the remaining two World Championships spots, the runners-up from these three races, thus far Tokyo In…

by Brett Larner

Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo won its ninth consecutive victory at the East Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden in Saitama Prefecture after a commanding performance by team star Yoko Shibui on the third stage of a new six stage 42.195 km course. Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo, having lost longtime coach Hideo Suzuki, now heads to December's All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden where it has been national champion six of the last eight years, finishing 2nd the two years it failed to win.

Shibui's arch-rival Kayoko Fukushi likewise led Team Wacoal to a win in the 18th Awajishima Women's Ekiden, like East Japan featuring a 42.195 km course comprised of six stages. Fukushi ran a new stage record on the ekiden's third leg and outdid competing teams from four regions of central Japan. Team Wacoal also goes on to the All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden where it will face Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo for the 2008 National title.

In East Japan, runners from Team To…

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008082901128
http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20080830spn00m050007000c.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At a press conference at her alma mater Matsuyama University, Beijing Olympics women's marathon competitor Reiko Tosa (32, Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo), who dropped out of the Olympic marathon at 25 km with a severe injury to her right foot, announced her intention to retire, saying, "I haven't talked to my company about it yet, but I want to put an end to the marathon. I thought this before the Olympics and haven't changed my mind since then. I'm going to retire."

Tosa's DNF in the Beijing Olympics women's marathon was the first in her career. Immediately afterwards she said nothing about the potential for her retirement. At the time of her return to Japan on Aug. 19, Tosa described her condition as, "I'm able to walk, but it'll be a month and a half before I can run. Mayb…

http://beijing2008.nikkansports.com/athletics/p-sp-tp0-20080722-386701.html

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women`s marathon team member Reiko Tosa (32, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) was unharmed by Sunday`s explosion of a commuter bus in southern China`s Kunming, carrying out her scheduled training on July 21st. Situated at 1900 m elevation, Kunming is a popular location for altitude training for both Japanese and Chinese athletes. A spokesperson for the Chinese sports association responsible for overseeing foreign athletes reported, "We have spoken with all Japanese athletes and coaches and all are safe."

At the time of the explosion, Tosa and her coach Hideo Suzuki were training in the countryside approximately 40 minutes by car from the city of Kunming. This was her only scheduled day of training outside the city. Speaking from within Japan, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo manager Takashi Takaseki assured the public, "This situation created no problems for us.…

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20080606-OHT1T00047.htm
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20080606-OHT1T00077.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Osaka World Track and Field Championships competitor and Great Hope for the future of Japanese women`s long distance running Megumi Kinukawa (18, Team Mizuno) announced on June 5 that she has contracted an unknown virus which will keep her out of the Olympic Trials at the National Track and Field Championships, to be held June 26-29 in Kawasaki. Medical staff have indicated that the chance is high Kinukawa caught the virus while training in Kunming, China. Whether it came from the pollution, contaminated food or another source, the "invisible enemy" has deprived the young star of her Olympic chance and shaken the Japanese long distance world.

Kinukawa`s situation has made a deep impact upon her. "I wouldn`t want anyone else to go through what I`m experiencing," she said of the serious viral infection which h…

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2008/06/04/0001107011.shtml
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/080605/spg0806050501000-n1.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women`s marathon team member Reiko Tosa (31, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) arrived at Narita Airport on June 4 after returning from a high-altitude training camp in Boulder, Colorado. She spoke to reporters at the airport, saying "I was training on a mountain 2200 m high. [The workouts were so hard] I cried three or four times, but it was solid training.

Tosa last trained in Boulder prior to winning the silver medal at the 2001 Edmonton World Championships. Her preparation this time included three tough, hilly runs over 33 km. Tosa`s coach Hideo Suzuki commented, "She didn`t get injured and everything went according to plan. Her times were better than before Edmonton."

Tosa is scheduled to head to Kunming, China for additional altitude training beginning June 12. She reported her current condition a…

http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/0317/TKY200803170002.html

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women's marathon team member Reiko Tosa (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) ran as a guest runner in the 10 km competition at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon on March 16. Although Tosa was not racing the event, it was her first appearance in a race of any kind since winning the bronze medal at last summer's Osaka World Championships marathon.

Tosa reached the goal in 33:30. Afterwards she smiled, "Wow, my legs are soft and lifeless. I have a long way to go to get in shape for Beijing." In May Tosa will be heading to a training camp in Boulder, Colorado for the first time in 7 years. "Coach Suzuki thought I should go back to the place where I first became fast," she explained. By returning to her roots, Tosa hopes to move on to a medal.

Translator's note: As this article mentions, Tosa has not raced since the World Championships last summer. She suffered from an…