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Showing posts with the label Ken Yokote

National Track and Field Championships Preview

Japan's National Track and Field Championships are happening this weekend in Yamaguchi. Somebody is always being selected for something at Nationals, and this year it's the Jakarta Asian Games. Most of the action will be streamed live on the JAAF site Friday through Sunday, with some breaks for the major events which will only be shown on TV.

In three of the biggest events the defending champs are absent. 100 and 200 m winner Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Univ. of Florida) and 10000 m champ Suguru Osako (NOP), both U.S.-based, having bowed out with injury in Sani Brown's case and purportedly to prepare for the Chicago Marathon in Osako's. In the 100 m and 200 m the door is open for the other members of Japan's medal-winning relay squad to take home a national title, national record holder Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) the #1 seed in the 100 m and Shota Iizuka (Mizuno) ranked #1 in the 200 m.

The men's 10000 m is surprisingly weak this year, with no Japanese men und…
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Shitaraless Honda Wins East Japan Corporate Ekiden

Qualification for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden corporate men's national championships got underway on the Nov. 3 holiday in Japan's most competitive region, East Japan, with the 58th East Japan Corporate Men's Ekiden Championships. Running without half marathon national record holder Yuta Shitara, 2015 winner Honda returned to the top with an exciting anchor stage win in 3:47:55 for the 7-stage, 77.5 km course.

The Hitachi Butsuryu team's leading man Yuki Muta got them off to a good start on the opening stage, but a 1-2 punch from DeNA's Kenta Murozuka and Bedan Karoki put DeNA 20 seconds ahead of the early leaders. 7th on the First Stage, Honda worked its way up to 3rd by the end of the Third Stage just a second behind Hitachi Butsuryu.

Honda moved into 2nd on the next stage, but its gap to leader DeNA stayed steady at 21 seconds. Fujitsu passed Hitachi Butsuryu for 3rd thanks to a stage win from Ken Yokote, and a new stage record of 22:52 for the 7.8 km Fifth Stag…
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Weekend Overseas Japanese Results

Japanese men lined up at three major overseas races Sunday. At the Netherlands' Eindhoven Marathon, 2:07:39 marathoner Masato Imai (Toyota Kyushu), coached by 1992 Barcelona Olympics marathon silver medalist Koichi Morishita, was ranked 3rd in the field on PB but ran only 2:17:00 for 10th after fading from the lead pack early in the second half.

At Boston's B.A.A. Half the race was hurt by the late withdrawal of aggressive sub-61 half marathoner Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) with illness. In his absence Suguru Osako (NOP) and Shogo Nakamura (Fujitsu), the latter a former teammate of Murayama's at Komazawa University, sat in the lead pack throughout the race without exerting pressure despite a very slow pace. Two-time defending champ Daniel Salel (Kenya) made it three in a row, easily outkicking Osako to win in 1:04:31, Osako next across the line in 1:04:42 and Nakamura 4th in 1:04:50. Two other Japanese men were non-factors, Ken Yokote (Fujitsu) 7th in 1:05:57 and Yudai Ok…
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Seven Rio Medalists in Kawasaki - Weekend Preview

by Brett Larner

It's a busy weekend ahead both at home and abroad. The main road action happens overseas, with London Olympian and 2:07:48 marathoner Arata Fujiwara in Mongolia to run the Ulanbaatar Marathon where a victory will earn him a horse. A group of five Japanese men and women led by 1:01:37 runner Ken Yokote and 2017 National Corporate Half Marathon champion Ami Utsunomiya is in Sweden on a corporate league junket to the Göteborgsvarvet Half Marathon to gain valuable experience running and going to laundromats internationally.

Back home, many of their corporate league brethren and sistren will instead be lining up at one of four regional corporate league track championships. Up north in Akita, the East Japan Region meet features top-level Japan-based Africans Jonathan Ndiku, William Malel and Wesley Ledama, with Yuta Shitara, Masato Kikuchi and Azusa Sumi leading the Japanese crowd. The Kansai Region meet happens at the same time in Osaka, with the Chugoku Region meet, wh…
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Outdoor Track Season Kicks Off at Kanaguri Memorial

by Brett Larner

With the start of the fiscal and academic year on April 1 Japan's outdoor track season wasted no time getting started at Saturday's Kanaguri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto.  With five heats of senior men's 5000 m on the menu 1500 m junior world record holder Ronald Kwemoi (Team Komori Corp.) led the way, winning the A-heat in 13:24.42.  Newcomer Abayneh Degu (Team Yasukawa Denki) wasn't far off that in the B-heat, running a 30-second PB of 13:25.55 for the win.

Hiroki Matsueda (Team Fujitsu) led the Japanese results, clearing 13:30 for the first time with a 13:28.61 for 3rd in the Kwemoi-led A-heat.  Just 34 days after his 1:01:55-first-half 2:09:27 marathon debut, Yuta Shitara (Team Honda) was only 0.12 seconds off his PB in 13:34.80 for 8th in the same heat. In the B-heat, Matsueda's teammate Ken Yokote (Team Fujitsu) ran a 10-second PB of 13:31.35 for top Japanese honors at 5th overall.  Behind him, Kazuya Shiojiri (Juntendo Univ.), a Rio Olympian in…
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Aoyama Gakuin University Sends Eight Men Sub-29 in One Race at Kanto Region 10000 m Time Trials

by Brett Larner
video by naoki620



With six weeks to the day to go to the start of the 2016 Hakone Ekiden, defending champion Aoyama Gakuin University showed that it is right on the cusp of realizing head coach Susumu Hara's vision with one of the greatest team performances in Japanese track history at the Kanto Region University 10000 m Time Trials at Kanagawa's beautiful Keio University Field. 

青学強すぎる((((；ﾟДﾟ))))))) pic.twitter.com/Jd9TEhI2Gt — EKIDEN News (@EKIDEN_News) November 21, 2015
Aoyama Gakuin's entire roster of A-listers was entered in the fastest of the day's 13 heats, and in absolutely perfect conditions all but captain Daichi Kamino started.  Senior Kazuma Kubota, winner of his stages at this season's Izumo and National University Ekidens, led almost the entire way after a 2:47 opening 1000 m, talented first-year Kazuya Shiojiri (Juntendo Univ.), 2015 World University Games half marathon bronze medalist Yuta Takahashi (Teikyo Univ.) and silver med…
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Hakone Ekiden's Star Fourth-Years Commit to Nation's Corporate Teams as Final College Ekiden Season Begins

http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20150930-OHT1T50064.html
https://twitter.com/3940highschool/status/649148340030930944

translated and edited by Brett Larner

As university ekiden season begins with the Oct. 12 Izumo Ekiden, their job hunting in its final stages, fourth-year runners from all the major universities are deciding their future paths one by one.  The biggest star of the 2015 Hakone Ekiden, the "Third God of the Mountain" Daichi Kamino (Aoyama Gakuin University) will go on to 2013-14 New Year Ekiden national corporate men's champion Konica Minolta, while 30 km collegiate national record holder Yuma Hattori (Toyo University), targeting the marathon at next year's Rio Olympics, plans to join 2015 New Year Ekiden winner Toyota.  The country's best university runners plot their courses from Hakone beyond to the world stage early.

Kamino's super-fast run up the Fifth Stage at this year's Hakone Ekiden powered Aoyama Gakuin on to the win and new legend …
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Suzuki Sets Another National Record, Ohara Qualifies for Beijing, Sub-28 Collegiates and More as Hokuren Distance Challenge Series Wraps Up in Abashiri

by Brett Larner

Japan's major midsummer track series, the Hokuren Distance Challenge in four locations across Hokkaido, wrapped up July 16 with the Abashiri Meet.  For the second time in a week, 20 km race walk world record holder Yusuke Suzuki (Team Fujitsu) broke a national record held by teammate Eiki Takahashi, both times outgunning Takahashi to do it.  This time it was Takahashi's 10000 mRW national record, from which Suzuki lopped 8 seconds with a new record of 38:10.23.  12 more seconds to another world record.

Other new came in the women's 10000 m, where National Championships 3rd-placer Rei Ohara (Team Tenmaya) finally succeeded in breaking the Beijing World Championships qualification standard of 32:00.00, taking 3rd in a new PB of 31:48.31 for which she is all but certain to be rewarded with a place on the Beijing team.  Riko Matsuzaki (Sekisui Kagaku) won in a solid PB of 31:44.86, with the top 4 breaking 32 minutes and the top 7 all clearing the 32:15.00 stan…
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Kamino and Yokote Lead National University Men's Half Marathon Entries

by Brett Larner
video by Ekiden News

The record-setting 2014 National University Half Marathon finish.

Thanks to an average stage length of 21.7 km at the ten-stage Hakone Ekiden every Jan. 2-3 the half marathon is the distance Japan's collegiate men focus on and the one at which they excel more than any other.  Sub-63 half marathon bests have become commonplace on the Kanto university circuit and sub-62, even sub-61, the new standard for the top Hakone stars.  This Sunday's National University Half Marathon is no exception, with at least 25 men on the entry list having sub-63 PBs led by Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage course record setter Daichi Kamino (3rd yr., Aoyama Gakuin University) in 1:01:21 and National University Men's Ekiden Fifth Stage course record setter Ken Yokote (3rd yr., Meiji Univ.) in 1:01:37.

Last year's National University Half, held as always in conjunction with Tokyo's Tachikawa City Half Marathon, saw both a new course record of 1:02:09 from Hideto…
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Komazawa Makes it Four-Straight National Titles by a Kilometer

by Brett Larner

Komazawa University delivered on expectations, winning a fourth-straight National University Men's Ekiden championship, its twelfth Nationals title under head coach Hiroaki Oyagi, by nearly a kilometer Sunday in Nagoya.

With the first of the season's Big Three University Ekidens, the mid-October Izumo Ekiden, cancelled due to a typhoon ekiden fans were hungry for action at Nationals and were rewarded with one of the best pieces of collegiate racing in memory on the 14.6 km First Stage.  Identical twins Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.), 13:34.53, 27:49.94 and 1:00:50 (half marathon) this year, and Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.), 3:39.56, 13:34.57 and 58:26 (20 km) this fall, led things off with future Asahi Kasei corporate teammate and fellow identical twin Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.), dropping the rest of the field early and running most of the stage as a trio pursued by intriguing indy Kentaro Hirai (Kyoto Univ.) and Kenyan John Kariuki (Daiichi Kogyo Univ.)…
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Weekend Track Update - Kiryu Makes University Debut, A Meet Record in Kyoto and More

by Brett Larner
videos by toyosina2008, komazawaOB and Ekiden News

Track season continued to build up momentum with the first Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama and a handful of other meets around the country.



The biggest news of the weekend was the debut of teen sprint star Yoshihide Kiryu in the Toyo University uniform. Kiryu ran third for Toyo's 4x100 m relay team at the Iwakabe Cup Eight University meet in Tokyo.  Starting his leg mid-pack Kiryu easily blew past the competition to put Toyo out front, but on the anchor leg national university record holder Chuo University retook the lead and pulled away for the win. Nevertheless, in his first race Kiryu helped the Toyo team take the school record from 39.99 to 39.69, a sure sign of what's to come. Post-race the entire Chuo team gave him a round of applause.



Kiryu's long distance teammates stayed at home in Saitama for the Five University Meet hosted by Daito Bunka University.  Strong winds prevented fast t…
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World Junior Championships - Day One Japanese Results

Barcelona, 7/10/12
click here for complete results

Men's 10000 m
1. Yigrem Demelash (Ethiopia) - 28:16.07 - PB
2. Philemon Kipchilis Cheboi (Kenya) - 28:23.98 - PB
3. Geoffrey Kipkorir Kirui (Kenya) - 28:30.47
4. Kinde Atanaw (Ethiopia) - 28:53.02
5. Moses Martin Kurong (Uganda) - 29:06.87
6. Kenta Murayama (Japan) - 29:40.56
7. Ken Yokote (Japan) - 29:41.81

Women's 3000 m
1. Mercy Chebwogen (Kenya) - 9:08.88 - PB
2. Hiwot Gebrekidan (Ethiopia) - 9:09.27 - PB
3. Emelia Gorecka (Great Britain) - 9:09.43 - PB
4. Haftamnesh Tesfay (Ethiopia) - 9:10.02 - PB
5. Brillian Jepkorir Kipkoech (Kenya) - 9:14.32 - PB
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8. Miyuki Uehara (Japan) - 9:21.81
17. Misuzu Nakahara (Japan) - 9:49.84

Men's 1500 m Heat Three
1. Teklit Teweldebrhan (Eritrea) - 3:46.46 - Q
2. Hillary Cheruiyot Ngetich (Kenya) - 3:46.54 - Q
3. Abdelhadi Labali (Morocco) - 3:46.75 - Q
4. Charlie Grice (Great Britain) - 3:47.05
5. Yusuke Uchikoshi (Japan) - 3:49.06

Women's 800 m Heat Two
1. Halimah Nakaayi (Uganda…
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World Junior Championships Middle and Long Distance Entry List Highlights

by Brett Larner

The 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships kick off today in Barcelona, Spain.  Ethiopia and Kenya look set to dominate most of the middle and long distance events with competition from Morocco and Eritrea and athletes from a scattering of other countries including Japan.

Japan's best distance medal chance looks to be in the women's 3000 m, where Miyuki Uehara comes in as the #1 seed with a PB over three seconds better than her nearest competitor, Emelia Gorecka of Great Britain.  After Great Britain's Laura Muir Uehara's teammate Misuzu Nakahara is the #4 seed with a best of 9:15.04, giving Japan a decent chance of picking up at least one medal in the event.  But with the next four athletes holding bests within less than two seconds of Nakahara and all hailing from Ethiopia and Kenya it won't be easy.  #3 and #5-ranked Shiori Yano and Moe Kyuma likewise stand a chance of hardware in the women's 5000 m, with Ethiopia's Buze Diriba looking like…
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Golden Week Long Distance Track Roundup

by Brett Larner

click any meet name for complete results

Japan's Golden Week national holidays saw a series of meets with noteworthy long distance results across the country.  At the April 29 Nobeoka Spring Time Trials meet, 13:18 man Yu Mitsuya (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) continued his comeback from a year of injury in 2011 with a 13:50.27 win in the 5000 m A-heat.  Former sub-28 high school sensation Ryuji Ono (Team Asahi Kasei) was likewise under 14 after a seemingly endless series of injuries.  Closer to Tokyo, five-time women's 1500 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) had an easy win in 3000 m at the Tokai University Time Trials meet, winning in 9:03.72 over teammate Akiko Matsuyama's 9:22.60.

Mitsuya and Ono doubled in the 10000 m four days later at the May 3rd Nobeoka Time Trials meet, going 1-2 with Mitsuya getting the win again in 28:49.61.  Olympic marathon team member Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki) returned to competition for the first time s…
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Briggs Athletics Classic - Men's 5000 m Results

Hobart, Australia, 2/4/12
click here for complete results

1. Collis Birmingham (Australia) - 13:15.57
2. Ben St. Lawrence (Australia) - 13:24.30
3. Nick McCormick (GBR) - 13:32.88
4. Harry Summers (Australia) - 13:34.58
5. Andy Vernon (GBR) - 13:38.10
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12. Kazuma Kubota (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 14:00.22
15. Ken Yokote (Sakushin Gakuin H.S.) - 14:11.89
20. Takumi Kobayashi (Shimosuwa Koyo H.S.) - 14:52.06
21. Yuta Katsumata (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 14:59.75
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Ino, Kinukawa, Kobayashi and Sato Headline Feb. 12 Chiba International XC Meet

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20120204k0000m050008000c.html
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/02/04/kiji/K20120204002563870.html
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20120203-OHT1T00147.htm
http://www.47news.jp/sports/localsports/2012/02/post_20120204110414.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On Feb. 3 Rikuren announced the invited athlete list for the Feb. 12 Chiba International Cross-Country Meet.  Headlining the senior 8 km and 12 km lists are women's 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa (Mizuno) and men's 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin), along with others kicking off a season they hope will lead to the Olympics on the track.  Top university talent in the senior men's 12 km include Hakone Ekiden stars Suguru Osako (Waseda University) and Ikuto Yufu (Komazawa Univ.).  The women's 8 km also features Ukrainian Tetiana Gamera-Shmyrko, the runner-up at last weekend's Osaka International Women's …
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Weekend Track Roundup - Fukushi and Yokote on Top

by Brett Larner

On the only quiet weekend of the year in the lull before three-straight weekends of National Championship ekiden action, the only domestic races of note took place on the track.  Women's 5000 m national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) returned to action in her first race since October's Chicago Marathon, winning the women's 5000 m at the Kumamoto Long Distance Time Trials meet on the 10th in 15:50.66.  Wacoal used the race as a tuneup for next weekend's National Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships, with Wacoal runners taking the majority of the top places.

Further north, Sakushin Gakuin H.S. ace Ken Yokote followed up last weekend's 28:57.31 PB at the Nittai University Time Trials 10000 m with a 13:58.86 to win the 5000 m A-heat at the Heisei Kokusai University Time Trials.  Yokote was the only runner to break 14, his nearest competition, Toyo University's Norihisa Imai, more than 10 seconds behind.

Kumamoto Long Distance Time T…
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Weekend Track Roundup - High-Schoolers Sub-14 and Sub-29

by Brett Larner

Beyond all the road action in Fukuoka and Kosa, this weekend saw the last two big track time trial meets before the national championship ekidens.  High schoolers made most of the noteworthy news at both meets.  On the first day of the Nittai Time Trials in Yokohama, Ken Yokote (Sakushin Gakuin H.S.) ran 28:57.31 to place 3rd in the men's 10000 m B-heat behind pros Jun Shinoto (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) and Kazuki Onishi (Team Kanebo).  Led by World XC silver medalist Paul Tanui (Team Kyudenko) Africans took the top 10 places in Sunday's men's 5000 m, but close behind in 13:55.91 and 13:57.30 were the aptly-named Kenya Sonota (Aomori Yamada H.S.) and Soma Ishikawa (Sano Nichidai Prep H.S.).  Ishikawa's time was the 3rd-best ever by a Japanese high school junior.  The high school girls also ran well at Nittai, with outstanding first-year Rosemary Wanjiru (Aomori Yamada H.S.) running 15:26.07 in one of the men's 5000 m heats, Momoko Akiyama (Hakuoh Jo…
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