japan running news

by Brett Larner Only two events saw Japanese competitors on the fifth day of the Moscow World Championships.  National champion Misaki Onishi  (Team Sekisui Kagaku) made zero impact in the women's 5000 m, finishing second from last in her heat nearly a minute slower than her winning time from Nationals in June.  The men's 50 km racewalk squad accorded itself better, with Takayuki Tanii  (Team Sagawa Express) taking 9th for the second Championships in a row, and Hirooki Arai  (SDF Academy) clocking a PB 3:45:56 for 11th.  10000 m racewalk national record holder Koichiro Morioka  (Team Fujitsu) struggled at the longer distance, finishing only 23rd in 3:53:54. Moscow World Championships Day Five Moscow, 8/14/13 click here for complete results Women's 5000 m Heat One 1. Mercy Cherono (Kenya) - 15:34.70 - Q 2. Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia) - 15:34.93 - Q 3. Molly Huddle (U.S.A.) - 15:40.91 - Q 4. Shannon Rowbury (U.S.A.) - 15:50.41 - Q 5. Tejitu Daba...

http://mainichi.jp/area/nagasaki/news/20120227ddlk42050279000c.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/osaka/sports/article/news/20120228-OHO1T00105.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner photo by Dr. Helmut Winter At the Feb. 26 Tokyo Marathon, Isahaya, Nagasaki native and Isahaya H.S. alum Arata Fujiwara , 30, was the top Japanese finisher at 2nd overall in 2:07:48, immediately elevating him into the top position among the contenders for the London Olympic team.  Voices of support and congratulations have poured in from his hometown friends and colleagues and from his former teachers.  As a student at Isahaya H.S. Fujiwara never made it to the National High School Championships, but according to his coach at Isahaya, Toshihiro Matsumoto , even in those days he never neglected his training and was always focused on improving, traits that remain inside him now. Two weeks ago, with no doubt in his voice, Fujiwara told his former coach by phone, "I'm going to run 2:07. ...

Click here to enter JRN's World Championships marathon prediction contest for a chance to win a 2009 Japanese national team singlet. by Brett Larner In the absence of distance running events, men's javelin thrower Yukifumi Murakami turned in the best Japanese performance of the day at the Berlin World Championships . Murakami threw a PB of 83.10 to win his qualification group and was ranked second overall after the completion of the round. A javelin medal in the final would be completely unexpected but more than welcome to the Japanese national team, which with the exception of women's 5000 m and 10000 m runner Yurika Nakamura has thus far underperformed. The day's other strong Japanese performance came unsurprisingly in the men's 4x100 m relay , in which Japan won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. With only two members of the Beijing team still active, this year's squad featured new blood Masashi Eriguchi and Kenji Fujimitsu teaming up with medalists Nao...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/090610/oth0906102357019-n1.htm http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2009061100014 translated and edited by Brett Larner Complete results will be added when they become available. Kensuke Takezawa (Team S&B) made a successful pro debut and comeback at the June 10 Hokuren Distance Challenge Fukagawa meet, winning the 3000 m in 8:05.44. In the same meet, 2008 World Half Marathon 5th place finisher Yusei Nakao (Team Toyota Boshoku) fell just short of the World Championships 10000 m A-standard of 27:47.00 but nevertheless recorded an outstanding 22 second PB run of 27:48.71 to take the win. National record holder Fumikazu Kobayashi (Team NTN) won the men's 1500 m in 3:47.37. World Championships team member Koichiro Morioka (Team Fujitsu) won the 10000 m race walk in 39:56.34, with Yuki Yamazaki (Team Hasegawa) 2nd. Kumi Otoshi (Team Fujitsu) won the women's 10000 m race walk in 44:14.79.

by Brett Larner Racewalker Mayumi Kawasaki of Team Ebisawa Seisakujo marked the biggest result of the Hokuren Distance Challenge series` second competition, held Sunday in Shibetsu, Hokkaido. Kawasaki set a mark of 44:04.15 in the women`s 10000 m racewalk, breaking the old Japanese national record by over 25 seconds. Men`s 10000 m racewalk victor Koichiro Morioka of Team Fujitsu likewise had a strong performance with his 39:32.08 finish time, less than 5 seconds off the national record. Team Daihatsu`s Ryoko Kisaki joined the list of contenders for the Beijing Olympics team with her Olympic B-standard 32:12.14 win in the women`s 10000 m. Winning times in other events were less remarkable as many athletes used the meet simply as a tune-up for the upcoming National Track and Field Championships. Top finishers in each event are listed below; complete results are available here . The Hokuren Distance Challenge continues June 11 in Fukagawa, Hokkaido. Men`s 1500 m 1. Yasuhiro Tago (Team Ch...