japan running news

On Mar. 4 it was learned that Hiroto Inoue (25, MHPS), 4th place in last week's Tokyo Marathon in an all-time Japanese #4 time of 2:06:54, intends to run for Japan at August's Jakarta Asian Games. Following the final selection race for the Asian Games team, yesterday's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, MHPS head coach Jun Kuroki revealed, "Inoue plans to take part."

Suguru Osako (NOP), the top Japanese man in Fukuoka, and national record breaker Yuta Shitara (Honda) have both passed on the Asian Games national team. The weather conditions in sub-equatorial Jakarta are expected to be severe, but with just as tough conditions expected for the Tokyo Olympics and its MGC Race trials event the Asian Games represent an excellent test run opportunity. Coach Kuroki also commented, "The only question mark so far has been in our preparations for last August's London World Championships."

Kuroki and Inoue plan to work on measures to deal with the heat prior to the …

【#九州実業団毎日駅伝】
スタートしました。 pic.twitter.com/p1rKSJ3Rjq — 九州実業団陸上競技連盟 (@krikujo1) November 23, 2017
For the second year in a row, the Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems corporate team edged defending national champion Asahi Kasei to win the 54th Kyushu Corporate Men's Ekiden Championships, the final qualifying race for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden national championships.

Fresh out of the blocks, London World Championships marathon team member Hiroto Inoue got Mitsubishi off to a good start with a win by 8 seconds over 2016 national XC champion Takashi Ichida of Asahi Kasei on the 12.4 km First Stage. Mitsubishi increased its lead over Asahi Kasei to 1:54 by the end of the Fourth Stage thanks to stage wins from 2nd and 4th men Enock Omwamba and Ryota Matono.

Over the second half Asahi Kasei fought back with its 5th and 6th runners Shuho Dairokuno and Takuya Fukatsu winning their stages, Fukatsu breaking the Sixth Stage record by 11 seconds to put Asahi Kasei into the lead by 4 seconds at th…

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…

http://www.ktn.co.jp/news/2014/10/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A2%E5%A4%A7%E4%BC%9A%E9%99%B8%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E9%8A%80%E3%81%AE%E6%9D%BE%E6%9D%91%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E3%81%8C%E4%BC%9A%E8%A6%8B.php

translated by Brett Larner

The silver medal winner in the Asian Games men's marathon that took place Oct. 3 in Incheon, South Korea, Kohei Matsumura (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) took part in a press conference Oct.6 at Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works following his return to Japan.

Speaking three days after the Asian Games race where he was the top Japanese finisher and won the silver medal, Matsumura said, "More than happiness the main thing I feel is disappointment," the 1-second margin between him and gold at the forefront of his mind.  "I was targeting the win, so even when I actually received the medal at the ceremony I only felt disappointment.  As time goes by that feeling is only getting stronger, to my disappointment."

The Asian Games were M…

http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/spomain/sp_08020651.htm

translated by Brett Larner

At the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon on Feb. 3, individual runner Yoichi Watanabe (27, Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki) ran 2:15:17 to finish 6th overall. Despite falling and sustaining some injuries during the race, Watanabe was able to sail on to a sizeable PB.

"The course is completely flat so it is easy to run a PB," Watanabe said of his performance in only his 2nd marathon. His accident happened at the 19 km aid station. Colliding with a foreign runner ahead of him, he fell and suffered cuts on his thighs and hip. Although it was very painful, despite having broken his concentration Watanabe was able to relax and run a PB of over 10 minutes.

Watanabe is originally from Kirishima in Kagoshima Prefecture. At Shonan High School he was a no-name runner. When he went on to become a jitsugyodan athlete Watanabe weighed less than 50 kg despite being 1 m, 70 cm tall. When practicing he frequently suf…