japan running news

There’s a woman in her 30s who has been breaking marathon course records left and right. A native of Saga, her name is Hiroko Yoshitomi (34, Memolead). In the last year she has broken course records at three domestic marathons including a 2:33:57 at March’s Saga Sakura Marathon. “In terms of my age, I’ve still got years left to be breaking records,” Yoshitomi says. “If you approach your running in terms of that kind of thinking then it’s totally natural that the times are going to come.” At one point she had thought about retiring this season, but for now she’s determined to push on.

Tokyo-based running Industry conglomerate Rbies recently launched the Marathon Challenge Cup (MCC) series, a grouping of 33 domestic marathons across the country. In the 2017 season 19 of those member races saw a total of 23 new course records. The only person to set multiple new course records was Yoshitomi. Along with these records, at December’s Honolulu Marathon, February’s Tokyo Marathon and April’s…

http://www.asahi.com/sports/spo/SEB200901210005.html

translated by Brett Larner

Among the field at the Jan. 25 Osaka International Women's Marathon will be an amateur runner with a special memory. Her name is Yumi Matsunaga, 37, formerly the runner known as 1992 Barcelona Olympics marathoner Yumi Kokamo. After her moment of glory in winning Osaka at age 20, her life changed dramatically. Having passed through scores of setbacks and trials, this mother of two comes back to this year's Osaka to take a step forward in her new running life.

Officially entered as an honorary guest runner, this will be Matsunaga's sixth full marathon, but along with her debut at the 1992 Osaka and the Barcelona Olympics it will be only her third time running in 'serious mode.' "I'm going to run as though it were my first marathon," Matsunaga says with a gentle smile.

Seventeen years ago in Osaka Matsunaga, a second-year corporate runner with Team Daihatsu, won her debut maratho…