japan running news

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/091223/oth0912231444004-n1.htm
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2009122300218

translated and edited by Brett Larner

complete results will be added when available

Yumi Hirata (Team Shiseido) took the win in the Sanyo Women's Road Race Half Marathon on Dec. 23 in Okayama. Hirata, who finished 6th in last spring's Nagoya International Women's Marathon and will run January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, clocked 1:11:13. In 2nd place in 1:12:02 was Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya), who took the stage best on the 6th leg of the National Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden Championships on Dec. 13. Kaori Akagawa (Team Suzuki) was 3rd.

In the 10 km race, Nanae Kuwashiro (Team Sysmex) won in 32:27 over November's Yokohama International Women's Marathon 9th placer Hiromi Ominami, who was 7 seconds back in 32:34. World Championships marathoners Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) and Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) were 7th and 11th.

by Brett Larner

Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) continued her summer of strength on July 27th, finishing in 3rd place at the 3rd New York City Half Marathon behind Kenyan marathon legend Catherine Ndereba and Mexican marathon national record holder Madai Perez. After finishing 4th in the race`s previous two editions, Kano once again found herself in a lead pack of four along with Ndereba, Perez and Kenyan Alice Timbilili. The four runners stayed close together throughout the race, with Kano doing most of the leading and Ndereba characteristically holding back just off the other competitors` shoulders. Timbilili was the first to fall back as Perez and Kano began to trade surges, but neither the Mexican nor the Japanese runner could respond to Ndereba`s long surge over the final two kilometers. Ndereba won in 1:10:19, with Perez 2nd in 1:10:26 and Kano 3rd in 1:10:31. Kano`s teammate Kiyoko Shimahara, in training for the Chicago Marathon, was 10th with a 1:13:41.

Across the Atlantic, men`s 400…

by Brett Larner


Minori Hayakari`s 3000 m SC national record.

2008 National Track and Field Championships women`s 3000 m steeplechase champion Minori Hayakari (Kyoto Koka AC) ran 9:33.93 to break her own Japanese national record by almost 5 seconds at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on July 20th. Her time, which was nearly 15 seconds better than her winning time at last month`s Nationals, landed Hayakari in 4th place just a step behind 3rd place finisher Irini Kokkinariou of Greece. 1st and 2nd place finishers Jenny Barringer and Anna Willard finished in a virtual tie, both breaking the U.S. national record. Heusden remained a lucky meet for Hayakari after having set the former Japanese national record at last year`s KBC Night of Athletics.

In the men`s 1500 m B-group, Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko), infamous for falling just meters before the finish while leading the 1500 m at last month`s Nationals, ran his best time of the season but just missed the Ol…