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National University Half Marathon Champ Suzuki Leaves for JAAF Marathon Training Camp in New Zealand

After finishing 4th on the competitive Second Stage on Day One of the 2018 Hakone Ekiden, Kanagawa University star 4th-year Kengo Suzuki departed Japan to take part in the JAAF's New Zealand marathon training camp for the second year in a row. "I want to conquer my fears about the distance and get as close as I can come to the feeling of being in the race," he said.

After winning November's National University Men's Ekiden for the first time in 20 years, Kanagawa ended up only 13th overall at Hakone. Following his graduation in March Suzuki, the 2017 National University Half Marathon champion, will join the Fujitsu corporate team. In order the reap the greatest return on investment from his marathon debut, in Tokyo next month Suzuki will focus on overall place rather than time. "I want to show that disappointment can be a spark for growth," he said.

source article:
http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20180108-OHT1T50010.html
translated and edited by Brett L…
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Daichi Kamino Out of Gifu Seiryu Half With Achilles Injury After JAAF Marathon Training Camp

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170414-00000013-sph-spo

translated by Brett Larner

Former Hakone Ekiden uphill star Daichi Kamino (23, Team Konica Minolta) has withdrawn from next week's Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon with pain in his right Achilles tendon after attending a JAAF marathon training camp in Nelson, New Zealand focused toward developing high-potential candidates for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics men's marathon team.  Kamino went to the training camp on Mar. 22 along with this year's Hakone Ekiden Second Stage winner Kengo Suzuki (21, Kanagawa Univ.) and other young talent.  Under JAAF direction they did marathon-specific training such as 50 km runs, but near the end of the camp Kamino sustained the injury.  He returned to Japan on Apr. 14 as originally scheduled.  Kamino will try to recover in time for his planned marathon debut at December's Fukuoka International Marathon.

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Kawauchi Turns Down JAAF New Zealand Marathon Training Camp

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1785576.html

translated by Brett Larner

A candidate to make the men's marathon team for August's London World Championships, Yuki Kawauchi (29, Saitama Pref. Gov't) has turned down an offer from the JAAF to join its three-week marathon training camp in New Zealand in the second half of March.

In 2015 Kawauchi quit the JAAF's National Team project, saying, "There's more value in not part of it than in being in it."  According to an involved person, Kawauchi had considered joining the training camp for a short time, but as a full-time employee at a school in Kuki, Saitama he is extremely busy at the end of the fiscal year and the start of the new academic semester and, considering the time involved in travelling overseas, opted not to take part.

With an overall theme of development to this year's New Zealand marathon training camp, the JAAF has invited former Hakone Ekiden uphill star Daichi Kamino (Team …
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Hoping for "Chemical Reaction," JAAF Invites Promising Young Athletes and Kawauchi to New Zealand Marathon Camp

http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20170212-OHT1T50016.html

translated by Brett Larner

According to a JAAF spokesperson, in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the JAAF will hold a men's marathon training camp in New Zealand in March.  Along with promising young talents like "God of the Mountain III" Daichi Kamino (23, Team Konica Minolta), the JAAF is in consultation to invite London World Championships candidate Yuki Kawauchi (29, Saitama Pref. Gov't).

The camp is part of a new strategic initiative to raise the level of Japanese marathoning.  Of note are the athletes being invited.  Along with Kamino, who was the star of the Hakone Ekiden's uphill Fifth Stage while at Aoyama Gakuin University and who has continued to grow since going to the corporate leagues, this year's Hakone Second Stage winner Kengo Suzuki (21, Kanagawa Univ.) and other high-potential young distance runners without marathon experience are being invited.

In addition, the JAAF has aske…
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Athletics New Zealand to Hold National Team Training Camp in Saga

http://www.saga-s.co.jp/news/saga/10105/379587

translated by Brett Larner

On Nov. 22 Athletics New Zealand signed an agreement with the Saga prefectural government to hold its national team training camp in Saga ahead of August's 29th World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan.  New Zealand has held pre-games camps in Saga since August last year.  Athletics New Zealand representatives were positive about the possibility of holding its pre-2020 Tokyo Olympics camp in Saga as well.

Athletics New Zealand athlete performance support manager Michelle Wood met with Saga governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi.  Before last year's Beijing World Championships the New Zealand national team trained in Saga, and Wood had previously visited Saga two years ago.  "I felt that Saga was not too big, quiet and with wonderful hospitality that made it feel like home," she told Governor Yamaguchi of the deciding factor in Athletics New Zealand's decision.

Looking toward the future she was positiv…
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Kiwi Wyatt Wins Fuji Mountain Race

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/07/28/kiji/K20120728003776590.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

3676 runners took part in the two divisions of the 65th Fuji Mountain Race on July 27.  Making his Mt. Fuji debut, Jonathan Wyatt (39, New Zealand) won the summit course in a strong 2:33:59, with Mina Ogawa (37, Amino Vital AC) taking the women's race in 3:07:51 for her second-straight summit win.  Toru Koide (30, Salomon) and Maki Hagiwara (37) won the men's and women's Fifth Stage course wins in 1:25:42 and 1:45:17.

With a margin of 17 minutes over the runner-up, Wyatt's win was definitive.  A two-time Olympian for his native New Zealand with appearances in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic 5000 m and 2004 Athens Olympics marathon, Wyatt pulled clear into the lead after crossing into the purest mountain running section of the course after the Sixth Stage.  "My win today is one of the biggest honors in my long career," said a happy Wyatt.  "In New Z…
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Shirotake Wins Second-Straight Tokushima Marathon

http://www.topics.or.jp/special/12254542636/2011/11/2011_132062725767.html
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/news/111107/tks11110702200000-n1.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Running along the banks of the late-fall Yoshino River and carried on by a wind of applause, 32-year-old Masahi Shirotake was the first of the 5799 finishers to break the goal tape at the Nov. 6 Tokushima Marathon, winning for the second-straight year and achieving a new course record of 2:24:49.  Headed back toward the finish in the later stages of the race he looked forward to being greeted by the traditional awaodori dancers at the finish line.  "The cheers from all the spectators were neverending and with a warmth that you can only find here," said Shirotake after the race.  "It really feels great to run the Tokushima Marathon."

Shirotake was born in Konan, Kochi prefecture.  In junior high school and high school he was a 1500 m runner, but he could never advance beyond the city-level…
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Christchurch Training Camp Marathon Women Comment on Their Experience of Earthquake

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/news/20110225k0000e040034000c.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

All nine athletes and six support staff from the federation-sponsored women's long distance training camp in Christchurch, New Zealand at the time of this week's major earthquake returned safely to Japan the morning of Feb. 25. Four of the athletes and five of the staff members arrived at Tokyo's Narita International Airport, with the remaining camp members flying in to Osaka's Kansai International Airport. The four athletes arriving in Tokyo shared comments on their experiences with members of the media.

Multiple national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) said, "I've never felt an earthquake that big before. It was too much to put into words."

Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren), winner of last month's Osaka International Women's Marathon, was blunt, saying only, "It was terrifying. We were lucky, period."

Azusa Nojiri (Team D…
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Christchurch Marathon Camp Athletes Due Back in Japan on Friday

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20110223-OYT1T00809.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On Feb. 23 Rikuren announced that the nine athletes and six support staff members training in Christchurch, New Zealand at the time of the major Feb. 22 earthquake will leave New Zealand the evening of Feb. 24 and arrive back in Japan the morning of Feb. 25.

Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya), Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren), Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal), Azusa Nojiri (Team Daiichi Seimei) and five staff members will fly to Sydney before transferring to a Narita-bound flight. The other five athletes and remaining staff member will fly to Auckland and continue on to Kansai International Airport.

The Rikuren-sponsored training camp was scheduled to run from Feb. 7 through the 27th, but to ensure the safety of all participants in the wake of the earthquake the decision was made to cut it short. The extensive damage to the roads and surrounding area make running outside impossible, and the hotel to which the camp …
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Akaba Reports All Members of Japanese Women's Christchurch Marathon Training Camp Safe and Unharmed

http://ameblo.jp/redwing36/

translated by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin

Shuhei Akaba, coach and husband of 2011 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Yukiko Akaba, is in Christchurch, New Zealand with Akaba and eight other top Japanese women distance runners on a Rikuren-sponsored training camp. He just posted the following report on today's earthquake a few minutes ago on his blog. Runners at the camp include Akaba, Kayoko Fukushi, Mai Ito, Yuko Machida, Yoko Miyauchi, Yurika Nakamura, Azusa Nojiri, Risa Shigetomo and Kaori Urata.

Today there was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake here in Christchurch, New Zealand. It hit after lunch just as we were getting ready for afternoon practice. The shaking was so strong that we couldn't stand up in our rooms, and the ground outside was like a liquid. There was a big crack in the road surface just outside our hotel, too. In the hotel rooms the dishes and glass were all broken, and the electricity and water stopped. The main roads are …
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Fukushi, Akaba, Nakamura, Nojiri Head to Federation Training Camp in New Zealand

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/osaka/sports/article/news/20110208-OHO1T00137.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On Feb. 7 seven athletes left from Tokyo's Narita International Airport for a Rikuren-sponsored women's long distance training camp in New Zealand. Four of the runners taking part in the camp including Beijing Olympics marathoner Yurika Nakamura (24, Team Tenmaya) and former national cross-country ski team member Azusa Nojiri (28, Team Daiichi Seimei) will run the Mar. 13 Nagoya International Women's Marathon in a bid to qualify for August's World Championships marathon squad. It is very unusual to see four athletes who will compete against each other in the same marathon training together. Nojiri, who will be running only her second marathon, commented, "I want to soak up as much of the good parts as I can." 2011 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Yukiko Akaba (31, Team Hokuren) and 2011 Marugame International Half Marathon winner Kayoko Fuk…
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Saeki 2nd at Rotorua Marathon

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20100501-624624.html

translated by Brett Larner

2100 runners took part in the 46th Rotorua Marathon on May 1 in New Zealand. The sister race to Japan's Kawaguchiko Marathon, Rotorua invited top-ranking Kawaguchiko finisher Tsutomu Saeki (34, Hiratsuka City Hall) to this year's race. Saeki was in the lead at 38 km, but in the last km he fell behind and ended up 2nd in 2:27:09, 15 seconds behind winner Dale Warrander (36, New Zealand). "I'm not getting any younger and lately I've been feeling that it might be over, but this race showed me I can still do it," a pleased Saeki commented after the race. "It was a rejeuvenating race."

Johanna Ottosson (32, New Zealand) won the women's race in 2:50:19. Exchange student Kentaro Yamada (23, Tokyo Univ.) was 12th in the men's race in 2:51:56.

Translator's note: Thanks to JRN reader Jason Lawrence for assistance with the Kiwi athletes' names.
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Men's Marathon Training Camp Departs for New Zealand

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp201003050232.html

translated by Brett Larner

Note: This article repeats that of a few days ago but fleshes out the details significantly.

Led by Team Chugoku Denryoku head coach and Rikuren director of men's marathoning Yasushi Sakaguchi, the athletes in Rikuren's men's marathoning reinforcement training camp depart Mar. 7 for two weeks in New Zealand. Departing from the usual practice, this year's camp is targeting university runners. Among the five student athletes attending the camp is two year-straight Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage record setter Ryuji Kashiwabara (Toyo Univ.). We spoke to Director Sakaguchi about the training camp.

Last year Rikuren revived the overseas training camps which had been a fixture of its calendar in the 1990's. What is the aim this time in focusing on athletes under age 23?

Our goal is to get our most talented young runners looking toward the marathon from the start. We have a lot of runners who can …
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Kashiwabara and Murasawa to Join Rikuren Long Distance Camps

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/100228/oth1002281843019-n1.htm

translated by Brett Larner

Rikuren director of men's marathoning Yasushi Sakaguchi announced this week that the Japanese federation will organize two overseas training camps in March aimed at strengthening young distance runners. Attending the first camp, to be held Mar. 7-20 in New Zealand, will be two-time Hakone Ekiden 5th Stage record setter Ryuji Kashiwabara (2nd yr., Toyo Univ.) and Akinobu Murasawa (1st yr., Tokai Univ.) who passed 10 people on the ace 2nd stage at Hakone this year. Five other athletes including 2009 World Championships marathon 6th place finisher Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) are also scheduled to attend.

The second camp will take place Mar. 24-Apr. 13 and will include Tokyo Marathon runner-up Arata Fujiwara (Team JR Higashi Nihon). Director Sakaguchi commented, "We've assembled the athletes we expect to be the core of our team at the London Olympics."

Translator's no…
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Akaba Feeling Positive About Aggressive Osaka Performance

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20100202-OYT1T00890.htm
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/100202/spg1002021231002-n1.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) may have dropped out of Sunday's Osaka International Women's Marathon, but she remains positive about her aggressive performance and values the experience. Akaba led the front pack right from the start, taking them through 25 km in 1:23:59. This was only 18 seconds off national record holder Mizuki Noguchi's split in her 2003 course and Japanese soil record. Rikuren Women's Marathoning director Yutaka Taketomi said her early stages were a welcome turn of events, commenting, "If Akaba can deliver on that kind of strong, assertive race it will elevate the whole level of Japanese running."

Akaba injured her left knee in mid-January and was unable to keep up the charge after 25 km. She probably had a contingency plan to drop out if her knee began bothering her during the race, b…
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Kashiwabara and Murasawa to Attend Rikuren Marathoner Training Camps

http://www.47news.jp/CN/201001/CN2010011901000781.html
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201001/CN2010011801000967.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

With an eye toward strengthening Japanese men's marathoning and distance running in the buildup to the 2012 London Olympics, Rikuren announced on Jan. 19 that it will sponsor a series of national training camps for promising marathoners in New Zealand and other overseas locations. Among the first to be named for the camps are Hakone Ekiden stars Ryuji Kashiwabara, who earlier this month led Toyo University to its second-straight Hakone win, and first year Akinobu Murasawa of Tokai University, who won October's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km in a strong 59:08.

Rikuren's Long Distance and Road Racing Special Committee revealed that the first camp will take place in New Zealand in March and April. Following June's National Track and Field Championships the camp's athletes will head to the United States for road racing and high-a…
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Atsushi Sato Leaves for Berlin Targeting "Top Five at Worst"

translated and edited by Brett Larner
source articles at bottom

Marathoner Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) left Hiroshima on Aug. 10 with his coach Yasushi Sakaguchi to travel to Berlin for this year's World Championships, which are scheduled to begin on the 15th. It's been one year since Sato suffered a complete breakdown at the Beijing Olympics. Looking toward this year's peak summer race as he prepared to depart, Sato said, "At the very worst I'm looking at top five."

Sato is flying out of Tokyo's Narita Airport on Aug. 11 but left Hiroshima a day early to avoid the approaching Typhoon #9. He returned from a training camp in New Zealand on only Aug. 8, but was relaxed and unconcerned about the strain of all the travelling, saying, "If you can't deal with stress when you need to then you can't deal with the demands of competition either."

The World Championships marathon is on Aug. 22. It's been four months since Sato qualified fo…
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New Zealand Marathon Camp Athletes Return to Japan

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20090415-483225.html

translated by Brett Larner

The long distance athletes attending the Rikuren Long Distance and Road Racing Special Committee's first group training camp returned to Japan on April 15 after two intensive weeks in New Zealand. Beijing Olympian Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) commented, "Thanks to being able to train together with a bunch of other people I've gotten a lot stronger." His twin brother Yuko (Team Konica Minolta) added, "It was hard work what whith so many strong runners there. I'm looking forward to reaping the benefits of all the training we did."
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A Report From Rikuren's New Zealand Training Camp

http://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/jp/csr/sports/rikujo/result/2009/090408.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner
click thumbnails for full-sized photos via Team Asahi Kasei

Atsushi Sato leads Tomoya Shimizu, one of the Matsumiya twins, Satoru Sasaki and Seiji Kobayashi.

Japan's top male marathoners departed on Mar. 30 for a Rikuren-sponsored training camp in New Zealand. Lasting until Apr. 15, the training camp is taking place at the northernmost tip of New Zealand's southern island, in the town of Nelson. 2009 Berlin World Championships marathoner Masaya Shimizu (Team Asahi Kasei) is taking part in the camp along with his junior teammate Satoru Sasaki (Team Asahi Kasei). Also at the camp are prospective World Championships team members Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku), who is training for this month's London Marathon, and Seiji Kobayashi (Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki), who was 2nd in February's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon. Others in the training group include S…
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