japan running news

http://www.shimotsuke.co.jp/news/tochigi/sports/general/news/20150813/2050831

translated by Brett Larner

As part of its mission to make the tourist town of Nikko a "runner's paradise," on Aug. 12 the organizing committee of the Nikko Irohazaka Women's Ekiden released the list of teams scheduled to run the event's second running on Nov. 29.  18 teams from 16 universities in the Kanto and Kansai regions will take part, an increase of 4 teams over last year's inaugural edition.

After starting at Nikko Daiyagawa Park, the 6-stage uphill course covers 23.4 km from the historic area of Nikko up the steep slopes of Irohazaka to finish at Nikko Futarasan shrine.  Last year Tokyo Nogyo University became the event's first champions.  This year they return along with rivals Daito Bunka University, a Tokyo University alumni team, and first-timers Nihon University, Nihon Joshi University, Nihon Joshi Taiiku University and Nittai University.

http://www.izumo-ekiden.jp/entry/index.html

The first of the Big Three University Ekidens that make up the core of the year for Japanese collegiate distance men, the six-stage, 45.1 km Izumo Ekiden takes place Oct. 13.  On July 30 organizers released the full of 21 teams that will compete at this year's 26th running, led by defending champion and course record holder Komazawa University and 2014 Hakone Ekiden winner Toyo University.  The U.S, Ivy League Select Team will also return for its 17th Izumo appearance.

2014 Izumo Ekiden Field

Kanto Region
Komazawa University (22nd appearance)
Toyo University (15th appearance)
Nittai University (17th appearance)
Waseda University (22nd appearance)
Aoyama Gakuin University (5th appearance)
Meiji University (6th appearance)
Nihon University (21st appearance)
Teikyo University (6th appearance)
Takushoku University (3rd appearance)
Daito Bunka University (16th appearance)

Tokai Region
Chukyo University (9th appearance)

Kansai Region
Ritsumeikan U…

by Brett Larner

Following Monday's Izumo Ekiden, university ekiden season rolls on this Saturday with the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifier 20 km road race in Tokyo's Showa Kinen Park.  Each year the top ten schools at the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden, the ten-stage, twenty-team university road relay that is Japan's largest sporting and TV event, win seeded places at the following year's race.  The remaining ten teams and other hopeful universities in the Kanto Region line up the third Saturday in October to try to earn the privilege of a starting place at the prestigious Hakone.  Any readers in the Tokyo area should join the thousands of fans who go out to Showa Kinen Park on the 19th to soak in the atmosphere of a race packed with university bands, cheerleader squads and booster clubs.  For those elsewhere, for the first time this year's Yosenkai will be broadcast live instead of on tape delay.  Try Keyhole TV to catch Nihon TV's broadcast starting at 9:30 a.m. Japa…

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/news/130131/prl13013113380032-n1.htm

translated by Brett Larner

The Monteroza corporation, owner of bar chains Shirokiya, Uotami and Warawara, announced on Feb. 1 that Nihon University's Benjamin Gandu, winner of the highly competitive Second Stage at the Jan. 1-2 Hakone Ekiden, will join the company as a member of its track and field team following his graduation next month.  Running against other schools' best athletes on the Second Stage, Gandu passed twelve people to complete the 23.4 km stage in 1:08:46, the fastest of the day.  After joining the company Gandu will continue to use Nihon University's facilities as his training base, working to improve his track and half marathon times before moving on to a career in the marathon. Gandu commented, "I've very happy to have the opportunity to have a career as an athlete through the support of Monteroza.  With their backing my goal is to run the Olympic marathon."  Gandu will n…

by Brett Larner

Less than a month after winning the 2009 Izumo Ekiden, Nihon University returned for a surprise win at a wild and unpredictable 2009 National University Ekiden Championships in Nagoya on Nov. 1. Running both of its Kenyan aces, first-year Benjamin Gando and fourth-year anchor Daniel Gitau, Nihon succeeded where it failed last year in stepping up to the longer stage lengths at Nationals and succeeded in taking down 2009 Hakone Ekiden champion Toyo University, surprise leader Meiji University and perpetual contender Waseda University. Three-time defending champion Komazawa looked to have the race safely under control thanks to an outstanding run by 2nd Stage ace Tsuyoshi Ugachi but fell from grace after a complete breakdown by another of its strongest runners, 4th Stage runner Sota Hoshi.

Nihon was as low as 12th place in the field of 26 due to weak performances by its first two runners. 3rd Stage runner Naohiro Domoto put Nihon into 9th place before Gando went to work to …

by Brett Larner

The 2009 National University Ekiden takes place this Sunday, Nov. 1. Twenty-five teams will line up in the eight-stage 106.8 km championships to try to take the crown away from three-time defending champion Komazawa University. TV Asahi will broadcast the ekiden live nationwide from 8:00 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. Japan time, and international viewers will be able to watch online by clicking here. For the first time ever, JRN will offer live English-language commentary on a major Japanese race broadcast. Click here to follow live raceday commentary via Twitter feed.

Komazawa is without a doubt the school to beat. By far the most dominant team in the country over the past ten years, Komazawa's poor performance at the 2009 Hakone Ekiden proved to be just a glitch as it returned in force earlier this month to win the Hakone Ekiden Qualifier 20 km where its top three runners broke one hour with several more less than 10 seconds off. Head coach Hiroaki Oyagi's priorities are s…

by Brett Larner

Japan's ekiden season begins each year with the university men's Izumo Ekiden, a 44 km six-stage course pitting the Kanto-region Hakone Ekiden schools against the best the rest of the country has to offer and a team made up of Ivy League alumni. With individual stages ranging from 5.0 to 10.2 km Izumo is completely different in character from other university ekidens, with less emphasis on strategy and endurance and more on pure speed.

This was clear at last year's Izumo when Kenyan Daniel Gitau (Nihon Univ.) made up a 1:29 deficit on leaders Komazawa university over the 10.2 km anchor stage to steal the win with a stage-record 28:28. Gitau returns to lead Nihon, but despite the graduation of top Japanese member Takuma Sasaya Nihon must be viewed as the favorite once again, particularly if it fields but Gitau and first-year Benjamin Gando. It is unusual for a Japanese race to allow a team to field two foreign runners, but at last year's Izumo 4th-placers …

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20090411-481767.html

translated by Brett Larner

Nihon University's new Kenyan exchange student Benjamin Gando (1st yr.) made his Japanese debut on Apr. 11, winning a 5000 m race sponsored by Tokai University at Tokyo's Machida Civic Track and Field Grounds in 14:00.65. Gando commented afterwards, "That wasn't the time I was aiming for. I'm really disappointed." Gando hopes to overtake Nihon University's Hakone Ekiden star Daniel Gitau (4th). While he will probably have to wait for Gitau's graduation next spring, Gando showed in his debut that he is already on the leading edge of the university scene.

by Brett Larner

The late fall and early winter ekiden season is the cornerstone of the Japanese running year, and nowhere is this more true than in university men's running. The university season comprises a series of 3 major ekidens culminating in the Biwako University Ekiden for schools from western Japan and the Hakone Ekiden for those in eastern Japan. It's one of the peculiarities of the Japanese distance running world that the major race of the season for university men is a regional event which takes place after the National Championships. There's no question that Hakone is the most important distance running event in Japan, but November's All-Japan University Men's Ekiden Championships offer a rare opportunity to see schools from other areas of Japan take on the famed powerhouses of eastern Japan.

The National Ekiden covers an 8 stage, 106.8 km course from Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture to Ise in Mie Prefecture. October's Izumo Ekiden offers the season's …