japan running news

by Brett Larner

In his first serious race since joining Saitama-based Team Honda in April, 2008 World XC Junior Champion Ibrahim Jeilan (Ethiopia) ran a virtually solo 27:12.43 for 10000 m at the 210th Nittai University Time Trials in Yokohama. Accompanied partway by countryman Dejene Asefa (Ethiopia/Team Kurosaki Harima), Jeilan ran the second half of the race solo to clock the 6th-fastest time of the year worldwide. Although not a PB, it was Jeilan's fastest time since running just off the world junior record in 2006 when he recorded his 27:02.81 best. It was also 10 seconds faster than Kenyan Paul Tanui (Team Kyudenko) ran a day earlier to win the 2010 National Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships.

Honda assistant coach Yosuke Osawa told JRN, "Ever since he ran 27:02 as a teenager Jeilan has lost a bit of ground each year, but since arriving in Japan in April he has been making a comeback. This result shows what potential he's still got. The New Year Ekiden this yea…

by Brett Larner

Chronically injured women's 10000 m junior national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) took a small step toward making another comeback at the May 29 Nittai University Time Trials. Just a week before the National Championships Kinukawa won the A-heat of the women's 3000 m, running 9:23.12 to win by a margin of over two and a half seconds over Shino Saito (Team Shimamura). Her time was not especially remarkable but the win itself was her first at any distance in several years and is a hopeful sign for one of Japan's most talented young runners.

Nittai University Time Trials Women's 3000 m A-Heat
1. Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) - 9:23.12
2. Shino Saito (Team Shimamura) - 9:25.71
3. Fumiko Hashimoto (Team Shimamura) - 9:28.89
4. Yuki Numata (Team Shimamura) - 9:29.57
5. Yume Tanaka (Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.) - 9:32.86

(c) 2010 Brett Larner
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http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/091018/spg0910182237004-n1.htm
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/091018/spg0910182238005-n1.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At a track meet at Nittai University in Yokohama on Oct. 18, 21 year old Masato Yokota (Keio Univ.) set a new men's 800 m national record of 1:46.16. His time broke Yusei Ono's 15 year old record of 1:46.18 set in 1994. Having run in the 2007 World Championships and won June's National Championships, Yokota was already the #1-ranked middle-distance runner in Japan.

Unusually for a race in Japan, the Nittai 800 m featured a pacemaker for the first half. Yokota ran precisely according to his planned splits to smash his previous best of 1:47.04. "The pacemaker helped me get into a good rhythm over the first 400 m," commented Yokota. "After that I just tried to keep it. With 200 m to go I knew it was going to be close, so I had to struggle pretty hard. Next up I'm going to target 1:45."

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20090501-OYT1T00876.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On May 1 the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it had decided on Apr. 30 not to press charges against a 22 year old former student who was expelled from Nihon Taiku University (Nittai) in March on suspicion of growing marijuana at one of the university's training facilities. The Prosecutor's Office made the decision based on the facts that "It was his first offense and the amount involved was trivial."

Beyond Nittai's expulsion of the student, a member of Nittai's pole vaulting squad, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association levied strict sanctions against the school including suspending the entire track and field team until the end of June and stripping Nittai's long distance squad of its prestigious seeded position in the 2010 Hakone Ekiden.

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090422-00000059-jij-spo
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2009/04/23/01.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On Apr. 22 the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association rejected an appeal by Nihon Taiku [Nittai] University to overturn punitive measures the Association had levied against Nittai in response to marijuana use by a member of the university's track and field team.* Nittai had sought to reverse the ruling in an effort to expedite the rebuilding of its track and field team, but the Association chose to leave its original decision in place unaltered.

Despite Nittai having already suspended its entire track and field team for one month, the Kanto Association imposed the draconian measures of stripping the school's long distance running team of its prestigious seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden and banning the entire track and field team from competing in Association-sponsored competitions until June 30. Ni…

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20090416ddm041040069000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

In response to a marijuana scandal at a training facility in Yokohama involving a now-expelled pole vaulter on Nittai University's track and field team, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association headed by Yoshiyuki Aoba informed Nittai on Apr. 15 that the school's long distance ekiden squad will lose its seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden. Additionally, Nittai's entire track and field team must suspend all activity for the next three months. Nittai University officials accepted the decision. An official with the Kanto Association commented, "I've never heard of a school being stripped of its Hakone seed like this before."

Nittai University had already placed the 46 members of its track and field team's pole vault and jump squad on indefinite suspension as of Mar. 26 and afterwards suspended the rest of the track and field team through t…

http://www.47news.jp/CN/200904/CN2009041101000666.html
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20090412STXKA043812042009.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner (updated 4/15)



In the wake of a scandal involving a now-expelled pole vaulter's alleged marijuana use at one of its training facilities, the Nihon Taiku (Nittai) University track and field team announced on Apr. 11 that the entire team will undergo suspension from competition through the end of the month. The team will miss several important competitions as a result, including its long-distance squad's home meet which was scheduled for Apr. 18 and 19.

Nittai University has kept the 46 members of the alleged perpetrator's pole vault and jump squad on indefinite suspension. The rest of the track and field team was suspended from Mar. 3-5 immediately following the original incident, but with the new academic year beginning in April those in power decided upon re-examination of the details to extend the entire team's su…

http://www.nikkansports.com/general/news/p-gn-tp0-20090327-475908.html

translated by Brett Larner

On Mar. 26 the Kanagawa Prefectural Police announced that a search of track and field training facilities at Nihon Taiku [Nittai] University in Yokohama's Aoba Ward on Mar. 2 as part of an investigation of suspected marijuana violations had uncovered a cache of counterfeit money. Police are investigating the origin of the counterfeit bills. Nittai University's men's ekiden team have won the Hakone Ekiden nine times, and the school counts among its alumni world-class marathoners Hiromi Taniguchi and Yuko Arimori.

Kanagawa Prefectural Police officers found three types of counterfeit bills in denominations of 1000, 5000 and 10000 yen along with incomplete one-sided bills. The bills appeared to have been produced using a color photocopier but will be subject to a detailed examination. Police are questioning the residents of the room in which the money was discovered to find out more …

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20090323-OYT1T00988.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On Mar. 23 Nihon Taiku [Nittai] University announced that Track and Field director Takashi Ishii, head coach Masahiko Mizuno and assistant coach Fumiaki Kobayashi had resigned their positions to take personal responsibility following the expulsion of a student on the men's team over suspicion of violating Japan's anti-marijuana laws.

According to a press release from the university, Ishii, Mizuno and Kobayashi resigned from their positions of leadership on Mar. 5. The press released stated that further details could not be discussed "due to the case still being under investigation," but did mention that the team's training camp facilities had been searched by police on Mar. 2. The student has not been arrested because there are doubts about his alleged cultivation and use of marijuana. On Mar. 3 Rikuren released an 'Offical Policy Pertaining to Drugs' which stated, "…

by Brett Larner



Several universities around Tokyo hold monthly open time trials. Anyone from beginner joggers to Olympians is free to run distances from 1500 m to 10000 m in heats seeded by personal best time. The Nihon Taiku University* Kirokukai series of time trials is perhaps the most popular. The November 22nd edition, the 199th in Nittai's series, focused on the 5000 m, with 26 heats of 5000 m and 4 heats of women's 3000 m stretched out over 12 hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 30 to 45 runners ran in each heat, some of which included designated pacemakers. Heats early in the day were slower and featured mostly amateurs, while the later heats were filled with high school, university and jitsugyodan professionals tuning up for their championship ekidens.



Among the noteworthy runners on hand was Arata Fujiwara (Team JR Higashi Nihon), a 2:08:40 marathoner who was the alternate for the Beijing Olympics men's marathon team. Fujiwara is competing in the Fukuoka Internationa…

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2007122300155
http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2007/12/24/0000780564.shtml

Hot on the heels of recovering from childbirth to defeat Catherine Ndereba in the International Chiba Ekiden last month and finish 2nd to 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui on the 10 km anchor leg of last week`s All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden, Yukiko Akaba of Team Hokuren ran 31:23.27 in the women`s 10000 m at the Nittadai Track and Field Meet in Yokohama on Dec. 23 to meet the Beijing Olympics A standard of 31:45:00. This performance broke Akaba`s PB by 30 seconds. "I ran within myself," commented Akaba after the race. "I will do it again next year at the Olympic Trials."

Kayoko Fukushi of Team Wacoal, who is scheduled to run the Osaka International Marathon in January next year, was entered in the 10000 m at the Nittadai meet but did not run. Team Wacoal coach Tadayuki Nagayama stated that Fukushi did not attend the meet in order to avoi…