japan running news

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH9Z01PPH9YOIPE039.html by Shizuka Kaneshima translated by Brett Larner 2015 Hakone Ekiden champion Aoyama Gakuin University wrapped up its primary training camp for the upcoming Big Three University Ekiden season with its annual 42.195 km team run.  Surprisingly, even team members not even considering doing a marathon were smiling and laughing as they ran.  Making it possible behind the scenes of this unique training run were the preparation and support of the team's student managers. Their hard work started the day before this annual tradition took place.  While the team's runners had lunch and rested up for that evening's practice session the managers gathered in front of the team's lodgings.  For some reason they looked unhappy.  "We're going to go run the course now to check it out," third-year Ibuki Yoshida said.  This was the fourth year that the team was doing the 42.195 km run.  The course was the same e...

by Brett Larner The Japanese team at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France by and large performed well on the first day of competition, with 15 of the 21 athletes competing in heats and qualification rounds advancing to the next stage.  Particularly strong were hurdler  Shota Madokoro , who won his heat of the boys' 400 mH in a PB of 53.46 and sprinters Anna Doi , Kazuma Oseto  and Kazuma Tsukamoto , all of whom won their 100 m heats.  Hurdlers Takahiro Matsumoto  and Ikumi Iida  also clocked new PBs to advance in their events. In the only final of the day to feature Japanese athletes, top high school runners Katsuki Suga  and Tomoka Kimura  turned in strong performances but were unable to break into the medals.  Kimura dictated the early pace, leading the race through a quick 2:58.83 first kilometer before team tactics led to a slow 3:07 second km.  In the blazing 2:51 final kilometer both Japanese runners lost touch a...