japan running news

The ACN Expo Ekiden was the biggest race of the weekend domestically, but there was so much else going on domestically and internationally that it was hard to keep track. We'll do our best. Saturday in Fukuoka the Fst in Fukuoka road mile and 5 km moved from its usual fall date to a spring date for the first time. Ireland's Sophie O'Sullivan outran high school sensation Sherry Drury by 1 second for the win in the women's mile, 4:53 to 4:54. Drury's mark was a new U20 NR. The men's mile also came down to a 1-second win for Irishman Brian Fay over Japan's Jo Aoki , 4:12 to 4:13. Margaret Akidor had an easy win in the women's 5 km in 15:34, with veteran Yuichiro Ueno outrunning a doubling Fay in the men's 5 km to win in 14:07. Complete results here . The Matsue Ladies Half Marathon hosted the National University Women's Half Marathon Sunday. National champion Ritsumeikan University 's Makoto Tsuchiya outran Daito Bunka University 's...

Two weeks after running 2:32:30 at the Tokyo Marathon and a week after a 2:34:49 in Nagoya, Hiroko Yoshitomi (Memolead) ran Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon . Hoping to break the 2:34:53 course record, Yoshitomi led the lead pack of six women through most of the first half. But nearing the turnaround point she faded, leaving eventual winner Naomi Jepkosgei Maiyo (Kenya) to claim the win in a new course record time of 2:34:08. Runner-up Meseret Gola Sisay (Ethiopia) was also under the old course record, just, in 2:34:51. Yoshitomi fell off pace to take 6th in 2:48:45. The course record also fell in the men's race, with winner Matthew Kipsaat (Kenya) negative splitting a 2:11:17 for the win. Kipsaat was the only runner to go under the old course record of 2:13:05. Eriko Kushima (Noritz) was faster than Yoshitomi at the Seoul Marathon , running 2:40:55 for 10th. Kazuki Takeshita (SDF) ran 2:14:14 for 12th in the men's race, the best time by a Japanese man outside Japan s...

The worldwide elite-level marathon season wrapped up for the first half of 2018 with last Sunday's Gold Coast Marathon in Australia and Hakodate Marathon in Japan. Yes, they were technically on July 1, but it was still June 30 in much of the world so we're going to count them anyway. Which countries led the way in performance and which races were the world's best in the first six months of the year? JRN breaks down the numbers to find the answers. Click any of the tables below to enlarge them. Corrections and additions are always welcome. In terms of time, Ethiopia led the way this season with the fastest overall men's time and the fastest averages of its ten best men's and women's times. Vivian Cheruiyot 's 2:18:31 win in London was the only Kenyan performance to make a dent in the Ethiopian domination of the time lists. For both men and women it's already Ethiopia's best year on record. Ethiopian women are knocking on a top ten average und...

http://athleticsasia.org/index.php/k2-component/143-500-000-usd-prized-asian-premier-marathon-series-2017-18-launched-in-beijing A very interesting World Marathon Majors-style development with prize money only for Asian athletes. Equally interesting is the absence of a Japanese race in the series. Japanese marathoners would dominate the series if they ran its three component races, their only real current competition in Asia coming from East African-born Bahraini athletes.

http://japanese.donga.com/List/3/all/27/531014/1 http://english.donga.com/List/3/06/26/528066/1 translated and edited by Brett Larner The symbol of yin and yang upon his chest, a black man may become the first of his kind to represent South Korea in the marathon.  On April 6 the Korean Sports Council (KSC) will hold a session to deliberate on a special recommendation of naturalization for Kenyan-born marathoner Wilson Loyanae Erupe (28, Cheongyang).  Erupe also has the Korean name Joo Han Oh , meaning "I will run for Korea."  The KSC previously held a session on Erupe's naturalization on January 7 but, citing a lack of adequate documentation concerning Erupe's prior suspension for performance-enhancing drug use, postponed making a recommendation.  Erupe claimed that, "The positive result was due to medicine I took for malaria, but Athletics Kenya did not accept this and suspended me for two years." Following the postponement of the recommendation, th...

by Brett Larner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) returned to the race where he set his 2:08:14 PB two years ago, running the Dong-A Seoul International Marathon in South Korea on Mar. 15.  As Kenyan Wilson Loyanae Erupe , returning from a two-year ban for EPO, led an all-African lead pack to a 2:06:11 win, Kawauchi, working his way back from injuries originating with a sprained ankle in December, ran in the second pack with South Korea's Yu Seung Yeup and Sim Joung Seu on mid-2:12 pace.  After a slower split from 30 to 35 km Yeup dropped a surge that neither Seu nor Kawauchi could follow, running alone over the last 5 km to take 14th in 2:13:10.  Seu and Kawauchi stayed together through 40 km before Seu kicked for 15th in 2:13:28, Kawauchi coming through 5 seconds back in 2:13:33 in the fastest time he has run so far this year. In the women's race Ethiopian Guteni Shone Imana pulled away from the lead pack near halfway, soloing the second half to win in 2:26:2...

by Brett Larner In search of a 2:07 to clear the Federation's World Championships selection standard, Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref. Gov't) ran a PB of 2:08:14 for 4th place at the Mar. 17 Seoul International Marathon , breaking his previous PB set in winning the Feb. 3 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon by 1 second.  In so doing he became only the fifth Japanese man to ever break 2:09 three or more times in his career and also set a new world record for the shortest time ever between sub-2:10 performances, 42 days, breaking the old record by 1 day .  In post-race comments quoted by MSN , Kawauchi said with apparent disappointment, "I was aiming for 2:07 in this race.  It was an incredible waste." Kawauchi will next run the Apr. 21 Nagano Marathon where he will shoot for the year-old course record of 2:09:05. 2013 Seoul International Marathon Seoul, Korea, 3/17/13 click here for complete results Men 1. Franklin Chepkwony (Kenya) - 2:06:59 2. Shumi Dechasa Le...

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20130317-OHT1T00002.htm translated by Brett Larner Civil servant runner Yuki Kawauchi  (26, Saitama Pref. Gov't) is in Seoul, South Korea for the Mar. 17 Seoul International Marathon.  If he achieves his goal of improving his PB to 2:07 he is likely to be elevated to the Japanese Federation's "silver" level, receiving up to 5 million yen [~$50,000 USD]  in support stipends for the coming year.  However, Kawauchi has indicated that he will turn down the money.  "I don't need it," he said.  He also indicated that he had earlier returned an individual support grant from the Japan Sports Promotion Center (JSC), currently embroiled in a developing financial scandal in judo. Kawauchi is happy to have whatever money he wins at races based entirely on his results.  Crossing the sea in anticipation of running on one of the fastest courses in the world, at Kimpo Airport Kawauchi said with resolution, "I came he...