japan running news

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201502/2015020100194&g=spo

translated by Brett Larner

Having recently announced her retirement, 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi (26, Team Toyota Jidoshokki) finished with a smile at her final race on Feb. 1 at the local Hyogo Prefecture Ekiden.  Running the 5 km anchor stage for her hometown Ono-shi, Kobayashi brought the team home in 3rd overall.  "I'm really grateful to all the people who cheered for me and called out, 'Thank you!' as I ran," she said.  "It almost made me cry.  I'm a very happy person."

Kobayashi ran the 1500 m national record while at Hyogo's Suma Gakuen H.S., going on to run against the best in the world in the 5000 m at world-level events like the Beijing Olympics.  It was a sign of how much of an inspiration she is to junior high school and high school runners that Kobayashi was surrounded by people asking for autographs and pictures together.  After retiring Kobayashi said tha…

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/201501/0007673131.shtml

translated and edited by Brett Larner

1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi (26, Toyota Jidoshokki), a Beijing Olympian over 5000 m, will retire at the end of this season due to a series of injuries according to an announcement on Jan. 19.  After her retirement she plans to make a living on the lecture circuit and making guest appearances at major races across the country.

Kobayashi became a middle distance star while at Asahigaoka J.H.S. in Ono, Hyogo.  While at Suma Gakuen H.S. she won the National Championships and National High School Championships, setting the 1500 m national record of 4:07.86 in 2006.  Later the same year she won the National High School Ekiden's Second Stage to help Suma Gakuen win the national title. 

After graduating she joined the Toyota Jidoshokki team, making the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 Berlin World Championships teams.  She later spent time living in the United States training…

by Brett Larner

The 2009 National High School Ekiden Championships take place this Sunday, Dec. 20. The day begins with the girls' race, five stages totalling 21.0975 km, and continues with the seven-stage, 42.195 km boys' race.

On the girls' side, last year's winner Toyokawa H.S. returns with an almost identical squad now a year stronger, the main exception being the replacement of anchor Kenyan Wysela Wylim, who disappeared from the school under unknown circumstances earlier this year, with another strong Kenyan, Wainaina Murgi.

In taking its first-ever national title last year Toyokawa won by four seconds over Kojokan H.S., with Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. also within just twelve seconds. Both schools return strong this year, but perhaps the biggest threat is last year's 4th-placer Suma Gakuen H.S. which comes to the race this year ranked #1 on average 3000 m time.

In the boys' race it is a time of change. Defending champion Saku Chosei H.S. returns only one key mem…

http://mainichi.jp/area/aichi/news/20090801ddlk23050277000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

Over the weekend the Toyota Jidoshoki company gave its employees in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture the opportunity to wish its star runner Yuriko Kobayashi (20) well as she prepares to depart for Berlin to run in women's 5000 m at this year's World Championships. Over 1000 workers filled the banquet hall during their lunchbreak for the chance to see Kobayashi before her run. Women's track team advisor Masafumi Kato commented, "We are extremely happy that Ms. Kobayashi has made the national team again after running in last summer's Beijing Olympics. I'd like to ask you all to lend your voices in cheering her on to be among the top finishers."

After receiving a bouquet of flowers from the company, Kobayashi told her supporters, "I want to put myself into position to be near the top. Thanks to all of you I will gain strength and do my best."

Kobayashi graduated from K…

reported in Nikkei Newspaper, 1/9/08
translated by Brett Larner

The governing body of Japan’s professional jitsugyodan running system ruled on Jan. 8 that women’s 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi (19, Team Toyota Jidoshokki) is not eligible to compete as a jitsugyodan runner on the basis of her enrollment at a college in Okayama. Kobayashi was recruited by Toyota after graduating last spring from Suma Gakuen High School in Hyogo Prefecture, one of Japan’s top running high schools. Kobayashi subsequently decided that she wanted to continue her education and was granted the freedom to both study and train by Toyota’s management. She has been commuting between school and training by shinkansen (bullet train), but with yesterday’s ruling she will no longer be able to compete in jitsugyodan events such as ekidens. Kobayashi explained her rationale for her decisions by saying, “I chose this course of action because I wanted both to train at the highest level and to get an educat…