japan running news

https://www.independent.co.ug/ugandas-cheptegei-runs-2nd-fastest-15km-race/
Zevenheuvelenloop 15 kmNijmegen, Netherlands, 11/19/17
click here for complete results

Men
1. Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) - 41:16
2. Amdework Walelegn (Ethiopia) - 42:40
3. Noah Kipkemboi (Kenya) - 42:43
4. Yenew Alamirew (Ethiopia) - 43:33
5. Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia) - 43:35
6. Ryohei Sakaguchi (Japan/Tokai Univ.) - 43:36
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12. Tomoki Ota (Japan/Waseda Univ.) - 44:48
16. Junnosuke Matsuo (Japan/Tokai Univ.) - 45:30
33. Ryoji Tatezawa (Japan/Tokai Univ.) - 48:00

Women
1. Birke Debele (Ethiopia) - 48:52
2. Mercyline Chelangat (Uganda) - 48:54
3. Evaline Chirchir (Kenya) - 48:54
4. Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) - 48:56
5. Rose Chelimo (Bahrain) - 49:08
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7. Rika Kaseda (Japan/Meijo Univ.) - 50:24
9. Rino Goshima (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 52:13
12. Kanade Furuya (Japan/Matsuyama Univ.) - 53:46
14. Naruho Sato (Japan/Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 54:45
61. Yuki Munehisa (Japan/Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 1:01:36

Overcoming humid conditions and competition over two minutes faster than his best, 2016 Incheon Songdo International Half Marathon winner Paul Kipkorir (Kenya) negative splitted his way to his second-straight Incheon title, winning in 1:02:32.

Conditions just before the start were good, cool and breezy with light clouds. Even so, the early pace was unexpectedly slow given a field that included sub-60 men Edwin Rotich (Kenya) and Adunga Bikila (Ethiopia), Kipkorir, 2015 winner Isaac Kiplagat (Kenya) and five men with 62-minute bests including 19-year-old Japanese runner Tomoki Ota (Waseda Univ.). Running 3:01-02 per km kilometer for 5 km, a push from Kipkorir at the turnaround near 9 km was enough to shake off Ota and a few others but still took the lead pack through 10 km dead on 30:00.

Over the second half the humidity rose rapidly as the cloud cover shifted to mist, and one by one the contenders in the lead pack dropped off. In the final kilometers it came to a race between Kipkori…

by Brett Larner

The first of Japan's two selection races for its World Cross-Country Championships team took place under beautiful sunny skies Feb. 10 in Chiba.  Former Sera H.S. standout Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) had no trouble taking the senior men's 12 km, winning by a margin of nearly 30 seconds over newcomer Miliyon Zewdie (Ethiopia/ Team Yachiyo Kogyo).  Close behind, Keigo Yano and Takumi Honda of 2013 Hakone Ekiden champions Nittai University went 4-5 to take the top two Japanese positions and all but assure themselves places on the Worlds team.  Last weekend's Marugame International Half Marathon winner Collis Birmingham (Australia) was only 7th in 36:07.

High schooler Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) won the senior women's 8 km with the largest margin of victory of the day, running 26:08 to beat pros Susan Wairimu (Kenya/Team Denso), Hanae Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) and Yukari Abe (Team Shimamura).  The top collegiate finisher was A…