japan running news

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/flash/KFullFlash20090514136.html

translated by Brett Larner

Fearing the spread of the swine influenza, Team Monteroza, a track and field team sponsored by a nationwide chain of bars, announced on May 14 that it has cancelled a planned overseas training camp which was to take place at the end of this month and the early part of June. The team had already notified Rikuren that it was shelving its plans to send high jumpers Hikaru Tsuchiya and Satoru Kubota to the Asia Grand Prix meet in China out of fears over the flu.

Monteroza's decision not to send its athletes to the three meets in the Asia Grand Prix was made in late April. Rikuren has thus far left such decisions to counter the spread of swine influenza in the hands of individual corporate and university teams.

by Brett Larner

Stanford University's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational holds a special place in the Japanese record books, being the meet where both the current men's and women's 10000 m national records were set. Last year 5000 m national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) fell just short of breaking the 10000 m national record, with Satoshi Irifune (Team Kanebo) a short distance back, likewise clearing the 28-minute mark. This year Irifune was slated to run again, but the outbreak of the swine flu pandemic caused Team Kanebo management to pull him at the last minute. The decision left seven mostly young, lesser-known Japanese runners to compete in three events.



Hiroyoshi Umegae (Team NTN) was first up in the men's 3000 m SC. Running a stable pace in the middle of the pack Umegae appeared to be on course for a slim PB and even looked to be advancing in the final km, but he faded over the final lap and lost seven places to come home in 14th in 8:42…

The 2009 Stanford University Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational will be webcast live on Flotrack. Assuming that no more withdraw out of swine flu hysteria, the following races will feature Japanese distance runners. Italicized races do not include any Japanese athletes but are likely to be interesting. All times are Japan time on Sunday, May 3. Click here for a complete timetable.

Women's 3000 m SC Section 1: 10:38 a.m.
Men's 3000 m SC Section 1: 11:02 a.m. - Hiroyoshi Umegae
Women's 5000 m Section 1: 12:34 p.m.
Men's 5000 m Section 1: 12:52 p.m. - Suehiro Ishikawa and Yuichiro Ueno
Women's 10000 m Section 1: 1:08 p.m.
Men's 10000 m Section 1: 1:45 p.m. - Tomoaki Bungo, Seigo Ikegami, Yuki Iwai and Yoshinori Oda

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/flash/KFullFlash20090501095.html

translated by Brett Larner

In an effort to prevent further spread of the swine influenza pandemic, on May 1 the Nagoya city government cancelled plans to send two of its residents to participate in the 24th Los Angeles Marathon on May 25. Seven men and two women from Nagoya had been in contention for two spots as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Los Angeles and Nagoya's status as sister cities. Nagoya also cancelled high school trips to L.A. planned for July, a strict decision against its sister city.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20090501-489245.html

translated by Brett Larner

On Apr. 30 Team Kanebo announced that Berlin World Championships men's marathon team member Satoshi Irifune has withdrawn from a planned appearance in the men's 10000 m at the May 2 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational track and field meet in Stanford, CA. Team Kanebo head coach Kunimitsu Ito said that the company's management had informed him on Apr. 28 of its decision to pull its athletes from the meet out of concerns about the outbreak of swine influenza.

Translator's note: The article does not mention Irifune's teammate Daisuke Matsufuji, but it is to be assumed that he has also been pulled from the Cardinal Invitational.