japan running news

by Brett Larner video highlights courtesy of race broadcaster NHK 2012 National Women's Ekiden champion Osaka returned with a vengeance, running down defending champion Kyoto on the anchor stage to win the 2015 national title by one second with fast-closing rivals Hyogo and Aichi coming in within the next two seconds. The National Women's Ekiden features teams from all 47 of Japan's prefectures, each team made up of its territory's best J.H.S., H.S., university and pro runners.  Kyoto got off to a rough start when its opening runner Nanako Kanno , 2nd on the 6.0 km First Stage last year, tripped and fell mid-stage, handing off in 10th 25 seconds behind leader Yuka Ando of Shizuoka .  Osaka was even rockier, last year's First Stage winner Natsuki Omori 8 seconds behind Kanno in 15th.  Undefeated in nearly a year, high schooler Azusa Sumi just missed the course record on the 4.0 km Second Stage to move the Aichi team into 1st by 3 seconds over Kagoshi...

Stop what you are doing. Clear the next 6 hours on your schedule. Watch the record-setting Day One of the 2015 Hakone Ekiden in its entirety in 26 parts on Youtube while it lasts. Part 1 is below. Follow links for the rest.

by Brett Larner Ekiden season never really ends, but championship season hits its peak this weekend and next with the Jan. 11 National Women's Ekiden in Kyoto and Jan. 18 National Men's Ekiden in Hiroshima.  Both races feature teams from each of Japan's 47 prefectures, made up of the best pro, collegiate, high school and junior high school runners from each region, and both are broadcast live and commercial-free nationwide by NHK.  Follow @JRNLive for live coverage of both starting at 12:30 each day. At the 33rd running of the National Women's Ekiden defending champion Kyoto comes in with seven wins in the last ten years and home ground advantage on the nine-stage, 42.195 km course .  Its team is missing its magic ingredient, last year's Fourth Stage course record setter Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu), but features veteran Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) and 2011 Tokyo Marathon winner Noriko Higuchi (Team Wacoal) along with 2014 National University Ekiden winner ...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150109-00000066-dal-spo translated by Brett Larner Marathoner Arata Fujiwara , 33, appeared at a year-opening party put on by his sponsor Miki House in Osaka on Jan. 9.  With regard to his plans to run the Feb. 22 Tokyo Marathon Fujiwara said, "I will run the fastest Japanese time."  Last year Fujiwara spent two months training in Kenya, experiencing the magic of training with local runners.  "I think I've put together a strong body," he said with confidence.  Three years ago in Tokyo Fujiwara ran a PB of 2:07:48.  "I want to break that one more time," he said decisively.

http://gazoo.com/my/sites/0001453813/toyokyu/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=2116 translated and edited by Brett Larner click here for these and more photos from hosts Life Style Running and the Toyota Kyushu Booster Club Toyota Kyushu member Samuel Wanjiru pacing training partner Mitsuya in June, 2005 There was a major announcement at the post-race reception at a hotel in Takasaki following the New Year Ekiden.  After a 12-year career at the Koichi Morishita -coached Toyota Kyushu corporate team where he leaves a record of achievement including two World Championships teams and numerous track and ekiden records, Yu Mitsuya announced that he will retire from competition at the end of this season.  Other athletes quickly surrounded Mitsuya to throw him into the air in premature celebration. Wanjiru and Mitsuya on the way to Mitsuya's 27:41.10 Japanese-soil record in June, 2005 Mitsuya currently plans for his final race to be the Feb. 21 Fukuoka International Cross...

Thousands of fans and members of the media gathered outside Goucher Memorial Chapel at Aoyama Gakuin University on Jan. 8 to celebrate Aoyama Gakuin's first-ever win at the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden .  All ten members of the team appeared on the steps of the chapel along with head coach Susumu Hara and other members of the team's staff, each taking a turn speaking to the crowd and thanking the fans before joining them for pictures.  At the end of the celebration the team posed for a group photo together with the entire crowd. 駅伝優勝報告会半端ない（笑）　 #青学箱根 　 #箱根駅伝 pic.twitter.com/ByTothZydC — れ (@rerere_tarte) January 8, 2015 青学駅伝優勝の報告会的なやつ人だかりやんばい！おめでとう！見ないけど(´･_･`)レポートやんばい！ pic.twitter.com/Oasi2omuB3 — す う な (@suuuuna22) January 8, 2015 優勝報告会直前！ガウチャーホール前は超満員です！ pic.twitter.com/NiMTwVlAdo — 青山学院大学応援団 (@agu_ouendan) January 8, 2015 もうすぐ始まります pic.twitter.com/oO5nV5bek4 — 寺田的陸上競技ＷＥＢ (@rikujouterada) January 8, 2015 人多い（笑） pic.twitter.com/nXnsselBb8 — 久保田和真 (@kzm...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150105-00000050-dal-spo translated by Brett Larner On Jan. 5, NTV, broadcasters of the 91st Hakone Ekiden where Aoyama Gakuin University scored its first-ever win in course record time, released viewership rating data from Video Research Ltd . for its two-day live broadcast.  Day One of the race on Jan. 2 averaged 28.2% nationwide viewership, while Day Two on Jan. 3 averaged 28.3%.  The two-day average of 28.3% was the fourth-highest in the 29 years since NTV began broadcasting the Hakone Ekiden in 1987.  Both days' ratings were significantly higher than last year, when the Jan. 2 part of the broadcast averaged 26.8% and Jan. 3 averaged 27.0%. The Day One peak ratings of 33.9% came at 9:03 a.m. during the handoff to the Second Stage runners at the Tsurumi Exchange Zone.  Day Two's peak ratings of 33.6% came at 1:26 p.m. when Aoyama Gakuin's runners threw head coach Susumu Hara into the air in celebration of the school's ...

interview and photo by Brett Larner On Jan. 2-3 Aoyama Gakuin University won the biggest title in Japan for the first time, setting an incredible new course record at the 91st running of the Hakone Ekiden in large part thanks to a spectacular run up the mountain on the Fifth Stage by third-year Daichi Kamino and more outstanding runs by his fellow  third-years Kazuma Kubota and Yusuke Ogura .   Back in the spring of 2012 JRN interviewed then-Aoyama Gakuin third-year Takehiro Deki and head coach Susumu Hara ahead of Deki's marathon debut at Lake Biwa, where he ran 2:10:02 .  Hara, a graduate of 2014 National High School Ekiden champion Sera H.S. , went to school outside the Kanto region at Aichi's Chukyo University and never ran the Hakone Ekiden, going on to a short-lived and unsuccessful career at the Chugoku Denryoku corporate team before leaving the sports world for an office job.  Years later he returned to take over at Aoyama Gakuin, at the time...