The JAAF-certified Takanezawa Genki Up Half Marathon , popular with runners locally and from across the country, is being discontinued indefinitely due to demolition work in preparation for construction of the new Takanezawa Town Hall. After much discussion the event organizing committee decided that the demolition of existing facilities used for things like baggage storage and changing rooms for the race make it impossible to stage the race properly. Options for alternative facilities in the town were explored, but none met all the criteria for conducting the race with adequate safety and security. As such, we ask for your understanding of the decision to cancel the race. We intend to bring the race back following the completion of the new Town Hall building in 2028, so we hope that you come join us again then. Takanezawa Genki Up Half Marathon Organizing Committee source article: https://www.takanezawa-genki-uprun.com/info/259 translated by Brett Larner
A roundup of the main road and track action on the last weekend of Japan's 2024-25 academic and fiscal year: Doubling off a 2:07:06 PB at the Tokyo Marathon 4 weeks ago, Tatsuya Maruyama took bronze at the Asian Marathon Championships in Jiaxing, China in 2:11:56. Gold went to North Korea's Il Ryong Han in a breakaway 2:11:18, with silver medalist Tianyu Chen of China just ahead of Maruyama in 2:11:50. Japan's Shungo Yokota was a distant 4th in 2:14:00, with Japan-based Mongolian NR holder Ser-Od Bat-Ochir 6th in 2:15:14. Japanese women Kaede Kawamura and Natsumi Matsushita were 5th and 6th in 2:31:26 and 2:34:40, with medals going to China's Bing Wu , gold in 2:26:01, North Korea's Kwang-Ok Ri , silver right behind her in 2:26:07, and defending gold medalist Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh landing in bronze this time in 2:28:56, her third sub-2:29 performance so far in 2025. Back home, four men broke 2:20 at the Fukui Sakura Marathon . Ko Kobayashi from the Shi...