japan running news

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/top/sp200805/sp2008051808.html http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/2008/news/track/long/news/20080518-OYT1T00443.htm?from=nwla translated and edited by Brett Larner Translator`s note: I had previously posted the article about Shibui`s 10000 m performance but just came across the news of her impressive double in the next day`s 5000 m. Shibui is only the second Japanese woman to qualify for the 5000 m in Beijing, raising the possibility that she will double in the Olympics. On the first day of the East Japan Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships, held May 17th and 18th at Kumagaya Sports Park`s Track and Field Grounds, women`s 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui (29, Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) ran a new meet record of 31:21.92 to break the Beijing Olympics A-standard (31:45.00) for the second time. On the second day of the meet, Shibui ran 15:20.13 to set another meet record in the women`s 5000 m. Her time also met the Olympic B-standard (15:24.00). ...

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1022285/Mara-homes-Tokyo-build-Beijing.html

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/olympic/2008/news/track/marathon/news/20080528-OYT1T00424.htm http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/beijing2008/athletics/news/20080527-OHT1T00073.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner Rikuren announced on May 26 that this year`s Sapporo International Half Marathon , to be held June 16, will feature all three members of Japan`s Beijing Olympic men`s marathon team, namely Atsushi Sato (30) and Tsuyoshi Ogata (35) (Team Chugoku Denryoku), and Satoshi Osaki (31) (Team NTT Nishi Nihon). It will be the first time Sapporo has been used as an Olympic test event and the first time in 16 years that all members of a Japanese Olympic marathon team have competed against each other in a single race. The list of invited foreign runners includes Osaka World Championships bronze medalist and 2008 Tokyo Marathon winner Viktor Rothlin (Switzerland), 2-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina (Kenya) and Atlanta Olympics silver medalist Lee Bong Ju (South Korea). Returning is Kenya...

http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2008/05/27/0001078429.shtml http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008052600810 translated and edited by Brett Larner On May 26, Rikuren announced that Beijing Olympics women`s marathon team leader Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) will compete in October`s World Half Marathon Championships in Brazil. Noguchi won the Sendai International Half Marathon earlier this month and expressed her interest in competing in the World Half following the Olympics. Noguchi also announced that due to the recent earthquake in China she has cancelled her planned altitude training camp in Kunming, China. Noguchi will instead continue her training for the Olympics at an alternate location in Japan. June`s Sapporo International Half Marathon is the last of the three domestic races Rikuren will use to select the five-member team for the World Half Marathon Championships. The top male and female Japanese finishers at March`s All-Japan Jitsugyodan Half Marathon and May`s Sendai Int...

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2297651.0.Farah_edged_into_third_by_Kogo_and_Tadese.php and http://www.iaaf.org/WHM08/news/kind=100/newsid=45047.html

Partial results from the distance events and some shorter races at the 2008 Kanto Regional University Track and Field Championships, held May 17, 18, 24 and 25 at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Complete results can be found here . Some events listed below include links to race videos. Men`s 1500 m Final - May 17 1. Mekubo Mogusu (senior, Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.): 3:45.66 2. Atsuro Kikuchi (junior, Juntendo Univ.): 3:48.32 3. Atsushi Yamazaki (senior, Juntendo Univ.): 3:48.34 4. Keisuke Tanaka (sophomore, Josai Univ.): 3:49.12 5. Hikaru Miyazaki (senior, Nittai Univ.): 3:49.55 6. Yuichi Tokuchi (senior, Chuo Univ.): 3:49.63 7. Hiroyuki Uno (frosh, Toyo Univ.): 3:49.82 8. Kazuya Takahashi (senior, Waseda Univ.): 3:49.84 9. Takafumi Yanase (junior, Chuo Univ.): 3:50.35 10. Yoshihiro Wakamatsu (senior, Toyo Univ.): 3:50.35 Men`s 3000 m SC Final - May 24 1. Atsuro Kikuchi (junior, Juntendo Univ.): 8:42.06 2. Aoi Matsumoto (junior, Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.): 8:42.66 3. Kyosuke Suda (sophomore, ...

by Brett Larner Mekubo Mogusu in the lead. Click image for video of the race. One week after winning his third titles in the 1500 m and 10000 m events, setting a PB, meet record and Japanese university record of 27:27.64 in the latter, Yamanashi Gakuin University senior Mekubo Mogusu of Kenya broke his own course record to win the half marathon on the final day of the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Championships at Tokyo`s National Stadium. The half marathon was contested over a ten-loop course. Beginning in the National Stadium, runners completed 1 km on the track before exiting the stadium for a hilly, twisting section on the roads. Runners then re-entered the stadium before beginning the next iteration of the road loop. The course is notoriously difficult; last year Mogusu set the course record of 1:03:10 in the midst of a year in which he broke one hour for the half marathon three times. This year competitors faced the additional challenge of rain and wind brought by th...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/7416469.stm

http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2008/05/20080522t64013.htm translated by Brett Larner Beijing Olympics men`s marathon team member Atsushi Sato (30, Team Chugoku Denryoku) of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, has returned home to prepare for Beijing. On May 19th Sato arrived at Bandaihibara Kohan in Kita Shiobaramura, Fukushima, for an intensive training camp. "It`s time to get ready for this marathon. I thought that looking at Bandaihibara Kohan`s beauty would help inspire me to make a clean start," Sato smiled. Sato`s training camp runs from the 19th through the end of the month. He previously trained in Bandaihibara Kohan while preparing for last December`s Fukuoka International Marathon, where he qualified for the Olympics. "I have a good feeling about this place," Sato said of the area as a marathon training ground. Bandaihibara Kohan is situated at 850 m elevation. "I saw the Beijing course last month. It`s not as easy as I expected and has a fair a...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008051800123 http://beijing2008.nikkansports.com/athletics/f-sp-tp0-20080518-361526.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Running for two-time defending champions Team Sysmex, Beijing Olympic marathon team leader Mizuki Noguchi ran the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 m relay on May 18 at the Kansai Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships in Hyogo. Noguchi received the baton in 5th place but, despite being an Olympic marathon gold medalist and ekiden ace, was unable to pass even a single runner and came home in 5th. For Noguchi, who turns 30 on July 3rd, this was the last race she will run in her 20`s. "I did what I could," commented Noguchi afterwards. "It goes without saying that the 400 m is a speed race, so it was pretty tough. I did kind of want to end [my 20`s] with a little stronger performance than this, but I feel freed now to put all my focus into my marathon preparations." Asked for her opinion of marathon world re...

by Brett Larner Click image for complete video footage. On May 18 at Tokyo`s National Stadium, Yamanashi Gakuin University senior Mekubo Mogusu ran a sensational 25 second PB to win the Kanto University Track and Field Championships men`s 10000 m in a meet-record time of 27:27.64. Mogusu`s time cleared the Olympic A-standard by a wide margin and established him as the 3rd-fastest man in the world so far this year behind fellow Japan-based Kenyans Josephat Muchiri Ndambiri and Gideon Ngatuny. After a fast first lap Mogusu took the lead just before the 400 m point, followed only by Nihon University sophomore Daniel Gitau. Despite having a PB of 27:44.73 compared to Mogusu`s 27:52.79, Gitau remained in the trailing position for almost the entire race. The large field of top Japanese university runners made no attempt to follow. Juntendo University`s Hiroyuki Ono, famous for collapsing during this year`s Hakone Ekiden, took turns leading the pack with Komazawa University ace Tsuyoshi Ugata...

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/news/20080519k0000e050087000c.html translated by Brett Larner Sumie Inagaki of Aichi Prefecture broke her own world record to win the women`s race at the 2008 Surgeres 48-Hour Ultramarathon. Held in Surgeres, France from May 16th to 18th, the Surgeres Ultra features a loop course 300 m in length. Inagaki set a new world record of 382.718 km to take 1st. Masae Kamura of Tokyo was 3rd. Ryoichi Sekiya of Kanagawa Prefecture likewise won the men`s competition, running 401.416 km to take the top spot. Last year`s winner Masayuki Otaki of Tokyo was 6th. This year`s event was the 23rd running of the Surgeres Ultra, making it one of the world`s great races. JRN reader Jaris sent a link to complete Surgeres results: http://www.48heures-surgeres.net/archive/2008/05/13/pointage_live_2008?hour=48

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/23243 translated by Brett Larner The men`s and women`s 10000 m events were held on the first day of the Kyushu Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships, May 17 at Sayagatani Field in Kitakyushu, Kyushu Prefecture. The men`s race was won in a meet record time of 27:56.79 by Team Toyota Kyushu`s Samuel Wanjiru, who will compete in the Beijing Olympics as part of the Kenyan marathon team. 0.07 seconds behind Wanjiru in 2nd place was Athens Olympics 10000 m competitor Ryuji Ono (Team Asahi Kasei). Ono`s time met the Olympic B-standard of 28:10.00 but was not sufficient to meet the 27:50.00 Olympic A-standard. 3rd place finisher Yu Mitsuya (Team Toyota Kyushu), who ran the 5000 m at the Osaka World Championships, likewise made the Olympic B-standard with his time of 28:05.45. Osaka World Championships 10000 m competitor Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudendo) was a disappointing 7th in 28:26.04. Pauline Wanguru (Team Kyudenko) won the women`s race in 32:10.86....

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp200805180258.html translated by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin On the 2nd day of the Chugoku Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships, held May 17th at Miyoshi Sports Park in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Joseph Gitau of Team JFE Steel won the men`s 10000 m in a time of 28:16.07. Beijing Olympics men`s marathon team members Atsushi Sato and Tsuyoshi Ogata, both of Team Chugoku Denryoku, also ran. Sato was 2nd in 28:16.94, while Ogata was 5th in 28:51.59. Team Uniqlo`s Danielle Filomena won the women`s 10000 m in 32:38.66, completing a successful double after winning last week`s 5000 m. Ruriko Kubo of Team Deodeo set a new meet record of 57.63 in the women`s 400 m. While Ogata was content to run with a relaxed pitch at the head of the second pack, Atsushi Sato was again aggressive. As in his winning run in last week`s 5000 m, Sato led from the start together with Gitau. Although Sato claims his fitness is only at about 60%, he ran with high pace an...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080515-00000930-san-spo translated by Brett Larner Drawing 30,000 runners to the streets of Tokyo, the Tokyo Marathon is set to become the first large race in Japan to offer significant prize money to top-placing elite runners. On May 14 the race`s organizing committee announced tentative plans for the addition of prize money to next year`s Tokyo Marathon in March in order to attract bigger-name overseas athletes and to reward them on a par with IAAF gold-label race standards. The move comes as Tokyo prepares its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Final confirmation of the planned changes is expected in June. Last year the IAAF released a worldwide rating of road races, with 12 major events such as the London and New York marathons receiving the highest label `gold.` The Tokyo Marathon received only a `silver` rating. The IAAF standards for a gold rating include international television broadcast in at least 5 countries as well as both elite men`s and w...

by Brett Larner JRN reader John Schrup reports that 2007 Osaka World Championships women`s marathon 6th place finisher and 2006 Asia Games women`s marathon silver medalist Kiyoko Shimahara is in Albuquerque, New Mexico for altitude training with Second Wind AC. Shimahara is a talented heat runner but was not selected for the Beijing Olympics team. Schrup reports that Shimahara is preparing for this year`s Chicago Marathon and came to his running shop during a break in training.

http://mainichi.jp/life/weekly/frontpage/news/20080512wek00m040016000c.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/12/arts/fshoji.php

by Brett Larner Athens Olympic marathon gold medalist and Japanese marathon national record holder Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) successfully defended her title at the Sendai International Half Marathon on May 11, running 1:08:25 to beat her time from last year`s race by 29 seconds and erase doubts about her fitness level after a spring filled with minor setbacks. The Sendai course, which features a 35 m elevation gain over the final 9 km, played to Noguchi`s strengths as she employed a similar strategy to that she used in winning last November`s Tokyo International Women`s Marathon. Noguchi went out hard, running course record pace through 15 km despite the cold, rainy conditions which blanketed most of Japan over the weekend. Despited dropping off record pace, she applied pressure on rival Julia Mombi (Team Aruze) of Kenya over the length of the uphill, finally breaking away with an attack around 20 km. Mombi held on to finish 2nd in 1:08:31, a sizeable PB over her previous best mark ...

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp200805110093.html translated by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin The men`s and women`s 5000 m were the feature events on Day 1 of the Chugoku Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships at Miyoshi Sports Park`s track and field grounds in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Beijing Olympics men`s marathon team member Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) won the event for the first time, clocking a 13:47.13 result. Sato`s fellow Beijing men`s marathon team member Tsuyoshi Ogata (Team Chugoku Denryoku) ran 14:15.14 to finish 20th. In the women`s race, Danielle Filomena (Team Uniqlo) won in a meet record time of 15:38.83. Beijing women`s marathon team member Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya) was 2nd in 15:51.06. The championship meet continues May 17. Atsushi Sato ran the men`s 5000 m "according to plan." He tried to hang on to the high-pace Africans in the race, saving himself and breaking away in the last stages of the race. Sato`s first track race of t...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080510-00000942-san-spo translated by Brett Larner Officials at the Osaka Grand Prix misdirected competitors in the men`s 1600 m relay. The American and Portuguese teams were already on their 2nd leg when it was discovered that they had been directed to a handoff zone 10 m past the actual zone. Japan`s 2nd leg runner Takumi Kanemaru (Hosei University) was not directed to this incorrect starting zone but followed the other two countries` runners while on standby. Consequently, 1st stage runner Mitsuhiro Abiko (Tsukuba University) was forced to run 410 m. The error is an unwelcome reminder of last year`s Osaka World Championships, where officials in the men`s 50 km racewalk misdirected Yuki Yamazaki (Team Hasegawa). Kanemaru analyzed the incident by saying, "It meant less work for me," but Junji Karube, the head of Japan Rikuren`s short distance division, was more serious. "The runners themselves may have been partly responsible, bu...

by Brett Larner An early-season typhoon brought cold, windy, rainy conditions to this year`s Osaka Grand Prix meet, causing weak results among competitors in all events. In the most anticipated event of the meet, women`s 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi easily defeated her rivals to win but missed her goal of an Olympic qualifying time. Kobayashi started well, leading the chase back a few meters behind leaders Sonja Roman of Slovakia and Lisa Corrigan of Australia. The two leaders hit 400 m in 64', with Kobayashi tying her national record split of 65' for the first lap. She spent the 2nd lap bridging the gap to the leaders, still on national record pace at 800 m with a 69' second lap. In the 3rd lap Kobayashi made a move to take the lead but abruptly pulled back into the 1st lane to sit behind Roman and Corrigan, missing her chance to go after her goal time. The three runners hit 1100 m in 3:06, making even an Olympic B-standard 4:08 highly unlikely, then ...

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/News/Tn200805090039.html translated by Brett Larner The Chugoku Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships take place May 10 in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture at Miyoshi Sports Park`s track and field grounds. 3 men and women from the Beijing Olympic marathon team are scheduled to take part, namely male runners Tsuyoshi Ogata and Atsushi Sato (both of Team Chugoku Denryoku) and female runner Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya). All three athletes will run the 5000 m on the 10th. On May 17th Ogata and Sato will compete in the men`s 10000 m, while Nakamura intends to run the women`s 3000 m on May 18th. The three Olympians are focusing on speedwork at this phase of their training for the Olympic marathon in August. A complete timetable and list of entrants is available here .

by Brett Larner On May 8, the Sendai International Half Marathon released the names of the invited runners for this year`s 18th edition, to be held May 11 in Sendai. Headlining the field are Japanese national marathon record holders Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) and Toshinari Takaoka (Team Kanebo). Noguchi will be using Sendai as a tune-up for the Beijing Olympics after a spring season which saw her drop out of her other preparatory races after a series of minor setbacks. She is the defending champion, having won last year`s Sendai in a strong 1:08:54, and is also the overwhelming favorite in a somewhat limited women`s field which includes only one other Japanese runner with a PB under 1:10. Her strongest competition will likely come from Yuko Machida (Team Nihon ChemiCon), a member of Japan`s team at last year`s World Road Running Championships, and Kei Terada (Team Tenmaya), 2nd place finisher at last year`s Universiad Half Marathon Championships. Machida`s teammate Hiroko Shoi a...

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sports/news/CK2008050302008460.html translated by Brett Larner A great new hope joined Team Toyota Shatai in April. Holding a spot in the Japanese women`s 10000 m all-time top 10 is Terumi Asoshina (25). Asoshina grabbed attention as a hope for the future when she won the 2005 All-Japan Jitsugyodan Half Marathon, but an imbalance in her form resulted in a general weakening of condition and loss of motivation which forced her to quit Team Kyocera in February last year. Despite losing her passion at the time, Asoshina explains, "I decided I didn`t want to quit running just because I wasn`t enjoying it." After a period of rest and renewal, she found a chance for a new start with the Ominami twins at Team Toyota Shatai. Planning a career in the marathon, Asoshina has once again found joy in running and is aiming for a rebirth. "I`m truly grateful. My running isn`t finished yet, but still, to get another chance to enter a team........

by Brett Larner An international field including famed Chinese 110 m hurdler Xian Liu, Helsinki World Championships 400 m hurdler silver medalist James Carter of U.S.A., Paris and Edmonton World Championships 100 m bronze medalist Chandra Stirrup of Bahamas, and Helsinki World Championships 400 m bronze medalist Christine Amertil, also of Bahamas, will take part in the IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka this Saturday, May 10. Hosts Japan will field a team including star sprinter Nobuharu Asahara, top hurdler Dai Tamesue, women`s 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi, and women`s long jump national record holder Kumiko Ikeda. Athens Olympics discus gold medalist Koji Murofuji will be appearing as an honorary participant. Of particular interest to distance running enthusiasts will be the appearance in the men`s 1500 m of former Hakone Ekiden stars Yuichiro Ueno, formerly of Chuo University and now running for Team SB Shokuhin, and Yuki Matsuoka, formerly with 2007 Hakone winners Jun...

http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=44715.html

by Brett Larner photos by Randy Miyazaki - used with permission Takayuki Matsumiya and Satoshi Irifune at Stanford 5000 m national record and 30 km world record holder Takayuki Matsumiya of Team Konica-Minolta ran a sensational 9-second PB to finish 4th in the men`s Kim McDonald memorial 10000 m at the 2008 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational track meet at Stanford University. Running comfortably back in the pack for the first third of the race, Matsumiya soon moved up to join the leaders and held his position in the top 5 until the final km. With two laps to go he made a move to catch breakaway leader Craig Mottram of Australia, passing the other members of the lead pack to move into second place. Just after taking the second spot, Matsumiya abruptly tightened and slowed, missing his chance to break Toshinari Takaoka`s 27:35.09 Japanese national record, set at the Cardinal Invitational in 2001. Matsumiya nevertheless held on for 4th in 27:41.75, a 9-second PB and well under the Olympi...

http://iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=44669.html

by Brett Larner 5000 m national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica-Minolta), women`s 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi, university star Yuki Sato (Tokai University) and Sato`s former teammate Hideaki Date, making his professional debut with Team Chugoku Denryoku, are scheduled to headline the Japanese contingent at the May 4 Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University. Stanford has historically been an important meet for Japanese runners, with marks including Toshinari Takaoka`s 10000 m national record set at the meet. Japanese entrants by event: Men`s 800 - Heat 3 Taiki Tsutsumi (Team Acom), PB: 1:49.22 Men`s 1500 - Heat 2 Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku), PB: 3:40.36 Men`s 10000 - Heat 1 Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica-Minolta), PB: 27:50.20 Yuki Sato (Tokai University), PB: 27:51.65 Satoshi Irifune (Team Kanebo), PB: 27:53.92 Yuki Nakamura (Team Kanebo), PB: 28:12.37 Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku), PB: 28:15.52 Suehiro Ishikawa (Team Honda), PB: ...

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2008/05/01/0000996944.shtml translated by Brett Larner Beijing Olympics women`s marathon team member Reiko Tosa (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) left Narita Airport on May 1 for a high-altitude training camp in Boulder, Colorado. "My preparations start with this camp," Tosa told reporters. "I`m going to be training very hard." She will return to Japan on June 4. Tosa last trained in Boulder while preparing for the 2001 Edmonton World Championships where she won a silver in the marathon. Tosa first visited Boulder in 1999 as a training partner for some of her teammates, and rapidly improved while training there. Last year she did most of her training in Kunming, China, but, as she explained, "I`ve always had a good image of Boulder because of how much faster I`ve gotten there in the past." 3 days before leaving Tosa had the dental braces she has worn since the spring of `05 removed. Tosa got the braces on the recommendation of h...

http://iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=44638.html