Skip to main content

Hokuren Distance Challenge Series Begins June 4

by Brett Larner

The Hokuren Distance Challenge is set to kick off June 4 in Sapporo, sponsored by the Hokkaido-based Hokuren company. The series of six track meets throughout June and July in locations around Japan`s northernmost island of Hokkaido attracts top male and female jitsugyodan and university runners hoping to tune up for the National Championships at the end of June and for the start of the ekiden training season, as well as a number of Korean professional runners. The meets focus on long distance and, to a lesser degree, middle distance events and are scheduled to take place:

June 4: Sapporo
June 8: Shibetsu
June 11: Fukagawa
July 9: Abashira
July 13: Kitami
July 16: Kushiro

Click here for a complete timetable of all six meets. Entry lists are available here.

Today`s Sapporo meet includes men`s and women`s 1500 m, 3000 m, 3000 m SC, 5000 m and 5000 m RW events. A complete start list for all events is available here. The most notable entrant of the day is women`s 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi (Team Toyota Jidoshokki). Kobayashi is the only Japanese woman to run the Olympic A-standard in the 5000 m so far this year, but she has yet to run even the Olympic B-standard this year in the 1500 m after setting the national record with a B-standard 4:07.87 as a high school student in 2006. Kobayashi is slated to run the 3000 m in Sapporo.

Results will be posted in English following today`s meet.

(c) 2008 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
1 comment
Read more

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31
Post a Comment
Read more