Skip to main content

Kaori Yoshida Quits Second Wind AC

http://www.plus-blog.sportsnavi.com/kmanabu/article/167

by Manabu Kawagoe, head coach, Second Wind AC
translated by Brett Larner

Kaori Yoshida racing in Albuquerque, NM. Photo by John Schrup.

Kaori Yoshida, a member of Second Wind AC since its founding in April, 2007, has left the club following her appearance as a guest runner at the Mar. 15 Kusunoki Marathon. I would like to thank her from my heart for the help she has given SWAC over the last two years and for her competitiveness and dedication in her own running. Yoshida has taken a position with Amino Vital AC and, while working with that club, hopes to continue on as one of the top distance running women. We're all looking forward to seeing the new Kaori Yoshida!

While we're sad that Yoshida has resigned from the club, Second Wind is still looking forward toward our future goals. We remain an organization dedicated both to supporting world-class athletes capable of reaching the Olympics, World Championships, and other major international competitions, and to cultivating young, promising talent. We likewise continue to pursue our main goal of helping amateur runners to reach their own goals.

These three levels form the pyramid of our club's operations. We thank everyone who has helped us in our mission and ask for your continued support in the future.

Translator's note: Kaori Yoshida, winner of the 2006 Hokkaido Marathon and 2008 Casablanca Marathon, was one of the runners who left Team Shiseido with coach Kawagoe in 2007. Kawagoe's Second Wind AC represented a new model for Japanese runners who wanted to pursue a career outside the ekiden-oriented jitsugyodan corporate system. Following the departure of Kenyan Ruth Wanjiru in February, Yoshida is the second major runner to leave Second Wind within the past month.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Who cares about Ekiden. It's not important. What's important is the world champs and olympics. It it true all year jitsugyodan corporate system train for ekiden all year! They don't train for the 10000 meters! We all know toyota industries won the ekiden.

Most-Read This Week

Japan Post Holds Off Sekisui Kagaku to Win Queens Ekiden National Title

  Japan Post  was back on top at the Queens Ekiden corporate women's national championships Sunday in Sendai, holding off last year's winner Sekisui Kagaku  over the second half of a race that came as close as 1 second to take 1st with a final margin of victory of 27 seconds. Sekisui Kagaku was out fast with a win on the 7.0 km opening leg by Erika Tanoura  and a new CR for the 12:56 second leg by Yuma Yamamoto , 17 seconds better than her own CR from last year. Last year's 4th-placer Shiseido  briefly led on the 10.6 km third leg with an excellent 33:17 stage win from Rino Goshima , but behind her Japan Post's Ririka Hironaka  returned from her latest injury problems to pass Sekisui Kagaku's Sayaka Sato  and hand off 6 seconds ahead. New recruit Caroline Kariba  ran Shiseido down on the 3.6 km fourth leg and put Japan Post 22 seconds ahead of Sekisui Kagaku, but a duel of marathoners between JP's  Ayuko Suzuki  and Sekisui's Hitomi Niiy...

Olympian Hagitani Takes 10 Minutes Off Yodogawa Kanpei Half Marathon CR

At the Yodogawa Kanpei Half Marathon in Hirakata, Osaka on Dec. 15, Kaede Hagitani , 24, took over 10 minutes off the women's course record to win in 1:10:37. Hagitani ran the 5000 m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and is targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Men's winner Koki Hosokawa , 31, broke his own CR with a 1:08:03 to win for the 2nd year in a row. In 5˚ temperatures the race set off along the Yodogawa river. Competing as a first step in her comeback after having left the sport post-Olympics, Hagitani had a spectacular record-breaking run that earned her a permanent invitation. "I usually train alone, so I never feel like I'm really on except in a race like this," she said. "The male runners in the race helped me have a good one." When asked why she ran a local race like the Kanpei Half when everyone else there was just a regular amateur Hagitani laughed and said, "My parents live near here." At the Tokyo Olympics Hagitani broke her 5000...

Hakone Ekiden Entry Lists

With 3 weeks to go entry lists are out for the 101st Hakone Ekiden on Jan. 2-3, 2025. Things keep going up and up. With 21 teams of 16 entrants and 10 starters each a quick crunch of the numbers gives: 15 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 14 minutes 3 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 13:45 led by 2024 Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University in 13:40.07 10 teams with an individual under 13:30 for 5000 m, AGU, Komazawa University , Chuo University , Tokyo Kokusai University , and Yamanashi Gakuin University with 2 each 2 teams with an individual under 13:15 for 5000 m, TKU's collegiate record holder Richard Etir at 13:00.17 and Komazawa's indoor NR holder Keita Sato at 13:09.45 17 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 29 minutes 4 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 28:30, led by Chuo's incredible 28:15.62 11 teams with an individual under 28:00 for 10000 m, AGU and Chuo with 3 each, and Komazawa, Josai University , TKU, Waseda University and YG...