Osaka Marathon Announces Elite Field

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/running/feature/20140919-OYT8T50064.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The official 2014 Osaka Marathon theme song "42.195 km" by Kobukuro.

The organizing committee of the 4th Osaka Marathon on Oct. 26 have announced this year's 23-member elite field. The men's race features all three champions crowned so far in race history led by last year's winner Jackson Limo (Kenya), who improved his PB to 2:09:06 at this year's Paris Marathon. Seeking to stop him from become the first man in Osaka history to defend his title are Osaka's first winner Elijah Sang (Kenya) and second winner Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia/Team NTN), who won last year's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon in a PB 2:09:00.

Japan's hopes lie with Satoshi Osaki (NTT Nishi Nihon), holder of a 2:08:36 best, and 2012 runner-up Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC). 2009 World Championships marathon 7th-place finisher Yuri Kano (Kyoto T&F Assoc.) leads the women's field. Her main competition comes from Kumi Ogura (Kochi T&F Assoc.), who ran a PB 2:34:01 at this year's Nagoya Women's Marathon, and Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall), whose best of 2:28:49 is the second-fastest in the field.

Aiming to help develop and cultivate upcoming talent, the "Hope Program" features two men and one woman led by Toshiyuki Fujimatsu (Crest AC). Guest runners include 1964 Tokyo Olympics marathoner Toru Terasawa and 1991 Tokyo International Women's Marathon winner Mari Tanigawa.

4th Osaka Marathon Elite Field
Osaka, 10/26/14
click here for complete field listing

Men
Satoshi Osaki (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) - 2:08:36 (2008 Biwako)
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia/Team NTN) - 2:09:00 (2013 Hofu Yomiuri)
Jackson Limo (Kenya) - 2:09:06 (2014 Paris)
Elijah Sang (Kenya) - 2:10:13 (2007 Frankfurt)
Stepan Kiselev (Russia) - 2:11:28 (2014 Zurich)
Kota Noguchi (Tahara AC) -- 2:12:24 (2012 Fukuoka Int'l)
Sho Matsumoto (Nikkei Business Service) - 2:13:38 (2013 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon)
Shingo Igarashi (Team Subaru) - 2:13:46 (2011 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon)
Yasuyuki Nakamura (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:14:41 (2013 Tokyo)
Yusei Nakao (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:14:43 (2009 Tokyo)
Yasushi Yamamoto (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:15:15 (2013 Biwako)
Kenichi Jiromaru (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 2:15:24 (2014 Biwako)
Kazuyoshi Shimozato (Team Komori Corp.) - 2:16:23 (2012 Tokyo)
Toshiyuki Fujimatsu (Crest AC) - 2:18:36 (2014 Tokyo)

Women
Yuri Kano (Kyoto T&F Assoc.) - 2:24:27 (2008 Tokyo Int'l Women's)
Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) - 2:28:49 (2002 Hokkaido)
Maryna Damantsevich (Belarus) - 2:31:29 (2012 Kosice)
Kumi Ogura (Kochi T&F Assoc.) - 2:34:01 (2013 Nagoya Women's)
Chika Tawara (Fukuoka T&F Assoc.) - 2:40:00 (2013 Hofu Yomiuri)
Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) - 2:41:56 (2014 Beppu-Oita Mainichi)

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...

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 ...

2-Time Olympian Yuka Takashima Joins Uniqlo Women's Team

On July 21 the Uniqlo women's team announced that 2-time Olympic 10000 m runner Yuka Takashima had joined its lineup as of July 16. Born in Yamaguchi in 1998, Takashima anchored Okayama's Kojokan H.S. to its first-ever National High School Ekiden win in 2005. After graduating she joined the Denso corporate team, playing a key role in its 3-straight National Corporate Women's Ekiden titles. In 2015 she ran the 10000 m at the 2015 Beijing World Championships. In the spring of 2016 Takashima transferred to the Shiseido corporate team, where she made the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics team in the 10000 m. She played an important role for the team in its ekidens, and in 2022 anchored Shiseido to its first national title in 16 years. In 2023 she was 2nd in the 10000 m National Championships, securing her place on her 2nd Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Takashima's PBs are 15:26.33 for 5000 m, 30:57.26 for 10000 m, and 2:26:13 for the marathon. In March this year T...

japan running news

Search This Blog