japan running news

Japan's outdoor season rolled on April 28 with the 52nd Oda Memorial Meet , one of the events used in selection for Japan's national team for this summer's Jakarta Asian Games. Rosemary Monica Wanjiru (Starts) topped the day's results with a 15:08.61 meet record in the Women's Grand Prix 5000 m, easily leaving senior teammate Grace Kimanzi and veteran Ann Karindi (Toyota Jidoshokki) behind to take the top spot. #織田記念 グランプリ 女子5000m 山ノ内みなみさん(京セラ)15:21.31 pic.twitter.com/TW3Muk8tbB — Tさんrunner (@Runner_2653) April 29, 2018 Dropping a massive PB for 4th, Minami Yamanouchi (Kyocera) was the first Japanese women in 15:21.31. Longtime readers might remember Yamanouchi as a 17-year-old high schooler from Fukushima casually breaking high school boys' records and running sub-3 marathons for fun. Now 24, she has landed at the Kyocera corporate team under the tutelage of former men's half marathon national record holder and fellow Fukushima native Ats...

For the third year in a row, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) won the Kawauchi no Sato Kaeru Half Marathon in Kawauchi, Fukushima, running 1:05:54 in hot and sunny conditions. His mother Mika and younger brothers Yoshiki and Koki also ran, Yoshiki fresh back from running last weekend's PZU Krakow Marathon and Koki newly elected to the local city council in the family's hometown of Kuki, Saitama. 川内選手ゲストランナー(*^^*) pic.twitter.com/YdyXo1nO1d — かずのこ (@flyingkazuchan) April 28, 2018 Over the stage where the brothers appeared before and after the race hung a banner that read, "The town of Kawauchi supports Yuki Kawauchi with all our hearts! Congratulations on winning the Boston Marathon!!" A long line of fans lined up for autographs and selfies with Kawauchi, who wore his Boston winners' medal after the race. He next runs half marathons in Saitama and Hokkaido on back-to-back days this coming Friday and Saturday. 福島県の川内村に川内優輝選手の取材に行ってきました（※川内の...

The Konica Minolta men's corporate team announced on April 26 that star runner Daichi Kamino , 24, will leave the team on April 30 to pursue a career as an independent. As a student at Aoyama Gakuin University Kamino earned the moniker "God of the Mountain" for his stellar performances on the Hakone Ekiden's uphill Fifth Stage. He joined Konica Minolta in April, 2016 following his graduation from Aoyama Gakuin. At this year's Tokyo Marathon he ran a PB of 2:10:18. source article:   http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/20180426-OYT1T50075.html translated by Brett Larner

Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi 's youngest brother Koki Kawauchi , 25, was elected to the Kuki city council in an election held April 22, winning 6309 votes. Kawauchi was delighted, commenting, "My older brother's Boston Marathon win was like the winds of a typhoon filling my sails. I couldn't be more grateful." When the results of the election were announced just after midnight, Kawauchi made an appearance to celebrate his win, wearing a running uniform and a crown of laurels. Smiling broadly he raised his arms and shouted in victory as he broke a finish line tape that said, "Koki Kawauchi Elected." 朝から朗報💥🌟✨ 埼玉久喜市市会議員選に 川内鴻輝議員（＾◇＾）誕生 スポーツ振興に力を… 川内三兄弟よくやるなあ この行動力に感心🎉💞🎉 pic.twitter.com/9dphJ1CFZT — 生駒のえりざべーと (@fukkatuERZABEAT) April 22, 2018 As a government employee Yuki Kawauchi was prohibited from campaigning on his younger brother's behalf, but his Boston Marathon victory and subsequent declaration that he would go profe...

As his journey takes him far away across the world, the shining star of the Saitama Prefectural Government is set to take a new step. Returning to Japan on April 19 after becoming the first Japanese man in 31 years to win the Boston Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi, 31, unexpectedly announced that he plans to retire from his job at the prefectural government offices next spring to turn pro. His boss, colleagues and prefectural government officials were caught off guard by the announcement, expressing surprise and dismay, but voiced their support as they said, "We respect his decision," and "We will support him forever." After announcing his plans to go pro at Narita Airport, Kawauchi hurried to work at Kuki High School in Kuki, Saitama. After receiving flowers, a cake and blessings for his achievement from Principal Atsushi Takemoto and his coworkers, Kawauchi smiled widely, saying, "I'm very grateful. I'm so happy. I didn't think I could really win it...

an Abbott World Marathon Majors press release The Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XI Champions were officially crowned in London following the conclusion of the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon. Tim Hadzima, General Manager of the Abbott World Marathon Majors said: “It has been another sensational series for Abbott World Marathon Majors. We started in London with a women’s world record from Mary Keitany in 2017 and continued with some astonishing races in each of our six cities.” Eliud Kipchoge won his third consecutive AbbottWMM title after winning the 2017 BMW Berlin Marathon and the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon to give him 50 points. Second behind Kipchoge was his fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui with 41 points. Kirui won 25 points with victory at the 2017 IAAF World Championships Marathon and added 16 more with second in the 2018 Boston Marathon. In third was Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi with 25 points after his victory in the 2018 Boston Marathon. Kawauchi was tied in joi...

Weekend Japanese track action kicked off at the Bryan Clay Invitational at California's Azusa Pacific University. Passing on a spring marathon in favor of a shot at the 10000 m national record this season, 5000 m national record holder Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) ran 13:29.11 for 3rd in the 5000 m, the best time so far this year by a Japanese man. Bigger news came in the men's 1500 m, where  Shoma Funatsu  (Chuo Univ.) capped a residency in Oregon with a 3:38.65 to move up to all-time Japanese #5 and collegiate #2. Hiroki Matsueda (Fujitsu) also ran 3:41.51, with U.S.-based Yusuke Uchikoshi (Boise State Univ.) going 3:44.50, Funatsu's Chuo teammate Kazuyoshi Tamogami 3:45.84, another U.S. transplant Yasunari Kusu (AMAC) 3:46.98 and Hirotaka Nakatani (Uchida Chiryoin AC) 3:49.28. At the nearby Mt. SAC Relays Yui Fukuda (Toyota Jidoshokki) won the women's 1500 m in 4:16.64. Mai Shoji (Denso) was slightly off her season best in the 5000 m in 15:56.99, ...

Breaking away over the last 5 km, Nicholas Kosimbei (Toyota) scored his second-straight win at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon , putting 12 seconds on Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) to take the top spot in 1:01:12. Moses Murong (Uganda) was 3rd in 1:01:57, with Yohei Suzuki (Aisan Kogyo) the top-placing Japanese man with a 1:03:34 for 9th. Just five days given the time difference after winning the Boston Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) outkicked Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon runner-up Hayato Sonoda (Kurosaki Harima) to take 14th overall in 1:04:35 with the third-fastest closing split in the field despite unseasonably hot temperatures nearing 30 degrees. 川内選手の20km過ぎ めっちゃ速かった！ pic.twitter.com/0dWTscmz3V — MOno (@motto815tf) April 22, 2018 Women's world record holder and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosge i (Kenya) was a last-minute withdrawal, leaving Degitu Azmeraw to become Gifu's first Ethiopian women's winner in five years. Like Kosimbe...

Ancient History I went to Wesleyan University, where the legend of four-time Boston Marathon champ and Wes alum Bill Rodgers hung heavy over the cross-country team. Inspired by Koichi Morishita and Young-Cho Hwang’s duel at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics I ran my first marathon in 1993, qualifying for Boston ’94 where Bill was kind enough to sign a star-struck 20-year-old me’s bib number at the expo. Three years later I moved to Japan for grad school, and through a long string of coincidences I came across a teenaged kid named Yuki Kawauchi down at my neighborhood track. I never imagined he’d become what he is, but right from the start there was just something different about him. After his 2:08:37 breakthrough at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon he called me up and asked me to help him get into races abroad. He’d finished 3rd on the brutal downhill Sixth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden, and given how he’d run the hills in the last 6 km at Tokyo ’11 I thought he’d do well at Boston or New York. “I...

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2018/04/19/more-sports/track-field/boston-marathon-winner-yuki-kawauchi-plans-turn-pro-next-year/#.WuDmiK1pM6i

122nd Boston Marathon Boston, U.S.A., 4/16/18 click here for complete results Men 1. Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 2:15:58 2. Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) - 2:18:23 3. Shadrack Biwott (U.S.A.) - 2:18:35 4. Tyler Pennel (U.S.A.) - 2:18:57 5. Andrew Bumbalough (U.S.A.) - 2:19:52 6. Scott Smith (U.S.A.) - 2:21:47 7. Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) - 2:23:16 8. Elkanah Kibet (U.S.A.) - 2:23:37 9. Reid Coolsaet (Canada) - 2:25:02 10. Daniel Vassalo (U.S.A.) - 2:27:50 ----- 42. Kansuke Morihashi (Japan/Raffine) - 2:34:23 8322. Nao Kazami (Japan/Aisan Kogyo) - 3:47:02 Women 1. Desiree Linden (U.S.A.) - 2:39:54 2. Sarah Sellers (U.S.A.) - 2:44:04 3. Krista Duchene (Canada) - 2:44:20 4. Rachel Hyland (U.S.A.) - 2:44:29 5. Jessica Chichester (U.S.A.) - 2:45:23 6. Nicole Dimercurio (U.S.A.) - 2:45:52 7. Shalane Flanagan (U.S.A.) - 2:46:31 8. Kimi Reed (U.S.A.) - 2:46:47 9. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) - 2:47:14 10. Hiroko Yoshitomi (Japan/Memolead) - 2:48:29 --...

Wind and rain hit the 20th anniversary Nagano Marathon hard enough to slow things down, Japan's Asami Furus e (Kyocera) and Ethiopian Abdela Godana taking the top spots in the women's and men's races. Coached by former men's half marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato , Furuse and teammate Saki Tokoro were part of a lead group of five women that set out on low 2:33 pace. Kenyan Beatrice Jepkemboi dropped off he group near 20 km and Yukiko Okuno (Shiseido) did the same a few minutes later, leaving the Kyocera duo to face remaining Kenyan Pauline Wangui over the second half. Tokoro cracked just before 30 km and Wangui around 32 km, leaving Furuse to push on alone to an evenly-paced 2:34:09. Wangui faded to 4th, run down first by Tokoro and then by Okuno. Tokoro made it a 1-2 finish for Kyocera, another success for Sato is his short coaching career to date. 4th last year, former Tenmaya runner Aki Otagiri moved up from the second pack to take the 5th spot...

The withdrawal of Kentaro Nakamoto (Yasukawa Denki), Japan's best championship marathoner of the modern era, from the Boston Marathon field with a stress fracture is a blow to what would have been the best Japanese contingent in Boston in decades. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) leads the way, arriving in Boston off wins in his last four marathons: 2:10:03, Hofu Yomiuri Marathon, 12/17/17 2:18:59 CR, Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon, 1/1/18 2:11:46 CR, Kitakyushu Marathon, 2/18/18 2:14:12, Wan Jin Shi Marathon, 3/18/18 Kawauchi hopes to at least equal Suguru Osako 's top 3 placing in last year's Boston, his optimism growing as the weather forecast gets worse. Naoki Okamoto (Chugoku Denryoku) runs for what was once Japan's most successful corporate team in the marathon, his best of 2:12:31 coming 6 years ago at Lake Biwa and his fastest recent time a 2:13:33 in Tokyo last year. Okamoto earned a place in Boston by winning February...

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1063727/former-presidents-of-last-two-olympic-host-nations-begin-jail-terms And hey, what do you know. the top story on TV Asahi 10 o'clock news is about corruption scandal involving leader of an Olympic host nation. pic.twitter.com/k3ACLqR5Bh — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) April 10, 2018 Update: Tens of thousands of people demonstrated outside the Japanese parliament building on April 14 demanding Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 's resignation over two corruption scandals. Video and report here . A rare sight in Japan - protesters breaking through police barricades at the demonstration: 国会議事堂前バリケード突破の様子 #国会前大集合 #国会前大行動 pic.twitter.com/vmm40PgHku — Shino@ 4/14 14:00〜 国会前大行動 #国会前大集合 (@K461582) April 14, 2018

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Rio 10000 m Olympian Yuka Takashima (Shiseido) made a good debut Sunday at the Paris Marathon , finishing 8th in 2:26:13. Takashima started fast, on sub-2:21 pace until just before 30 km before fading. Her time was the 4th-fastest this year by a Japanese woman and best so far this season outside Japan, and it put her well within reach of the two-race sub-2:28:00 average route to qualifying for the MGC Race 2020 Olympic trials marathon. Kasumi Yoshida (Nitori) was 11th in 2:38:15 and Kanae Shimoyama (Noritz) 16th in 2:45:34. Yoshiki Koizumi (Raffine) was the top Japanese man at 24th in 2:20:29. Things went less smoothly at the Rotterdam Marathon . Running her third marathon in less than four months in a desperate attempt to get her MGC Race qualifying time this season, Hofu Yomiuri Marathon course record holder  Misaki Kato (Kyudenko) went through halfway on schedule in 1:13:22 before starting to slow, ultimately finishing in 2:47:25 for 15th. On the men's side Yuki Yagi (Y...

Kenyan James Ndiwa Bunuka took the top spot at Sunday's Yaizo Minato Half Marathon , the first runner from Surugadai University to win in Yaizu's 33-year history. Bunuka had pressure early on from three members of 2017 Izumo Ekiden winner Tokai University , but over the second half he pulled away to win by a 22-second margin in 1:03:49. Haruki Minatoya led teammates Shun Yuzawa and Takeshi Nishida in 2nd in 1:04:11. 第30回記念大学ペアマラソン[結果] 優勝 ブヌカ・ジェームス(1)1'03"49 6位 西沢 晃佑(4)1'05"07 河合 拓巳(2)1'07"25 総合2位 2'08"56 応援ありがとうございました！ pic.twitter.com/q0Ut9Lgr0F — 駿河台大学 駅伝部 (@surugadi) April 8, 2018 Yaizu Minato features a unique "pair marathon" team scoring competition, with universities entering three-runner teams from which the top two's times are combined to produce the pair marathon score. Tokai won the pair marathon in 2:08:28, Surugadai a surprise 2nd in 2:08:56. 21 other teams took part, Asia University rounding out...

Saturday was the first full day of the Japanese outdoor track season with two large time trial meets and university intramurals across the country. The top marks of the day came over 3000 m at Tokyo's Setagaya Time Trials meet. In the women's A-heat Japan-based Kenyan Grace Mbuthye (Starts) won in 8:58.55, while another Japan-based Kenyan Evans Yego (Sunbelx) took the men's A-heat in 7:58.50. Both times were the 2nd-fastest outdoor marks in the world so far this season. Other notable marks: Kei Fumimoto (Kanebo) turned in the fastest Japanese time of the day at 8:06.95 for 4th in the A-heat. Junior high school 1500 m, 3000 m and 5000 m national record holder Kosuke Ishida made his high school debut in the C-heat running for Tokyo Nogyo Daini H.S. , finishing 3rd in 8:22.85, about 5 seconds off his best. After taking 7th at last month's NYC Half, 2017 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Kei Katanishi (Komazawa Univ.) got back into action, warm...

Japan dominated the 2018 World University Cross Country Championships Saturday in St. Gallen, Switzerland, taking the overall gold, women's team gold, men's team silver and one individual silver. That silver came courtesy of Rika Kaseda (Meijo Univ.), who finished 5 seconds behind winner Caterina Granz (Germany) in the women's 10 km to lead four Japanese women into the top six for team gold. 2017 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Yuki Munehisa (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) was 6th overall, Japan's 4th scoring team member. 【 #世界大学クロカン 】 女子レース速報 加世田選手(名城大)銀メダル獲得🎉 女子団体 金メダル獲得🎊 2位　加世田梨花(名城大) 4位　五島莉乃(中央大) 5位　関谷夏希(大東文化大) 6位　棟久由貴(東京農業大) 13位 棚池穂乃香(京都産業大) 15位 岡田佳子(松山大) #青春に駆けろ pic.twitter.com/sLXoBWMUZR — 日本学生陸上競技連合 (@iuauj) April 7, 2018 The men came up empty-handed for individual medals, Sota Watanabe (Toyo Univ.) taking the top Japanese spot at 4th overall with teammate Yohei Urano (Koku Gakuin Univ.) close behind in 6th. South Africa sco...

https://www.lequipe.fr/Athletisme/Article/Le-japon-le-nouvel-empire-du-marathon/890018

It's a busy weekend on and off the roads at home and abroad. Led by 2018 Hakone Ekiden First Stage winner Kazuya Nishiyama (Toyo Univ.) and 2017 World University Games women's half marathon gold medalist Yuki Munehisa (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.), Japan is fielding quality men's and women's teams for Saturday's World University Cross Country Championships in St. Gallen, Switzerland. At home, the first big track meet of the season takes place Saturday in Kumamoto at the Kanaguri Memorial Meet where the main focus will be on 5000 m. Livestream to be had here . 3000 m will be the main order of the day at the year's first Setagaya Time Trials meet in Tokyo, while top members of Waseda University and other Hakone teams will square off at the Tokyo Six-University Meet at Keio University . Sunday the emphasis shifts to the roads, with yet more Hakone talent racing the Yaizu Minato Half Marathon thanks to its unique "pair marathon" team scoring. Overseas...

On April 5 it was learned that the family of a 24-year-old woman who passed away last fall are suing the city of Yaizu and the city sports association for 100 million yen [~$933,000 USD] , claiming she died because of negligence on their part after the woman fell off a quay into the ocean while resting during a road road race four years ago. According to the lawsuit, roughly an hour after the start of the event's 5 km race the woman stopped running and began to vomit. The woman entered a parking lot adjacent to the course along the Yaizu waterfront and fell into the ocean while taking a break. People nearby saw her in the water, but when they tried to help her they found her heart had already stopped. The woman never regained consciousness and passed away last October. The lawsuit claimed, "Security staff were stationed in the area but neglected to carry out their duty to protect participants. The procedures for medical staff to provide emergency treatment were also non-...

Women's world record holder and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) and last year's top man Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) return to lead the elite fields for the April 22 Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon . The women's field is small but high-quality at the front end, with Eunice Chumba (Bahrain) and Valary Jemeli (Kenya) joining Jepkosgei under the 68-minute mark and additional support coming from sub-70 runners Joy Kemuma (Kenya) and Karolina Nadolska (Poland). The top Japanese woman in last summer's London World Championships marathon, Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) again leads the way as the fastest Japanese woman at 1:10:31. Most of Gifu's budget clearly went to the women's race, as the men's field is made up almost entirely of Japan-based athletes. Not that it's short of quality. With a 1:00:31 mark Mutiso is only the 5th-fastest athlete in a field led by sub-60 men James Mwangi (Kenya/NTN), James Rungaru (Kenya/Chuo Hatsuj...

Former Japanese men's national record holder in the marathon and Kanebo corporate ekiden team head coach Toshinari Takaoka , 47, appeared at a training and conditioning symposium last week in Osaka to discuss his training during his career as an athlete. His talk revealed the secret of how to successfully tackle 42.195 km. Before Yuta Shitara (26, Honda) set a new national record at February's Tokyo Marathon, Takaoka's mark of 2:06:16 stood as the Japanese national record for 16 years. In his lecture Takaoka mainly discussed his training for the 2003 Fukuoka International Marathon, a selection race for the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon team. Takaoka focused on five points: 40 km runs mileage utilization of racing speed work maintaining a pace of 3:00/km From August through November that year Takaoka did nine 40 km runs at 3:30/km for a total time of 2 hours and 20 minutes. "At first 40 km runs were painful because I wasn't accustomed to the distance,...

Kokushikan University held its season-opening time trial meet Mar. 31 at its Tama Field track facility. Members of four-time Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University competed in the 1500 m, with first-year Keita Yoshida leading the team in 3:50.77. Breaking through at this year's Hakone with a Seventh Stage record, third-year Keisuke Hayashi ran 3:53.17. Both third-years, Sixth Stage winner Yuji Onoda ran 3:58.09 and Second Stage winner Homare Morita ran 3:58.30. Head coach Susumu Hara , 51, was pleased with the shakeout ahead of outdoor season, commenting, "Times ended up being better overall than last year." Surpassing all the Aoyama Gakuin runners to take the spot in 3:48.47 was incoming Kokushikan Kenyan Vincent Laimoi . Laimoi arrived in Japan in mid-March, running a PB 13:43.20 in his first race in Japan, the 5000 m at a meet at Kokushikan on the 25th. Running the 1500 m for the first time ever, Laimoi showed considerable potential. Together with curre...

20th Nagano Marathon Elite Field Highlights Nagano, 4/15/18 times listed are best within last three years except where noted click here for complete field listing Men Abdela Godana (Ethiopia) - 2:09:45 (Seoul 2017) Julius Keter (Kenya) - 2:09:55 (Santiago 2017) Shoya Osaki (Japan/Chudenko) - 2:11:03 (Gold Coast 2017) Kazuya Ishida (Japan/Nishitetsu) - 2:12:25 (Beppu-Oita 2016) Shinichi Yamashita (Japan/Takigahara SDF Base) - 2:12:32 (Hofu 2017) Jackson Kiprop (Uganda) - 2:12:45 (Amsterdam 2017) Kohei Futaoka (Japan/Chudenko) - 2:13:28 (Beppu-Oita 2018) Yuki Munakata (Japan/Kanebo) - 2:13:53 (Beppu-Oita 2016) Kazuya Deguchi (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:14:24 (Nobeoka 2018) Hiroshi Ichida (Japan/Asahi Kasei) - 2:15:15 (Biwako 2017) Women Tigist Girma (Ethiopia) - 2:29:05 (Beirut 2017) Beatrice Jepkemboi (Kenya) - 2:30:35 (Buenos Aires 2015) Asami Furuse (Japan/Kyocera) - 2:30:44 (Osaka Int'l 2017) Pauline Wangui (Kenya) - 2:30:49 (Sevilla 2017) Yukiko Okuno (Japan/...