japan running news

A training session took place July 29 in Tokyo to train doping inspectors for use in international athletics and weightlifting competitions in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The lack of qualified anti-doping staff in Japan necessary to carry our a large number of drug tests in a short period at the 2020 Tokyo Games has been identified as a problem , and with the support of the national government the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) has begun recruiting and training new personnel. With a scenario set in the sample collection room of a stadium, the staff involved in the session featured people playing the roles of athletes, including foreign athletes. 66 people took part in the session, gaining a sense of the tension of the real testing environment. To increase the realism of the session TV screens showed competition results and audio of a crowd cheering was played. Participants practiced tasks including athlete notification, guidance, and sample collect...

Last year the Hokkaido Marathon saw the first pair of Japanese athletes qualify for the new MGC Race 2020 Olympic marathon trials event , with winners Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) and Akinobu Murasawa (Nissin Shokuhin) winning under the time standards they needed for MGC qualification. Since then the numbers have grown to 13 men and 6 women on the qualifier list with another 16 women and 34 men halfway there thanks to an option for qualifying via a two-race average time standard. As an August event Hokkaido is always on the hot side, but success there might predict success in Tokyo 2020 and easier time standards than any of the other domestic options for MGC qualification there's no shortage of top-level Japanese talent lining up to give it a go this year. The winning Japanese woman in Hokkaido will qualify for the MGC race if under 2:32:00, with up to 5 more qualifying if under 2:30:00. London World Championships team member Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) leads the women's...

All-time fourth-fastest Japanese marathoner Hiroto Inoue (25, MHPS) returned to Tokyo's Narita Airport on July 29 from altitude training in Boulder, U.S.A. ahead of next month's Jakarta Asian Games. In Boulder he did three 40 km training runs at 1600 m altitude. "I trained with a lot of focus. If things go well I'm mentally prepared to run the race solo." To help cope with the expected heat at the Asian Games Inoue is considering wearing a cap while racing for the first time. "When I tried it in training it seemed a lot cooler," he said favorably of the cap. "It felt good." Ever since his days at Yamanashi Gakuin University Inoue has raced without a cap because he has disliked the feeling of it making his head hotter. Team members were not allowed to run with sunglasses either. In last summer's London World Championships marathon he didn't wear a cap, but after completing this altitude training camp, he said, "The visor of the...

After giving it a miss last year to prepare for the London World Championships, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) returned to Hokkaido's Kushiro Shitsugen 30 km to rack up his seventh win. This year Kawauchi faced some competition from members of the Raffine corporate men's team, but within the first few kilometers he was already on his own. At 10 km he was 23 seconds up on Raffine's Hiroki Kai with Kai's teammate Yoshiki Koizumi another 13 second behind. Koizumi, who broke 2:14 for the first time at this year's Tokyo Marathon, sped up after 10 km to overtake Kai and cut 14 seconds off Kawauchi's lead, but over the hilly last 10 km he couldn't manage to close the gap. Kawauchi was first across the line in 1:34:34, splitting it right down the middle with the 4th-fastest of his 7 Kushiro wins to date and seemingly back on track after a string of lackluster runs since May's Nobeyama 71 km. Koizumi was next in 1:35:05, just missing his 30 km spl...

2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee chair Yoshiro Mori met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to request the introduction of daylight saving time to Japan, telling the Prime Minister, "I want it to be introduced even just for the summer of the Games." Mori is seeking a 1 to 2 hour time shift as a measure against the expected hot conditions. "I want daylight saving time to to be introduced because that way what's now 5:00 a.m. would become 7:00 a.m.," he said. source article: https://www.mbs.jp/news/zenkokunews/20180727/3432175.shtml translated by Brett Larner

Just ahead of an approaching typhoon former Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage man  Shun Gorotani and established mountain runner Yuri Yoshizumi both repeated their summit climb wins in Friday's 71st edition of the iconic Fuji Mountain Race . Video: Finish: 五郎谷俊 Shun Gorotani（コモディイイダ）が2:39:28で第70回富士登山競走山頂コースを昨年に続いて連覇。昨年の箱根駅伝5区での快走で知られるトップ選手です。 #富士登山競走 #mtfuji pic.twitter.com/MjxrQxNjlI — Dogsorcaravan (@Dogsorcaravan) July 27, 2018 Already having established himself as one of Japan's premier uphill specialists, Gorotani had a lead of over four minutes by halfway into the run up to the peak of Mt. Fuji. Gorotani covered the 21 km, 3000 m+ elevation gain course in 2:39:28, almost 8 minutes off his winning time last year but 14 minutes ahead of runner-up Miki Ushida . Speaking to Dogsorcaravan post-race Gorotani expressed disappointment with his time, saying he couldn't move his legs at all. "I've still got a long way to go," he said. Video: Finish: 吉住友里...

It's Sunday, June 24. At the western end of Japan's main island of Honshu the competition at the Yamaguchi National Track and Field Championships has been heating up. On this day alone, the final day of the Championships, the national records have fallen in both the men's 110 m hurdles and men's discus throw. On the very same day, far to the northeast of Yamaguchi at Lake Saroma, Hokkaido, another new record was born . After standing for 20 years, the 100 km ultramarathon world record has finally fallen. The man who accomplished this deed is Nao Kazami (Aisan Kogyo). The previous world record of 6:13:33 was set at Lake Saroma by Takahiro Sunada (Sekisui Kagaku) in 1998. Kazami improved that mark by more than four minutes with a new record of 6:09:14.  "I was targeting place more than time," said Kazami of the race where he needed to finish in the top four to have a chance of being selected for the Japanese national team for this year's Croatia World ...

an editorial by Japanese state media NHK's Akito Iga and Daichi Takahashi It's no exaggeration to say that the endless string of record-breaking hot days hitting Japan has reached disaster proportions. In the last week 65 people died and 22,647 were taken to the hospital with symptoms of heat stroke. Amid these record-breaking conditions it's now two years to the day to the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and the competition schedule has been officially announced. The Internet is overflowing with voices asking, "Is it really OK to hold the Olympics in the middle of a season like this?" The Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee has announced the competition schedule for the Games, to take place from July 24 to August 9 two years from now. One noticeable feature is that "due to the harsh summer heat of Tokyo," some outdoor events will start earlier than originally planned. For example, the marathons have been bumped up from a 7:30 a.m. start ...

For more background on this story read previous story #1 , story #2 , and story #3 . Case Number: 2017-005 Athlete Name: Moeno Nakamura Sport: Athletics Based on the decision of the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) Hearing Panel, the Disciplinary Panel has made the following ruling in the case described below. Hearing Panel Decision  The JADA Hearing Panel is comprised of members selected by the Disciplinary Panel chairperson in accordance with JADA Rule 8.3.2. In the case in question, the Hearing Panel made the recommendations below based on a hearing session held on May 30, 2018, and on supplementary evidentiary documentation received thereafter. Decision A violation of Rule 2.1 was found to have occurred. In accordance with Rules 9 and 10.8, all individual results from the period covering the date the testing sample was taken and the beginning of the provisional suspension period, including those at the 37th National Corporate Women's Ekiden, will be annull...

Kenyan Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) outran teammate Tomohiro Tanigawa and defending champ Tsubasa Hayakawa (Toyota) to win the 32nd Suffolkland Shibetsu Half Marathon in the midst of hot and sunny conditions. All three went under the previous course record, with Kuira getting away in the final kilometer to win in 1:03:10. Hayakawa was next in 1:03:15, with Tanigawa just back in 1:03:18. In the women's half marathon Kotomi Tsubokura won by over 30 seconds in 1:15:42. Natsuki Omori (Daihatsu) won the women's 10 km in 34:08, beating Rio Olympian Mai Ito (Otsuka Seiyaku) by 8 seconds. Newcomer Junna Suzuki (Iwatani Sangyo) was 3rd a step behind Ito in 34:17. 32nd Shibetsu Half Marathon Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 7/22/18 Men 1. Paul Kuira (Konica Minolta) - 1:03:10 - CR 2. Tsubasa Hayakawa (Toyota) - 1:03:15 3. Tomohiro Tanigawa (Konica Minolta) - 1:03:18 4. Ryo Matsumoto (Toyota) - 1:03:44 5. Kenta Iinuma (SGH Group) - 1:04:21 Women 1. Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 1...

Having made her Diamond League debut earlier this season, the Japan Post corporate team's #3 woman Rina Nabeshima moved up to all-time Japanese #2 over 3000 m with an 8:48.21 for 8th at Saturday's London Diamond League meet. A PB by 3 seconds, Nabeshima is now less than 4 seconds behind national record holder Kayoko Fukushi . Fukushi's 5000 m is 14:53.22. Based on that Nabeshima looks just about ready to become only the second Japanese woman to ever break 15 minutes for 5000 m, something the JAAF is desperate to achieve before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It's good to see somebody focusing on something other than the marathon. 【DLロンドン 女子3000m 鍋島莉奈】 Muller Anniversary Games 2018 日本記録更新ならず。。。。 歴代２位 8:48.21 PB!! 順調に進化！ pic.twitter.com/CohwUHWujO — Rolows (@Rolows_13) July 22, 2018 Across the Channel at Belgium's Nacht van de Atletiek meet Japanese results were pretty mediocre. The only halfway notable mark came via teen sensation Hyuga Endo in the me...

In preparation for the 2020 Nagasaki Peace Marathon , the first marathon to be held in Nagasaki and one commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United States' use of nuclear weapons on the city, the new race's organizing committee featuring both public and private sector representatives was officially established this week. Aiming to spread the message of peace through running, the Nagasaki Peace Marathon will be held on Nov. 29, 2020, just after the atomic bombing's 75th anniversary. Approximately 60 representatives from the Nagasaki City government, the transportation industry, the media, economic associations and non-profit organizations attended the inaugural meeting. Topics included the selection process for committee executives, an outline of the race details, and an explanation of the planned course starting and finishing at Matsuyama Municipal Field and running along the Nagasaki Port coastline. "I hope that we can all work together to create a maratho...

A statement by Koichiro Nishikawa , chairperson of the Japan Industrial Track and Field Association At the 37th National Corporate Women's Ekiden organized by the Japan Industrial Track and Field Association (JITA), a prohibited substance was detected in a sample taken from Moeno Nakamura , at the time a member of the Universal Entertainment team, in an in-competition drug test. After receiving notification of this result, in accordance with the recommendations of the Japan Anti-Doping Agency disciplinary panel, Nakamura was suspended for one year and three months beginning Nov. 26, 2017. As the JITA not only do we hold anti-doping education sessions for athletes and coaches in partnership with the Japan Association of Athletics Federations and clearly specify that our events must be carried out in strict accordance with anti-doping regulations, but as the JITA chairperson I have personally given strong emphasis to the importance of "Clean Sport." In spite of these...

On July 19 the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) announced that distance runner Moeno Nakamura , 28, a former member of the Universal Entertainment women's ekiden team, had tested positive for the muscle tone-improving steroid metenolone during in-competition testing at last November's National Corporate Women's Ekiden, which Universal Entertainment won. As a result of the positive test Nakamura, who has already left the team, will be suspended for one year and three months and have her result at the ekiden annulled. According to the JADA announcement, two months before the ekiden Nakamura underwent surgical treatment for a gynecological condition. Subsequent injections she received included the prohibited substance. JADA accepted her explanation that these were for post-operative therapeutic purposes but ruled her negligent in not having told her doctor that she was an athlete and in not confirming the contents of the injections. In a statement released through Univer...

On July 18 it was learned from several sources connected with the situation that a member of the 2017 National Corporate Women's Ekiden champion team Universal Entertainment who left the team at the end of last season tested positive for a banned substance in a doping test carried out at the ekiden. Universal Entertainment won the national championship race, its second-ever title and first in five years. But because the athlete's result will be annulled the team will also be stripped of its title, an unprecedented situation in the ekiden's history. According to an involved source, before the race the athlete took her own personal medicine which included the prohibited substance. The athlete denied having taking the medicine in order to enhance her performance. Team management claimed the athlete had not informed then that she was taking it, and that the situation was the result of her personal carelessness. The Universal Entertainment team was founded under the name ...

In preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the JAAF will hold a 10-day women's marathon training camp in Chitose, Hokkaido from July 27 to August 5. It is the first time for the city of Chitose to host a JAAF training camp since it was selected as the site for the Japanese national team's pre-Tokyo Olympics base. Six athletes including 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian Mai Ito will take part, with the program scheduled to include running classes with local amateur runners. The six athletes identified as high-level in the marathon and long distance and invited to participate in the program are Ito, Yuka Ando , Hanami Sekine , Yukari Abe , Mao Ichiyama and Miyuki Uehara . Along with them, a staff of sixteen support personnel will also take part. Conceived of as a simulation of the Tokyo Olympics, the camp takes place at the same time and for the same number of days as it will two years from now before the main event. The athletes will train at Aoba Field, on the 3.6 km Aoba Par...

The 31st annual Six University Track and Field Meet, a competition between Tokai University, Nittai University, Juntendo University, Nihon University, Tsukuba University and Chukyo University, took place this holiday weekend at Chiba Sports Park Field in Chiba. Facing afternoon temperatures climbing over 35 degrees, organizers made the decision to cancel the men's 5000 m scheduled for 3:25 p.m.  In its place, an unofficial time trial was held later at 5:30 p.m. Despite the two-hour difference the temperature at the start was still 31 degrees. Tsukuba University second-year Kento Nishi finished first in the time trial in 14:48 after taking the lead with two laps to go. Wiping sweat from his face post-race Nishi said, "I don't think 14:48 was too bad in this kind of heat." source article: https://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20180714-OHT1T50165.html translated and edited by Brett Larner

Distance action at the senior level was split between three main meets this weekend. One contingent of Japanese women and men headed to Europe for a mini tour of the circuit, starting things off Saturday at Belgium's Kortrijkse Guildensporenmeeting . One of Japan's top current half marathoners, Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) ran a season best 15:36.11 for 4th in the women's 5000 m to lead the five Japanese women in the race. National XC runner-up Kosei Yamaguchi (Aisan Kogyo) led the Japanese men in the 3000 m SC in 8:37.81. The popular Hazuma Hattori (Toenec) was the fastest Japanese man in the 1500 m at 3:45.17, with Nokoka Hosaka (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) delivering the fastest Japanese women's time at 4:25.40. Also Saturday back home in Hokkaido, the Hokuren Distance Challenge series wrapped up with the Shibetsu meet . Women's 5000 m A-heat winner Yuka Hori (Panasonic) was just off Ichiyama's Belgian time in 15:37.51 just ahead of Honami Maeda (Tenmaya), who cont...

Only two Japanese athletes were in action on the final day of the  World U20 Championships  in Tampere, Finland. In the men's 3000 m steeplechase, Waseda University's Takumi Yoshida ran a PB of 8:50.99 for 5th, well out of medals but outkicking Italy's Giovanni Gatto to finish as the first runner born outside east Africa. "This was a race that showed me where there are still problems, and I will work on improving them," he wrote on Twitter afterwards. "Thank you to everyone who has helped me come this far." In the women's 1500 m final, Asian Junior 1500 m gold medalist Ririka Hironaka , a senior at Nagasaki Shogyo H.S., finished 11th out of the twelve starters in 4:21.31. With two gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes and eleven top 8 placings at the end of the Championships Japan ranked 8th in the final medal count, its second-best showing ever and a mark of encouragement with just two years to go until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. World U...

6th in the men's pole vault two years ago, Masaki Ejima kept Japan's medal streak at the Tampere World U20 Championships alive with a bronze medal on the fifth day of competition. Both Ejima and silver medalist Zachery Bradford of the U.S.A. cleared 5.55 m on their third attempts and failed to clear 5.60, but as Ejima had struggled at 5.40 m the silver went to Bradford, who had cleared it with ease. Gold went to Armand Duplantis , who set a new championships record of 5.82 m. A highly-anticipated medal failed to materialize in the men's 4x100 m, where the Japanese squad finished out of the medals by an agonizing 0.01 behind Germany, running in the top three throughout the race but outleaned at the line. Both the U.S.A. and Jamaica went under 39 seconds for gold and silver.  Another near-miss came in the women's 10000 m racewalk, where Nanako Fujii set a PB of 45:08.68 but came only 4th. In both the men's 10000 m racewalk and men's high jump Japan scored t...

Two-time national high school champion Ayaka Kora kept Japan's medal count moving on Day Three of the Tampere World U20 Championships  with a silver in the women's long jump. A 6.37 m (+1.2  m/s) on her second attempt was good enough to move her into the silver position behind only Germany's Lea-Jasmin Riecke , whose PB of 6.51 m (+0.4 m/s) on her own second attempt gave her the top spot. There the two remained through the rest of the final, American Tara Davis giving Kora a bit of a scare on her final attempt with a jump of 6.36 (+0.0 m/s) that earned Davis bronze. The women's 3000 m steeplechase final was the only other final to feature a Japanese athlete. Already having moved in the all-time #4 Japanese U20 position in the heats, Manami Nishiyama improved on that with a 10:00.49 for 9th, well out of the medals but just missing a JAAF-coveted top eight position. After her performance Matsuyama University , where Nishiyama is a student, now owns five of the te...

After yesterday's solid haul of gold and silver medals, Shunsuke Izumiya added a bronze medal to the mix in the men's 110 m hurdles at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. Quick out of the blocks, Izumiya led the first few hurdles before being caught by Jamaican duo Damion Thomas and Orlando Bennett . But a PB run of 13.38 was enough to keep Izumiya in the medals, the only one of the day for Japan. In the two other finals with Japanese athletes, Ayaka Kawata took 6th in the women's 800 m in 2:03.57 well back from the championships record 1:59.74 by gold medalist Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia. Maki Saito took 8th in the women's discus throw with a mark of 50.10 m, both she and Kawata factoring into the JAAF's target number of top eight placers. No Japanese athletes made it through the day's semifinals, both Keigo Yasuda and Koji Ueyama stopped there in the men's 200 m and Moeka Sekimoto likewise not advancing out of the women's 400 ...

An interview with Australia's Inside Running Podcast.

Working together to execute an aggressive frontrunning team strategy born from failure two years ago in Bydgoszcz , 2018 Asian U20 3000 m gold medalist Nozomi Tanaka and 2018 Asian Junior Cross Country gold medalist Yuna Wada opened a massive lead over the African Junior Cross Country medalist Ethiopian duo of Meselu Berhe and Tsige Gebreselama in the early going of the Tampere World U20 Championships women's 3000 m. Tanaka took the lead from the gun before Wada went out front at 200 m to set a fast pace. Through splits of 3:00 and 3:03 for the first 2000 m, Tanaka kicked hard from 300 m out to close with a 2:51 for Japan's first-ever gold medal in the event, winning in a PB of 8:54.01. Berhe and Gebreselama caught Wada on the back corner but weren't even close to matching Tanaka, taking 2nd and 3rd in PBs just under the 9-minute mark. Wada just held off Kenyan Jenali Jemutai Yego for 4th in 9:00.50, seeming happy in post-race interviews to have helped a teammate ...