Aizawa Goes Sub-28, Suzuki Returns - Weekend Track Review

Elite road racing returned to Japan this weekend with Saturday's Hakone Ekiden qualifier and Sunday's National Corporate Women's Ekiden qualifier, but there was still a load of track action at every level.

Saturday in Miyazaki, one of the stars of this year's Hakone Ekiden, Akira Aizawa made his corporate debut for New Year Ekiden national champ team Asahi Kasei with a 27:55.78 win in the Miyazaki Time Trials 10000 m, his first time going sub-28. His former Toyo University teammate Kazuya Nishiyama was 2nd in 28:03.94, the best time by a Japanese collegiate student so far this year. Asahi Kasei had eleven men in the race under 29 minutes including Rio Olympics marathoner Satoru Sasaki, putting them in good position for another national title defense come Jan. 1. Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University had three men under 29, setting them up as a threat to the Kanto Region's monopoly on the podium at the Nov. 1 National University Men's Ekiden.

Defending corporate women's national champ Japan Post fielded most of its team at the Tokai University Time Trials meet in Kanagawa. Tokyo Olympics marathon team member Ayuko Suzuki returned from a long injury to win Saturday's 5000 m in heavy rain in 15:57.16 before doubling in Sunday's 3000 m with a 9:19.07 for 2nd behind teammate Hikari Onishi, winner in 9:18.43. Onishi was 2nd in the 5000 m in 15:57.96, with club runner Shiho Kaneshige (GRLab) the only other woman to break 16 at 15:59.52. Junior teammate Ririka Hironaka came back from her sub-15 5000 m last month to win Sunday's 1500 m in a PB of 4:16.48. Steepler Philemon Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) won Saturday's men's 5000 m A-heat in 13:33.92, with Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) taking Sunday's 10000 m A-heat in 28:06.21.

National High School Ekiden boys' course record holder Sera H.S. likewise tuned up for championship ekiden season at Sunday's East Hiroshima Nighter meet. The Sera girls took the top four spots and seven of the top ten in the 3000 m A-heat, Kenyan Theresa Muthoni winning in 9:18.25. In the men's 5000 m A-heat Sera had four boys under 14 minutes, Kenyan Cosmas Mwangi winning in 13:38.14, 2nd-years Shota Morishita and Shota Shiode 4th and 5th in 13:57.16 and 13:57.88, and 3rd-year Konosuke Shintani 8th in 13:59.32.

The Sera boys weren't the only high schoolers under 14 minutes over the weekend. At Saturday's Sayagatani Time Trials meet in Fukuoka, Jiyugaoka H.S. 3rd-year Ayumu Yamamoto ran 13:56.31 for 7th, beating Rio Olympics marathoner Hisanori Kitajima (Yasukawa Denki) among others. Kitajima's teammate Kiyoshi Koga returned from a 1:00:49 runner-up finish at this year's National Corporate Half Marathon to take the top spot in 13:39.70.

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 ...

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

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