Next generation 3000 m steeplechase star Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.), 18, has withdrawn from the Dec. 4 National Track and Field Championships to be held at Osaka's Yanmar Stadium Nagai. According to a statement from the university, Miura struck his left leg while practicing his hurdling. In July Miura ran 8:19.37, missing the Japanese national record by a fraction of a second. A win under the Olympic qualifying standard of 8:22.00 at Friday's Nationals would have secured his place on the Tokyo Olympic team.
30 km is an under-appreciated distance, and both of Japan's big races at that distance happened Sunday. At the Ome Road Race in western Tokyo's mountains, Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao (ND Software) became the first man since the great Kunimitsu Ito in 1985-1986 to win back-to-back years. Arao, who finished 39th of 40 on his leg at the New Year Ekiden last month, stayed in the pack through 20 km before going on the attack, putting over a minute on New Year Ekiden Sixth Stage CR breaker Yudai Shimazu (GMO). Sub-1:31 winning times are rare on the tough and hilly Ome course, but Arao's 1:30:54 almost equaled his 1:30:50 from last year, making him the first Japanese man ever to do it twice and second only to CR holder Ezekiel Cheboitibin . Next up Arao races the Tokyo Marathon, where he is targeting sub-2:06. Shimazu was 2nd in 1:31:58 and Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) 3rd in 1:32:07. Cheboitibin was only 9th, running almost 8 minutes off his CR in 1:36:42. Shi...
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