Sato Breaks 1500 m U18 National Record

Sato Breaks 1500 m U18 National Record - Weekend Track Roundup

It was a busy weekend on the track across Japan. At Saturday's Kanaguri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto, the biggest news came in the men's 1500 m where 17-year-old Keita Sato (Rakunan H.S.) ran 3:40.36, a new U18 national record, the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese high schooler, and 3rd-fastest-ever U20 mark. Sato took 4th after leading the first three laps, with two of the three people who finished ahead of him going under 3:40. Winner Kazuki Kawamura (Toenec) broke into the all-time Japanese top ten at 3:38.83 and Keisuke Morita (Komori Corp.) was 2nd in 3:39.37.

Steeplechase specialist Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) followed up his 10000 m win last month in Nobeoka with a 5000 m PB at Kanaguri, dropping a Kenyan trio led by Justus Kevasa (Honda) for the win in 13:22.80. A total of thirteen people broke 13:40 across heats. Joan Kipkemoi (Kyudenko) led Japan-based Africans to sweep the top five spots in the women's 5000 m in 15:30.45, with Ethiopian Burka Desta (Denso) taking the B-heat in 15:32.49.

One of the favorites for the women's 5000 m team if the Tokyo Olympics go ahead, 20-year-old Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) had a good 10000 m debut, winning in 31:30.03 just over 5 seconds off the Olympic qualifying standard. Marathoner Yuka Ando (Wacoal) was the only other runner under 32 minutes, 2nd in 31:46.80. Only two men broke 28 minutes at Kanaguri, Stanley Waithaka (Yakult) taking the top spot in 27:47.15 and Yudai Okamoto (Sunbelx) getting there for the first time with a 27:58.43 for 2nd.

Two other men went sub-28 Saturday at the IUAU 10000 m Time Trials meet at Kanagawa's Nittai University track. Originally planned as the qualifying race for this summer's Chengdu World University Games, the meet saw a lot of DNS when the Games were postponed to next year earlier this month. All the same, corporate leaguer Yuki Muta (Hitachi Butsuryu) and 20-year-old Ryuto Igawa (Waseda Univ.) both went under 28 minutes for the first time, Muta winning in 27:57.15. Igawa just pulled it off in 27:59.74, becoming the third Waseda runner to break 28 minutes in the last four months. Wataru Tochigi (Hitachi Butsuryu), Mebuki Suzuki (Komazawa University) and Tomoya Ogikubo (Yakult) just missed, all three clearing 28:01.Yuna Wada (Meijo Univ.) took the women's race in her debut, winning by over 10 seconds in 32:22.83.

The Chugoku Corporate Time Trials meet Saturday in Kure, Hiroshima was low-key, with Takumi Komatsu (NTT Nishi Nihon) leading the top four under 14 minutes in 13:55.98 in the men's 5000 m A-heat. Kazane Iwamoto (Funyu H.S.) was the only woman to run in the meet, clocking 10:15.54 for 3000 m.

Three others men went under 14 minutes at Sunday's Six-University Meet in Konosu, Saitama. Ken Tansho (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) won in 13:50.84, alongside Kenyan teammate Luka Musemi's 8:53.37 win in the 3000 m SC helping lead Tokyo Kokusai University to its first win in the meet's 17-year history.

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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