Skip to main content

JAAF Announces Schedule for July's Hokuren Distance Challenge Series

On May 14 the JAAF announced the schedule and program for the five-meet Hokuren Distance Challenge series in Hokkaido. Scheduled after the end of the Olympic qualifying period, the series will still play a key role for middle and long distance athletes tuning up for the Tokyo Olympics and fall ekiden season.

Sat. July 3 - Shibetsu Meet
men: 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m
women: 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m

Wed. July 7 - Fukagawa Meet
men: 5000 m, 10000 m
women: 3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m

Sat. July 10 - Abashiri Meet
men: 1500 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m, 3000 mSC
women: 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m, 3000 mSC

Wed. July 14 - Kitami Meet
men: 800 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m
women: 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m

Sat. July 17 - Chitose Meet
men: 800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, 2000 mSC
women: 800 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m, 2000 mSC

Entires for all five meets are open June 7-18 for all athletes who have met the qualifying standards since Jan. 1, 2020. International athletes who may already be in Japan ahead of the Olympics by then should contact the JAAF concerning entries and what will be needed with regard to including competing at any of the Hokuren meets in their registered pre-Olympic itineraries. Contact Satoe Hidano, Shizuka Hirose and Kaho Ono at the JAAF here: hokurendc@jaaf.or.jp

© 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

M.I.A.

Sorry to have been silent for a while. JRN associate editor Mika Tokairin  was in Taiwan for Ironman Penghu, where she won her age group to qualify for Kona for the first time. Right after that we moved for the first time in 14 years, and immediately after that I headed to the U.S. to help Keita Sato  get settled in his new training base in Flagstaff. We'll be resuming normal operations shortly with a big roundup of results over the last 2 weeks. Brett Larner

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...