Weekend Road Race Preview

This weekend sees the last big marathon of the year, the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon. A longtime lesser cousin to the dearly departed Fukuoka International Marathon, Hofu is set to step up in importance after the demise of both Fukuoka and the Saitama International Women's Marathon. The Kobe Marathon may come back, but especially for women Hofu should take on a bigger role on the calendar in the years to come. The women's race is still small at this stage but has some decent talent led by Japan's fastest woman of 2019, Reia Iwade (Adidas). 7-time winner Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) is on the list but tells JRN that she is injured and will not run, instead refocusing on February's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon.

The men's race, featuring pacing by Fukuoka winner Michael Githae (Suzuki) is mostly about whether former Hakone Ekiden uphill great Daichi Kamino (Cell Source) can finally pull off a good marathon. Now coached by Olympian and 2:07 marathoner Arata Fujiwara, Kamino and Githae were training partners throughout the fall along with 2:10:46 teammate Tadashi Suzuki in prep for Kamino to go for the win here. If Kamino is anywhere near Githae in fitness and focus, and Fujiwara tells JRN he is, it could be the breakthrough fans have been hoping for for years. Ser-Od Batochir (Mongolia) and Kenyan Dominic Nyairo (NTT Nishi Nihon) make up the international component of the field, Batochir doubling from a 2:12:06 in Fukuoka two weeks ago at age 40. 100 km world record holder Nao Kazami (Aisan Kogyo) and women's Paralympic marathon gold medalist Misato Michishita (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) are also on the list. JRN will cover the race live on @JRNLive.

The Sanyo Ladies Road Race is always a big year-end blowout for corporate women where most of Japan's sub-1:10 half marathon performances happen. There's a lot of talent on the entry list this time, including 2021 National Corporate Half Marathon winner Yuka Ando (Suzuki) and 3rd-placer Ayari Harada (Daiichi Seimei), Olympic steepler Yuno Yamanaka (Uniqlo), Kenyans Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (U.S.E.), Joanne Kipkemoi (Kyudenko), Winnie Jerotich (Kyudenko) and Martha Mokaya (Canon) and Ethiopians Zeyituba Husan (Denso) and Desta Burka (Denso). Qualifying spots will be on the line for Japan's team for the 2022 World Half Marathon Championships, if they actually happen.

The road 10 km is an unexploited niche in Japanese athletics, mostly viewed as something for high school boys and a transition to the half for women. Kenyans Cynthia Njeri Mbaire (Hitachi), Esther Muthoni (Nitori), Naomi Muthoni Kariuki (Universal Entertainment), Agnes Mukari (Kyocera) and Sheila Cherotich (Meiji Kokusai Iryo Univ.) top the list, but while it's a long one it's light on top-level domestic talent. Chikako Mori (Sekisui Kagaku), 15:21.42 for 5000 m in October, is probably the best of the home crowd in the race.

The National Junior High School Ekiden is also Sunday in Shiga. That might not sound like much, but it is a thing, and it's the only one of the major races scheduled to be streamed live as far as we know. Streaming starts at 10:50 a.m. Sunday local time at the Youtube channel above. Girls will be up at 11:00 and will race a total of 12 km in 5 stages or 2 or 3 km each, with boys tackling 18 km in 6 stages of 3 km apiece starting at 12:15 p.m.

Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...

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...

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...

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