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UTMF, Gifu Half, Hyogo Relay Carnival and More - Weekend Preview


It's a busy weekend ahead, with a major trail race, a half marathon, and at least three high-level track meets going on across the country.

The Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji is already underway, 100 miles around the foothills of Japan's most recognizable landmark in the long course race. It doesn't factor into national team selection for next year's World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, but UTMF is still the most prestigious trail race in the country. Catch streaming here and on the UTMF Youtube channel. Leaderboard and athlete tracking here.

Sunday is the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon, in normal years Japan's only WA gold label half marathon and still one of its most competitive in this still not normal year. 2022 National Corporate Half Marathon champ Dolphine Nyaboke Omare (U.S.E.) leads the women's field with her 1:07:56 CR at that race, her main competition on paper coming from Aussie veteran Sinead Diver, 1:08:50 at Marugame two years ago but a DNF at last month's Nagoya Women's Marathon.

World all-time #4 Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) leads the men's field with a best of 57:59, with five other sub-60 Japan-based Kenyans and sub-61 JPN men Yuki Sato (SG Holdings), Yuta Shitara (Honda) and Takahiro Nakamura (Kyocera Kagoshima) also in the race. The race is being streamed live on Youtube this year starting at 8:30 a.m. Sunday local time.

On the track, the Spring Nobeoka Time Trials get things moving Saturday in Miyazaki. The Asahi Kasei team will be tuning up for hosting the Golden Games in Nobeoka meet on the same track a week and a half later, with most of its best runners and those from local rival teams Kyudenko, Toyota Kyushu, Kurosaki Harima and Mitsubishi Juko also on the entry list.

In Kanagawa, the Nittai University Time Trials series holds its first edition of the new academic year. As usual, everything from 800 m to 10000 m except the men's 5000 m happens Saturday, with a relatively conservative 22 heats of men's 5000 m on Sunday. Marathoner Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) will be doubling, running 3000 m at Nittai Saturday afternoon before going for a PB in Gifu the next morning.

But most of the biggest names including multiple members of the Tokyo Olympics team will be in Kobe for the 70th edition of the Hyogo Relay Carnival. The women's 5000 m and men's 10000 m B-races will be on Saturday night, with the grand prix women's and men's 800, 1500 m, 2000 mSC and 10000 m capping Sunday's action. Live results will be posted here. Local broadcaster Sun TV has streamed the meet live in the past, so check its Youtube channel for info as the meet goes on.

JRN will be on-site at the Gifu Seiryu Half throughout the weekend.

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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