Hokuren Distance Challange Abashiri Meet Results

The third meet in this year's Hokuren Distance Challenge series happened Saturday in Abashiri, Hokkaido. 5000 m NR holder Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) had her best run of the year with a 15:29.12 to win the 5000 m A-heat, a step back in the right direction after a series of flat performances since last ekiden season. And it couldn't have come at a better time, with Hironaka being the only Japanese woman qualified for the 10000 m at next month's Budapest World Championships. The rest of the field was over 20 seconds back, led by Yuna Wada (Japan Post) in 15:52.33.

Eva Cherono (Toto) took the women's 10000 m in a season best 31:25.57. Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) continued to grow through her first collegiate season was a 30 sec+ PB of 31:46.17, just beating marathoner Yuka Ando (Wacoal) who clocked 31:46.85 for 3rd. Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) led the women's 3000 m in 8:49.32, Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) 2nd in 8:55.52 and Esther Wangui (Starts) 3rd in 8:58.57. Ai Fujita (Toyota Jidoshokki) took the top spot in the women's 1500 m in 4:21.14.

Vincent Yegon (Honda) led the top 8 sub-28 in a deep men's 10000 m, getting the win 27:41.57 with Muthoni Muiru (JR Higashi Nihon) 2nd in 27:43.30 and Simon Muthio (Chuo Hatsujo) 3rd in 27:43.67. 2020 Fukuoka International Marathon winner Yuya Yoshida (GMO) ran the second-fastest 10000 m of his career with a 27:54.33 for 7th, with 20-year-old Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) breaking into the sub-28 club with a 27:55.15 for 8th. 5000 m NR holder Suguru Osako (GMO) was 17th in 28:35.36 after 28:14.69 for 4th in the B-heat less than 2 hours earlier. Unusually, there were 6 DNFs in the A-heat, including top collegiate runners Shunsuke Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) and Hiroto Yoshioka (Juntendo Univ.).

Antipas Kibet (Komori Corp.) won the 5000 m A-heat in 13:17.39. Tomoki Ota (Toyota) followed up on his 13:24.59 PB in Shibetsu on July 1 with a new PB of 13:20.11 for 2nd. Marathoner Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) was 3rd in a PB 13:27.79, his first time under 13:30. Nagiya Mori (Honda) led the top 5. under 8 minutes in the 3000 m in 7:51.96, with Hiroki Matsueda (Fujitsu) taking the 1500 m in 3:40.99. The B-heats were also decently fast. Edwin Kipkemoi (Asahi Kasei) won the 10000 B-heat in 28:04.14, with Edwin Kisalsak (Fujisan no Meisui) taking the 5000 m B-heat in 13:28.69.

The Hokuren Distance Challenge Series continues Wednesday in Kitami.

Keita Satoh Running New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

1500 m U20 NR holder Keita Satoh (Nike Swoosh TC) is running this weekend's New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile , the first time that a Japanese man has been invited in the race's 45-year history. In university Sato had to change focus away from middle distance to the half marathon-scale lengths of the Hakone Ekiden stages, but since graduating in March and relocating to Flagstaff he has refocused on the 1500 m, going from 3:43.19 in April in his first 1500 m in almost 4 years to 3:38.30 over the course of 5 races. Fifth Avenue will be his last race before heading back to Japan for one more track 1500 m and some down time. Men's entries with best 1500 m times in last 3 years: Stefan Nillessen (NED) - 3:29.23 (2025) Flavien Szot (FRA) - 3:30.74 (2025) Oliver Hoare (AUS) - 3:31.07 (2024) Jake Heyward (GBR) - 3:31.18 (2026) Titouan Le Grix (FRA) - 3:31.46 (2026) Romain Mornet (FRA) - 3:31.62 (2025) Adam Spencer (AUS) - 3:31.83 (2026) Pieter Sisk (BEL) - 3:31.85 (2025) Gary Martin (...

Nat'l University Ekiden Updates Here

Looks like I just went over my update limit on Twitter - sorry, it's the first time I've tried to use it for this. I'll look for another option next time. In the meantime I'll add updates to the comments below. Not sure if that has a max too but I guess we'll find out. Update: Part one of the Nationals commentary can be found here .

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...

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