Midweek Track Roundup

Catching up on track results from the last few days:

After skipping the National Championships, men's 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) and 110 mH hurdler Shunsuke Izumiya (Sumitomo Denko) demonstrated fitness at the Paris Diamond League meet. Miura ran a season best 8:10.52 for 7th, with Izumiya 3rd in the final in a 13.16 (-0.6) SB after winning Heat 2 in 13.16 (+0.4). National champion Rachid Muratake (JAL) was a DNS in the final after winning Heat 1 in 13.15 (+0.1).

At the last Nittai University Time Trials meet of the season, collegiate 5000 m and 10000 m record holder Richard Etir (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) won the men's 5000 m fast heat in 13:27.48, outrunning Brian Kiptoo (Reitaku Univ.) and Patrick Kamau (Kokushikan Univ.). Reishi Yoshida (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) was the fastest Japanese man in the meet at 13:45.54 for 6th. Kiptoo also soloed a 10000 m, literally, as in the only person in the race, in 29:05.52. Sharon Mwanthi (Yamanashi Gakuin H.S.) won the women's 3000 m fast heat in 9:23.96, Saki Arai (Takushoku Univ.) taking the 5000 m in 16:35.02.

But most people were up in Hokkaido for summer training, with the Hokuren Distance Challenge series getting underway in Kitami. In the all-African men's 5000 m C-heat, Samuel Kibathi (Toyota) outlined Raphael Dapash (JR Higashi Nihon) for the win 13:12.28 to 13:12.82. Kento Yamauchi (Kyudenko) won the all-Japanese A-heat on 13:32.48. Tatsuya Matsuoka (Kao) and Yudai Shimazu (GMO) both cleared 8 minutes in the men's 3000 m, Matsuoka winning in 7:58.01 and Shimazu 2nd in 7:58.34.

Deborah Chemutai (Univ. Ent.) took the Kitami women's 5000 m A-heat in 15:36.04 over Rion Furukawa (Nitori), 2nd in 15:38.18. Susan Kamotho (Yamada Holdings) and Janet Nyiva (Panasonic) were both way under 9 minutes in the women's in the closest race in a day of close races, Kamotho scoring the win in 8:46.68 and Nyiva 2nd in 8:46.70. Hellen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) won the women's 1500 easily in a PB 4:03.65, following up on her near-miss on her PB last week at the National Championships.

At the HDC Abashiri meet, Stephen Muthini (Soka Univ.) ran 27:44.92 to lead Yuya Yoshida (GMO), Yuto Imae (GMO), Itta Tameike (Chuo Univ.) and Osaka Marathon winner Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) under 28 minutes in the men's 10000 m A-heat. Tameike's time of 27:52.38 was a new school record that made him the first Chuo runner in history to break 28. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) couldn't match Kibathi's run in Kitami, winning the 5000 m A-heat in 13:19.11. Komazawa University captain Kotaro Shinohara was the top Japanese man, just off his PB at 13:35.33 for 6th. Shimazu followed up his 3000 m in Kitami with a 13:37.35 win in the 5000 m B-heat in Abashiri.

Nyiva was back to win the women's 10000 m in 31:16.01, just outrunning Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) by 0.56 for the win. The top 7 all went under 32 minutes, including Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku), Erika Tanoura (Sekisui Kagaku) and Kazuna Kanetomo (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo). Kamotho was also back, winning the women's 5000 m A-heat in a solid 15:09.68 almost 30 seconds up on top Japanese finisher Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura), 3rd in 15:36.46. Lucy Nduta (Aomori Yamada H.S.) won the 3000 m in Abashiri in 8:57.26, Ai Watanabe (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi H.S.) taking the 1500 m in 4:19.16.

The Hokuren Distance Challenge series continues Saturday in Shibetsu.

Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

Suguru Osako Makes it Through Trail Debut at UTMB MCC Two Weeks After Olympic Marathon

Two-time Olympic marathoner Suguru Osako posted on his Instagram story on Aug. 26 about his trail running debut at last weekend's UTMB MCC in Chamonix, France with support from his high school friend, trail runner Ruy Ueda . Osako ran the 40 km division with 2300 m cumulative elevation gain. In 4th at the first checkpoint, he slowed partway through when the course got steep and rocky. "To be honest it was too scary," he wrote. "How can people run there? LOL. It was different from what I'd heard. Mostly rock." Osako struggled on the descents, writing that he had cramps in his legs. Video showed trail specialists running smoothly past him on a steep downhill. But in the end he managed to finished, placing 50th among men and 52nd overall in 4:30:41. Afterward he wrote, "It was scarier than I expected and my legs wouldn't move, even more on the downhills where I'm terrible. But at least I was able to make a mark in the safe first 10k! LOL. I'v

Lima World U20 Championships - Day Five Japanese Results

The Lima World U20 Championships wrapped with 5th-place finishes by Japanese athletes in both finals that had them. In the men's 3000 mSC final, Soma Nagahara started conservatively, sitting 11th at 1000 m in 2:49.36 with leader Edmund Serem of Kenya almost 2 second ahead. Over the next 1000 m Nagahara moved up into 5th, and that's where he stayed. Serem took gold in an U20 world-leading 8:15.28, and with 8 of the next 9 finishers running PBs to get there Nagahara hung on for 5th in a PB 8:30.37 just over 6 seconds outside the medals. Nagahara's former Saku Chosei H.S. teammate Tetsu Sasaki , who had scratched from the 3000 m earlier in the championships, was in 15th at 1000 m but dropped to last, 16th of 16 in 9:16.20 and the only athlete not to break 9 minutes. The men's 4x400 m relay got off to a slow start, opening runner Ryota Oishi 7th of 9 in 47.66. Japan's next two runners Kentaro Shirahata and Kairi Gonda moved up to 6th and then 5th, and with a stro

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