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Showing posts from September, 2024

Big Japanese Results in Berlin

Results at this year's Berlin Marathon were big overall, with 6 women under 2:21 and 14 men under 2:07, and in both the women's and men's races multiple Japanese athletes had great days. In the women's race Paris Olympics marathon alternate Ai Hosoda (Edion) and Tokyo Olympics marathon alternate Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) ran the entire way together, 1:10:13 through halfway and 2:13:09 at 40 km. Hosoda had the better closing speed, finishing in an all-time Japanese #7 2:20:31 for 5th. Matsuda, who had previously broken 2:21 in her win at the 2022 Osaka International Women's Marathon, took 10 seconds off her time in that race for an all-time Japanese #8 2:20:42 for 6th. Having floated retirement after missing the Paris team, it was a great payoff for Matsuda's decision to give it one more go. Hosoda's 2:20 was a major breakthrough, but as her 5th time going under 2:22 Matsuda's performance solidified her position as one of Japan's best ever. After a ...

Niinae Breaks Through With 3000 mSC Win at Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Win

Coming up through the ranks as Japan's next top-level steeper, Yutaro Niinae broke through with a 5-second PB of 8:20.36 to win at the Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Sunday in Niigata and bump himself up to all-time Japanese #6. With pacing early on from Aisan Kogyo teammate Philemon Kiplagat , Niinae had the confidence to break away from the field of 6 just after halfway, opening over 10 seconds on Kiplagat by the end of the race. Hibiki Obara was 3rd in 8:36.68. Teenaged national record holders Ko Ochiai , 17, and Rin Kubo , 16, went for aggressive times in the 800 m finals, Ochiai going through 400 m in 51 but fading to 1:46.88. "I wanted to go for the Tokyo World Championships qualifying standard," he said, "but that first lap felt really fast. I learned a lot at the World U20 Championships and that even though I'm at the top Japan I still have a long way to go internationally." Kubo almost perfectly matched the 200 m splits from her sub-2 NR this sum...

Singh Breaks Indian 5000 m NR to Win Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup

After two days of flight cancelations and delays that ended up with him arriving in Niigata 4.5 hours before the race, Indian men's 5000 m NR holder Gulveer Singh came through with a record-breaking run to win the 5000 m on the first day of the Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Continental Tour Bronze meet. Set up as a shot at the 13:08.40 Japanese NR, the race went out with steady 63-second laps with pacing from 10-mile world best holder Benard Koech . After the pack settled out 2024 Komazawa University grad Mebuki Suzuki was at the front behind Koech with this year's Komazawa captain Kotaro Shinohara right with him. When a gap opened Singh moved up from 5th or 6th to go with them. Koech stepped off at 4000 m leaving Suzuki to lead, Shinohara struggling to hang on and coming back twice after falling off. At the bell Singh went to the front, and with a 55-second last lap he held off Suzuki in the last 100 m to win in 13:11.82, 7 seconds under his old NR. Suzuki ran a PB 13:18....

Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Start Lists and Streaming

Start lists are up for this weekend's Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Continental Tour Bronze meet in Niigata with scratches and a few additions since the initial entry list announcement two weeks ago. Prominent withdrawals include women's long jump NR holder Sumire Hata , former men's 100 m NR holder Yoshihide Kiryu , men's indoor 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato , and Paris Olympians Ryuichiro Sakai , Tomoki Ota , Ryoichi Akamatsu , and Wakana Kabasawa . Indian men's 5000 m NR holder Gulveer Singh has joined the 5000 m field in pursuit of a new NR. Times listed below are athletes' 2023-2024 best in each event. Streaming of day one of the meet starts at 14:30 Saturday, with day two starting at 10:00 a.m. Sunday. Live results are here . Men's 100 m Shuhei Tada (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.10 Naoki Nishioka (Tokai Gyosei H.S.) - 10.11 Yuki Koike (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.11 Ryo Wada (Miki House) - 10.13 Shoto Uno (Orico) - 10.16 Kuk Young Kim (South Korea) - 10.25 Kenji Ma...

110 m Hurdles NR Holder Izumiya Jumps 8.14 m to Win National Corporate Championships Long Jump

  The Japanese men's 110 mH national record holder at 13.04 and a semifinalist in the Paris Olympics 110 mH, Shunsuke Izumiya (Sumitomo Denko) turned in the biggest performance at this year's National Corporate Track and Field Championships. Doing his annual shot at the long jump at Corporate Nationals, Izumiya beat his 2022 best of 8.00 m and last year's winning mark of 8.10 m with a new PB of 8.14 m (+0.7) on his first and only successful attempt. That was good enough to take the win over Hibiki Tsuha by 11 cm and moved Izumiya up to all-time Japanese #10 in the long jump. NR holder Shotaro Shiroyama (Zenrin) was 3rd with a first attempt jump of 7.81 m (+0.5). Other standout performances: Shoto Uno (Orico) got into the sub-10.1 club with a 10.09 (+1.4) win in the men's 100 m final. 400 m specialists Fuga Sato (Mizuno) and Kentaro Sato (Fujitsu) stepped down to the 200 m, beating Uno to go 1-2 in 20.67 (+0.4) and 20.79 with Uno 3rd in 20.90. Nanako Matsumoto (T...

1st-Years Fuchigami and Shimoda Break 400 mH U20 NR at National University Championships

Waseda University 1st-year Shota Fuchigami and Toyo University 1st-year Hayato Shimoda were the stars of this year's National University Track and Field Championships this weekend at Kanagawa's Todoroki Stadium. Squeezing through the men's 400 mH first round in 3rd in his heat with a time of 50.72, Shimoda watched as Fuchigami won semifinal 2 in 48.78, 0.31 under the U20 national record set way back in 1996 by two-time World Championships bronze medalist Dai Tamesue . Lining up next in SF3, Shimoda bettered Fuchigami with a 48.59 U20 NR. That was only good enough for 3rd in his semi behind Shunta Inoue (Hosei Univ.), whose 48.46 missed the 2005-era meet record by 0.11, and 2nd-placer Shu Watanabe (Nittai Univ.) who ran 48.51 but it got him to the final. There Fuchigami delivered again, going under Tamesue's old record for the second time and beating Inoue by 0.12 to win in 48.96. Shimoda couldn't deliver the same kind of performance, finishing 7th in 50.08, but...

National Corporate Track and Field Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

  Alongside this long weekend's National University Track and Field Championships , the corporate leaguers get their shot at the National Corporate Track and Field Championships Saturday through Monday in Yamaguchi. Streaming of the first day will be above, with links to the other days here . Complete track event entry lists are here and field events here , with live results here . Top entries per event: Women 100 m Mei Kodama (Mizuno) - 11.37 Arisa Kimishima (DKK) - 11.45 Manaka Miura (Ehime T&F Assoc.) - 11.45 Shuri Aono (ND Soft) - 11.58 Yuna Miura (Cerespo) - 11.59 200 m Arisa Kimishima (DKK) - 23.16 Shuri Aono (ND Soft) - 23.45 Haruna Kuboyama (Imamura Byoin) - 23.57 Reika Matsubayashi (MMG) - 23.75 Mei Kodama (Mizuno) - 23.83 400 m Haruna Kuboyama (Imamura Byoin) - 53.07 Nanako Matsumoto (Toho Ginko) - 53.42 Abigail Fuka Ido (Toho Ginko) - 53.70 Shizuho Moriyama (Ichigo) - 53.83 Mayu Inaoka (Kagotani) - 54.08 800 m Ayano Shiomi (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:01.93 Airi Ikezaki (D...

National University Track and Field Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 93rd National University Track and Field Championships start today at Kanagawa's Todoroki Stadium and run through Sunday. The meet schedule and live results can be had here . Streaming of most events will be linked here once competition starts each day. Top entrants in each event: Women 100 m Wakana Okane (Konan Univ.) - 11.55 Yume Okuno (Konan Univ.) - 11.55 Yu Ishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 11.55 Miu Kurashige (Konan Univ.) - 11.63 Yuiko Yamazaki (Nihon Joshi Taiiku Univ.) - 11.63 Misato Sato (Chuo Univ.) - 11.64 200 m Aiha Yamagata (Fukuoka Univ.) - 23.53 Ami Takahashi (Tsukuba Univ.) - 23.67 Arie Flores (Nittai Univ.) - 23.73 Yuzuki Kojima (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 23.82 Miu Kurashige (Konan Univ.) - 23.96 Hazuki Yoshinaga (Chuo Univ.) - 23.96 400 m Arie Flores (Nittai Univ.) - 53.28 Marin Adachi (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) - 53.52 Yuzuki Kojima (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 53.99 Yuzuki Nakao (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) - 54.12 Ririka Miyachi (Surugadai Univ.) - 54.13 800 m Ai Wat...

Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon Elite Fields

The Tokyo Legacy Half happens Oct. 20 on what's basically the course just announced for next year's Tokyo World Championships marathon. With a 1:05:58 best Loice Chemnung is a mile ahead of the rest of the women's field led by Mongolian NR holder Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh , Gold Coast Marathon winner Yuki Nakamura and last year's 4th-placer Natsuki Ogawa . Last year's top 3 men Evans Keitany , Benard Kimeli and Bedan Karoki are all back along with sub-60 men Amos Kurgat ,  Cleophas Kandie and Andrew Lorot , top Japanese man Tomoki Ota at 1:00:08, and a million more. Straight from Paris, Paralympians Misato Michishita , Tsubasa Kina , Tomoki Suzuki , Kenya Karasawa and more lead the para half field. Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon Elite Field Highlights Tokyo, 20 Oct. 2024 complete field listing times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted Women Loice Chemnung (Kenya) - 1:05:58 (2024 Malaga Half) Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (Mongolia) - 1...

Juntendo University Legendary Coach Sawaki Steps Down Amid Abuse Allegations After 4 Athletes Taken to Hospital - "This is the Way We've Always Done It"

Juntendo University is one of the true powers of the Hakone Ekiden, with 11 wins in 65 appearances and producing current 3000 mSC and 10000 m national record holders Ryuji Miura and Kazuya Shiojiri . But an investigation by the Weekly Shincho gossip rag has uncovered students' accusations of abuse and power harassment against a famed honorary head coach. The university administration has acknowledged that student athletes were put in danger and indicated that the coach in question would step away from any coaching duties. The accused man is Keisuke Sawaki , 80, former head coach of the Juntendo track and field team and currently serving as a specially-appointed professor and honorary head coach at the university. A Juntendo alumnus and two-time Olympian who competed in long distance track events at both the 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Olympics, as head coach Sawaki led Juntendo to 9 of its 11 Hakone victories. Those successes led to him serving at one point as executive dir...

Weekend Overseas Race Roundup

Most of the action was overseas this weekend, with the Chugoku Jitsugyodan Time Trials meet in Hiroshima being the only really noteworthy domestic event. Dan Kiplangat (JFE Steel) had the fastest time in the six heats of men's 5000 m, beating Kibet Mangata (Mazda) by 0.38 seconds for the win in 13:35.44. 2:06 marathoner Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima) was 5th in 13:58.28, with teammate Kakeru Ide (Kurosaki Harima) taking the B-heat in 13:58.34 and high schooler Itsuki Takaishi (Kochi Kogyo H.S.) joining the sub-14 club with a 13:59.04 to win the C-heat. Rose Wangui (Sera H.S.) got her ekiden season prep off to a good start with a 9:00.27 win in the women's 3000 m. With Kenyan Brimin Kipkorir Misoi soloing a 2:06:18 for the win Japanese men went 4-5 at the Sydney Marathon in Australia, Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Asahi Kasei) 4th in 2:08:54 and Ken Nakayama (Honda) 5th in 2:09:23. 2:06 marathoner Hidekazu Hijikata (Asahi Kasei) was only 11th in 2:14:46. On the women's side...

'Marathon and Race Walk Courses Revealed With One Year to Go to World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25'

https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/tokyo25/news/news/wchtokyo25-marathon-and-race-walk-routes-revealed The marathon course for next year's Tokyo World Championships was announced today. Essentially just a tweak of the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon and MGC Race courses based on the original course for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the Worlds route includes an uphill finish and six 180˚ turns, the one at 10 km apparently there in order to make it possible to shoehorn in another one at the finish line of the Tokyo Marathon course in front of Tokyo Station. Apart from the section between Tomihisacho and Ichigaya Mitsuke, down on the way out and up on the way back, it is almost totally flat, a bit of a missed opportunity to make a more challenging course like the one at the Paris Olympics.

Kokusai Budo University Time Trials Meet Banned by IUAU for Incorrect Practices

The Inter-University Athletics Union of Japan  has announced that it has discovered a history of incorrect practices at meets hosted by the Kokusai Budo University track and field team at its home track. According to the IUAU, for a period running at least from April, 2014 through October, 2023, the following methodologies not in compliance with official regulations were common at KBU meets: When there was a headwind on the home straight of the track, the 100 m and 110 m hurdles, including those in combined events, were run in the opposite direction without proper certification to do so. In the 110 mH the distance from the start to the first hurdle, 13.72 m, is 30 cm shorter than from the 10th hurdle to the finish, 14.02 m. When KBU conducted the 110 mH in reverse it placed all hurdles 30 cm closer to the finish to account for that but measured the distance from the marks for the regular direction with a tape measure and marked it with tape. When races were run in the reverse dire...

Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Entries

The Sept. 28-29 Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup Continental Tour Bronze meet in Niigata announced its preliminary field on Wednesday. A lot of the international field has yet to be added, but what's been announced includes Paris Olympians Yoshihide Kiryu , Ryuichiro Sakai , Kentaro Sato , Fuga Sato , Joseph Nakajima , Abraham Guem , Tomoki Ota , Rachid Muratake , Daiki Ogawa , Ryoichi Akamatsu , Tomohiro Shinno , Yume Goto , Wakana Kabasawa , Haruki Kokai , Sumire Hata , Marina Saito and Momone Ueda , NR holders Shuhei Tada , Ko Ochiai , Sho Kawamoto , Keita Sato , Naoto Tobe , Yuji Tsutumi , Ryoji Tatezawa , Kanta Shimizu , Kotaro Shinohara , Rin Kubo , Tomoka Kimura and Nanaka Kori , Monaco Diamond League winner Margaret Akidor , and more. Current list top entries by 2023-2024 best in each event: Men's 100 m Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) - 10.03 Ryuichiro Sakai (Osaka Gas) - 10.08 Shuhei Tada (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.10 Naoki Nishioka (Tokai Gyosei H.S.) - 10.11 Yuki Koike (...

Michishita and Suzuki Take Paris Bronze, Muenster and Great North Run - Weekend Results

The Paris Paralympics wrapped up with another trio of bronze medals by Japanese athletes. In Friday's T52 men's 100 m final, Tomoki Sato held off Canada's Anthony Bouchard and Mexico's Salvador Hernandez Mondragon by 0.11 for bronze in 17.44 (+1.6). Tomoya Ito and Tatsuya Ito were 7th and 8th in 17.67 and 17.91, with Belgian Maxime Carabin winning gold in 16.70. In Sunday's marathons, Tomoki Suzuki lost out to China's Hua Jin in the race for T54 men's silver, Jin getting there first in 1:31:19 and Suzuki 4 seconds back in 1:31:23 for bronze. But both were far behind gold medalist Marcel Hug of Switzerland, who had a dominant run in 1:27:39 for the win. Ryota Yoshida clocked 1:37:15 for 8th. Wakako Tsuchida and Tsubasa Kina were off their best in the T54 women's race, Tsuchida 6th in 1:52:39 and Kina 12th in 2:04:53. In the T12 women's marathon, Paralympic and world record holder Misato Michishita lost both records to Moroccans Fatima Ez...