Michishita and Suzuki Take Paris Bronze, Muenster and Great North Run

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 Ezzahra El Idrissi and Meryem En-Nourhi. Both broke Michishita's 3:00:50 Paralympic record, with El Idrissi scoring an impressive gold in 2:48:36 to cut almost 6 minutes off Michishita's WR. Initially finishing 4th in 3:04:23, Michishita was elevated to bronze after Spain's Elena Congost was disqualified. Congost finished 3rd in 3:00:48, 2 seconds under Michishita's Paralympic record, but just steps before the finish line violated the rules by letting go of her guide runner's rope. Tadashi Horikoshi was the top Japanese man in the T12 race at 7th in 2:28:03, with Shinya Wada 9th in a PB 2:29:59 and Yutaka Kumagai 10th in 2:32:26.

At Sunday's Volksbank Muenster Marathon in Germany, 2:08:55 man Akira Tomiyasu was one of only two sub-2:10 runners in the field and the favorite to win. But although he ran comfortable through the first 15 km, near halfway Tomiyasu lost touch with the lead group and ultimately finished 5th in 2:22:55. "The turns and cobblestones in the first 10 km took more out of me than I thought they would," he told JRN post-race. Kenyans won both the men's and women's races, Collins Kemboi Kipsang taking the men's title in 2:10:52 and Rebecah Jeruto Cherop the women's in 2:32:25.

A large group of corporate leaguers was at the Great North Run in the U.K. but didn't make much of a dent on either race. 2:05 marathoner Kenya Sonota was the top Japanese man at 7th in 1:03:00, just over 3 minutes behind winner Abel Kipchumba's 59:52. 2:07 marathoner Shin Kimura was 22nd in 1:06:07, in sight of women's top 3 Mary Ngugi-Cooper, 1:07:40, Senbere Teferi, 1:07:41, and Alemu Megertu, 1:07:42. Mizuki Nishimura was the first Japanese woman across the line in 1:11:57, with Yuna Takahashi 10th in 1:12:13, Yuri Tasaki 12th in 1:13:20, and Mio Kuroda 15th in 1:14:50.

Hakone Champ AGU Hits 50 km a Day in Spring Break Training Camp

Having scored its 3rd-straight Hakone Ekiden win this past January, Aoyama Gakuin University spent the Golden Week spring holidays training on the Myoko Plateau in Niigata from May 2-6. Along with the champion men's ekiden team, the first 2 members of AGU's new women's long distance team Nodoka Ashida and Kairi Ikeno , and AGU alumni and 2026 New Year Ekiden champion GMO team members Yuya Yoshida and Asahi Kuroda also took part in the training camp. Depending on the day's training schedule, mileage at the camp was over 50 km a day. AGU men's captain Kaito Nakamura confidently said, "This Golden Week training camp is where we lay the foundations for our 4th-straight Hakone title." A lot of people spend Golden Week on vacation, but the AGU ekiden team spent their time working hard on Myoko's rolling land amid the sprouting leaves of spring. On the 2nd day of the camp, May 3, team members woke up at 5:00 a.m. to do their warmup. The team assembled a...

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...

Shikama and Njeri Win Sendai International Half Marathon

Shunsuke Shikama (Logisteed) and Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) won the Sendai International Half Marathon Sunday in Sendai, Shikama in 1:01:31 and Njeri in 1:09:20. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) was the top Japanese woman at 2nd overall. The men's race went through 5 km in 14:34 and 10 km in 29:22. Shikama ran alongside top competition including Shoki Yamaguchi (Soka Univ.), who has been running well in half marathons this season, and Tokyo World Championships marathon team member Naoki Koyama (Honda). On a course with many small ups and downs, Shikama attacked on a downhill just after 15 km, quickly breaking free of the lead group of 7. 13 seconds up by 20 km, Shikama covered the last 1.0975 km in 3:06 to seal his first Sendai title. A graduate of Juntendo University , Shikama is in his 4th season with Logisteed. At the 2024 National Corporate Half Marathon he ran 1:00:41, and at last year's East Japan Corporate Ekiden he won the Third Stage. In his marathon d...

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