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, Mao Uesugi (Tokyo Metro) was 6th in 2:29:18, seven and a half minutes behind winner Workenesh Edesa who ran 2:21:41 to take 1st.

Shunya Kikuchi (Chugoku Denryoku) was the top Japanese man at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, 19th in 1:01:45. Marathon NR holder Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) was 22nd in 1:02:20 after going out with the lead group, with Taiyo Iwasaki (JFE Steel) just behind him in 1:02:26 for 23rd. Kenyan Sabastian Sawe was in another league entirely, 1st in 58:05. Margaret Chelimo took the women's race in 1:05:11, meaning all three Japanese men were closer to her than they were to Sawe. Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) was 11th in the women's race in 1:09:03.

Two other Japanese women opted for the Porto Half Marathon instead of Copenhagen. With Cynthia Chemweno winning the women's race in 1:09:58 Yuki Nakamura (Panasonic) was 2nd in 1:12:23 and Chiharu Suzuki (Hitachi) 3rd in 1:13:10.

Five Japanese athletes were at the Brussels Diamond League final. Olympic gold medalist Haruka Kitaguchi was the star of the show, coming up with a season best 66.13 m for a second-straight Diamond League title on her final attempt.

Roderick Genki Dean wrapped a great 2024 with a 5th in the men's javelin throw at 80.37 m.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown was 6th in the men's 100 m in 10.10 (+0.1).
Shunsuke Izumiya also took 6th in the men's 110 mH, running 13.33 (+0.4).
Nozomi Tanaka was yet another 6th in the women's 5000 m in 14:31.88, 22 seconds behind winner Beatrice Chebet's 14:09.82.

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

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

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 directio

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