Skip to main content

High School Runner Hit by Car During Ekiden in Oita


On Oct. 27 in Kunisaki, Oita at a regional qualifying race for the prefectural high school ekiden, a male 2nd-year high school runner was struck by a car and injured. Although the athlete did not suffer career-ending injuries, the incident has raised questions about how it could have happened. A spokesperson from the prefectural high school athletics association said that there had been "a lack of adequate consideration" in the event's planning and that the association intends to consider its options for preventing the same thing from happening again.

According to officials, the accident occurred along a narrow section of road which was closed in both directions for 320 m near the first exchange zone. A car driven by a local 86-year-old woman entered the course within the closed-off section from a parking lot reserved for race officials. When the runner tripped and fell after handing off the tasuki at the first exchange zone, his left leg was run over by the car which was coming from the opposite direction. The runner was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but he did not sustain anything life-threatening.

Prefectural high school athletics association chair Akira Shiote commented, "I am relieved that the student was not seriously injured, but if things had been only slightly different it could have ended his career as an athlete, or worse. We hope to prevent incidents like this from occurring again in the future." A polling station for the House of Representatives election was located near the parking lot, resulting in more traffic on the roads in the area than usual.

"I believe that we did not give adequate consideration to the issue of cars coming out of the that parking lot," said Shiote. "Although there was car traffic on the road, if we had had better course marshaling this accident would not have taken place. We need to re-evaluate what potential dangers there are." The high school athletics association will consult with police and the local city government to create measures aimed at preventing a recurrence of the accident.

source article:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Olympic Marathoner Nakamoto Scores 10000 m PB

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/05/19/kiji/K20120519003286760.html translated by Brett Larner London Olympics men's marathon team member Kentaro Nakamoto  (Team Yasukawa Denki) set a 10000 m PB May 19 at Sayagatani Field in Kita-Kyushu, finishing 9th at the Kyushu Corporate Track & Field Championships in 28:54.59.  "A PB makes me feel pretty good inside about things," Nakamoto commented with a smile.  "I'll be going into marathon training in good shape." Nakamoto's previous best time was 29:04.24.  In today's race he stuck to the back of the lead pack, saving his energy for a intended surge over the final stage but unable to execute as planned.  "My closing speed is still a problem," he said without seeming too concerned.  His coach Naoki Yamagashira  said, "We achieved our goal of improving his track speed.  He scored 100% today." Next up Nakamoto will run the Bupa London 10000 road race on April 27 as par...
1 comment
Read more

Hokkaido Marathon Elite Field

The Hokkaido Marathon happens Aug. 30 in Sapporo. Although it's not a top-tier race on the global schedule, the JAAF gives it special status in qualification for the MGC Race Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials, with 3 spots available to men who run under 2:12:00 and women under 2:32:00. Compare that to the criteria for making the trials by running the WA platinum label Sydney Marathon the same day, where men have to run under 2:06:30 and women 2:23:30 regardless of how they place. It's hard to see that as anything other than disincentivizing Japanese runners from racing abroad, with protecting the JAAF's financial interest in domestic races being the priority over getting the best athletes into the Olympic trials. But anyway, there are pretty good fields of people willing to not step out of line. All 6 women with marathon finishes to their name have run under 2:30 in the last 3 years led by veteran Hitomi Niiya with a 2:21:50 in Tokyo 2 years ago. Most are in the 2:26-2...
4 comments
Read more

Nakajima Makes Diamond League Debut, Tanaka Runs 5000 m SB in Silesia

Four Japanese national record holders were at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Diamond League meet in Poland Sunday. Men's 110 mH NR holder Rachid Muratake was far off his 12.92 best, running his slowest time of the year in a final, 13.41 (-0.7) for 7th. Yet to get under 8:10 this year, NR holder Ryuji Miura was 9th of 17 finishers in the men's 3000 m SC in 8:11.84. Women's 5000 m NR holder Nozomi Tanaka went sub-15 for the first time this year, running 14:58.35 for 14th in a 14:54.09 race won by Italy's Nadia Battocletti . A late add after back-to-back women's 100 mH NR of 12.62 and 12.60 on Aug. 9 and 15, Hitomi Nakajima made her Diamond League debut with a 12.91 (+0.2) for 7th, her slowest time in a final since March's Maurie Plant Meet in Australia. © 2026 Brett Larner , all rights reserved
Post a Comment
Read more