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Kasai and Tazawa Scratch from Hachioji Long Distance, 5000 m Dropped from Program

 

On Nov. 15 the East Japan Corporate Federation announced that 10000 m national champion and Paris Olympian Jun Kasai (Asahi Kasei) and Budapest World Championships team member Ren Tazawa (Toyota) have both withdrawn from the 10000 m at the Nov. 23 Hachioji Long Distance meet. This year's Hachioji Long Distance features a special heat set up to target the 27:00.00 qualifying standard for next year's Tokyo World Championships. Along with Kasai and Tazawa, national record holder Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) and other top-level Japanese talent are scheduled to compete.

After last January's New Year Ekiden, Tazawa sustained an injury that forced him to miss May's National Championships 10000 m and other races including the Paris Olympics. At the end of September he ran 13:36.99 for 5th at the Yogibo Athletics Challenge Cup meet, but, he said, "My balance felt off and the back of my left knee hurt." In Kasai's case, after winning the national title in May he ran 27:53.18 for 20th in Paris. But he hasn't raced since then and did not run on either of Asahi Kasei's teams earlier this month at the Kyushu Region Corporate Ekiden.

Organizers also announced that the 5000 m had been dropped from the program. 3000 m steeplechase Olympian and NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) and others had been planning to target the 13:01.00 qualifying standard.

source article:
translated and edited by Brett Larner

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