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JRN's Ten Most-Read Stories of 2024



Fresh off the equivalent of a 1:00:40 half marathon on Day One of the Hakone Ekiden, 21-year-old Kiyoto Hirabayashi of Koku Gakuin University ran a debut and collegiate record 2:06:18 to win the Osaka Marathon. Post-race his coach Yasuhiro Maeda compared Hirabayashi to former NR holder Atsushi Fujita, Maeda's teammate in their days at Komazawa University. Ethiopian Waganesh Nekasha won the women's race in 2:24:20.

Tokyo Marathon sponsor ASICS issued an apology after selling an official t-shirt with a misspelled English word on it even though the misspelling actually increased the shirt's appeal.

Ethiopian Sutume Asefe Kebede and Kenyan Benson Kipruto ran the fastest times ever produced on Japanese soil, Sutume dropping Rosemary Wanjiru at 40 km to win in 2:15:55 and Kipruto surviving a world record pace start ordered up by Eliud Kipchoge and winning in 2:02:16. Three Japanese men broke 2:07 led by Yusuke Nishiyama in 2:06:31 despite falling mid-race, while Mongolian Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh ran a national record 2:26:32 to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Preview 1. Preview 2.

Yuka Suzuki, Mao Ichiyama, Honami Maeda, Naoki Koyama, Akira Akasaki and women's alternate Ai Hosoda took part in a JAAF press conference to talk about their hopes for the Paris Olympics. Akasaki, who ultimately ran a PB 2:07:32 to take 6th in Paris, confidently said, "I'm strong on hills." 3rd men's team member Suguru Osako declined to participate in the press conference.

Inexplicably strong on the Second and Third Stages, Aoyama Gakuin University put an end to Komazawa University's hopes of becoming the first team ever to win all three major university ekidens two years in a row, taking the lead on the Third Stage when Aoi Ota ran the equivalent of a 58:57 half marathon and never under threat again. AGU ultimately broke the Day One CR and overall CR, finishing the complete course over 6.5 minutes ahead of Komazawa. Performances were at an incredible level across the board, with 9 of Hakone's 10 stages seeing times inside their all-time top 10 and the uphill Fifth Stage a new CR by Josai University's Yuito Yamamoto.

After winning the 800 m at June's National Track and Field Championships, Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. athlete Rin Kubo made history as the first Japanese woman to break 2 minutes, running a national record 1:59.93 at a JAAF-sanctioned time trial meet in Nara. Although the JAAF officially recognized Kubo's time as a new NR, World Athletics did not accept Kubo's mark as the Nara meet had not paid the fee to register itself to WA's event calendar, highlighting a growing problem in the sport in 2024.

In its first edition with a new course setup designed to get more TV time for Japan's marathoners and less for non-Japanese runners, Toyota took the lead on the Second Stage thanks to the equivalent of a 59:25 half marathon by Tomoki Ota and held it the rest of the way at the New Year Ekiden corporate men's national championship. 2022-2023 winner Honda was 2nd just ahead of 2017-2020 champ Asahi Kasei.

After running the equivalent of a 59:22 half marathon at the Hakone Ekiden, Komazawa University's Keita Sato went to Boulder, CO for almost two months to train with the OAC pro team. While there he ran an indoor 5000 m national record of 13:09.45 in Boston and indoor 3000 m and 2-mile NR at the Millrose Games in New York. Near the end of his time in Boulder Sato talked to journalist Tatsuo Terada about training in the U.S. and his future goals.

Ending the year with a bang, 2020 Fukuoka International Marathon winner Yuya Yoshida went 2 seconds under the old pre-super shoe era course record set by Tsegaye Kebede to win Fukuoka again in 2:05:16. En route he split 1:02:58/1:02:18, raising hopes that he can better the 2:04:56 marathon national record in a faster race. Further back in the field, Hong Kong's Vincent Lam set a new NR of 2:15:31. Preview.

A former JAAF director and two-time Olympian who coached Juntendo University to nine Hakone Ekiden wins, Keisuke Sawaki stepped down from his position at the university after four athletes were sent to the hospital as a result of a workout he forced them to do in hot conditions. In the wake of the incident, as others began to come forward with allegations of Sawaki's history of verbal, mental and physical abuse against athletes and other faculty, he resigned his position with the team, saying, "This is the way we've always done it."

© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Federation Tells World Championships Marathoner Horibata To Go On Diet

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20110307-OHT1T00258.htm translated by Brett Larner Having made the 2011 World Championships marathon team by running a PB of 2:09:25 to come in 3rd overall and as the top Japanese finisher at the Mar. 6 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Hiroyuki Horibata (24, Team Asahi Kasei), talked to the media at Osaka Airport on Mar. 7. Following Sunday's race Rikuren director Keisuke Sawaki , 67, told Horibata, "Let's cut things down a bit until the World Championships," directing him to go on a diet. The 189 cm Horibata weighs 72 kg [~6'3", 160 lbs]. When he joined Team Asahi Kasei in 2005 at age 18 he weighed 65 kg, and this weight is still generally listed on his profile at races and in the media. "For some reason it never changes," he said with a grin. His coach Takeshi Soh , 58, commented, "If he was hungrier for glory his world would change completely," slapping the 'heavyweight division runner...
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Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
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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...
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