NR Attempt at Marugame, Hirabayashi at Beppu-Oita

NR Attempt at Marugame, Hirabayashi at Beppu-Oita - Weekend Preview

Japan's two big races this weekend both have a lot of excitement around them, but cold rain threatens to hold back the quality of performances people are hoping for.

At the Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon there are 19 men with times in the 58-60 minute range within the last 3 years, and among them sometime training partners Tomoki Ota and Kotaro Shinohara, 1:00:08 and 1:00:11 in Marugame 2 years ago, will be taking a serious shot at the 1:00:00 Japanese national record. Shinohara told JRN that he is targeting 59:45, and that Ota is his only real competition to get the NR. The rain forecast looks light with headwinds in the first half and tailwinds on the return trip, so between that and a front group including Alexander Mutiso, Cleophas Kandie, Bedan Karoki and Emmanuel Maru it's possible one of them, or someone else, will turn in Japan's first sub-60.

The women's race features Dolphine Omare, Pauline Kamulu and Dominique Scott in the 66-67 minute range, with Japan's top talent being Rika Kaseda, 1:08:11, and debuting sub-31 track 10000 m runner Haruka Kokai. BS Fuji has the live TV broadcast starting at 10:30 a.m. local time, but it doesn't look to be available on TVer at this point. JRN will be on-site in Marugame.

Across the water, the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon has a pretty interesting race lined up. After running 2:06:18 to win last year's Osaka Marathon in his debut, Koku Gakuin University ekiden captain Kiyoto Hirabayashi has chosen Beppu-Oita for his follow up. It's a lower-key choice that his coach Yasuhiro Maeda said was made in order to keep the pressure down. The only faster runner in the field, Kenyan Vincent Kipchumba, last finished a marathon at London 2021 when he ran his PB of 2:04:28, so Hirabayashi's main competition will probably be 2:06:57 man Shohei Otsuka, and maybe last year's winner Derese Workneh or fellow Ethiopian Tesfahun Akalnew if things go a little slower.

Other collegiate runners making their debuts including KGU's Goki Takayama and a duo from 2025 Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University could also be factors, especially given AGU's recent history of success at Beppu-Oita. Cold rain is in the forecast, and given how thin Hirabayashi is that would seem to work against him, but he excelled in exactly the same kind of conditions in Osaka last year. TBS is broadcasting Beppu-Oita live at 11:50 a.m., with streaming on the Youtube link above.

Another good half with a lot of collegiate runners, the Kanagawa Half Marathon also happens Sunday in Yokohama. No field listing is available at this point, but with a flat course and always a solid collegiate field it's usually a fast race.

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...

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...

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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