Lee Breaks Korean 1500 m NR - Hokuren Distance Challenge Shibetsu Meet Highlights

After tuning up with a 3:40.19 win in the men's 1500 m A-heat in Fukagawa on Wednesday, South Korean Jae Ung Lee turned in the performance of the day at the second Hokuren Distance Challenge meet in Shibetsu Saturday. Going to the front after 900 m, Lee ran a 3:38.55 for the win, just enough to achieve his goal of breaking the 1993-era Korean national record of 3:38.60 and almost 6 seconds up on nearest Japanese competitor Rikuto Iijima (Ami AC), 2nd in 3:44.27. Na Yeon Park also repeated her Fukagawa win, slightly slower this time in 4:15.58 over Rose Wangui (Daiso), 2nd in 4:16.09.

Other standout performances included an 8:55.45 win in the women's 3000 m by Yvonne Jepchirchir Chepkosgei (Higo Ginko), a 7:52.11 win by Isaac Ndiema (Mazda) in the men's 3000 m, and a 14:55.45 win by Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) in the women's 5000 m. No Japanese athletes hit the qualifying standards for next month's National Championships at any distance. The next meet in the HDC series won't happen until after Nationals, picking up July 12 in Chitose.

Hokuren Distance Challenge Shibetsu Meet

Shibetsu, Hokkaido, 14 June 2025

complete results

Women's 1500 m A-Heat

1. Na Yeon Park (South Korea) - 4:15.58

2. Rose Wangui (Daiso) - 4:16.09

3. Yume Goto (Uniqlo) - 4:20.49

4. Karin Yasumoto (Memolead) - 4:23.50

5. Ayu Koyama (Iwatani Sangyo) - 4:27.17

Men's 1500 m A-Heat

1. Jae Ung Lee (South Korea) - 3:38.55 - NR

2. Rikuto Iijima (Ami AC) - 3:44.27

3. Atsushi Shobu (Kao) - 3:48.29

4. Kenneth Kipngeno (Sapporo Gakuin Univ.) - 3:51.17

5. Hayato Ichimiya (Ehime Ginko) - 3:54.90

Women's 3000 m

1. Yvonne Jepchirchir Chepkoskei (Higo Ginko) - 8:55.45

2. Martha Mokaya (Canon) - 9:13.98

3. Mayu Tsukamoto (Higo Ginko) - 9:14.73

4. Toshika Tamura (Hitachi) - 9:17.45

5. Riko Iijima (Nitori) - 9:23.69

6. Michi Kawanishi (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 9:24.55

7. Shiori Ogumo (Higo Ginko) - 9:27.24

8. Rina Sasaki (Sekisui Kagaku) - 9:29.60

9. Kanoko Nawa (Edion) - 9:30.82

10. Rion Furukawa (Nitori) - 9:33.31

Men's 3000 m

1. Isaac Ndiema (Mazda) - 7:52.11

2. Shoya Kawase (NTN) - 8:02.17

3. Ryotaro Yoshihara (Aichi Seiko) - 8:03.32

4. Yusuke Takahashi (Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 8:04.53

5. Tomoki Nakano (Toenec) - 8:06.48

6. Kibet Mangata (Mazda) - 8:06.84

7. Daichi Takeuchi (Toenec) - 8:09.51

8. Hiroto Takamura (Toenec) - 8:19.33

DNF - Shoma Funatsu (Hiramatsu Byoin)

Women's 5000 m A-Heat

1. Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) - 14:55.45

2. Lucy Nduta (Ehime Ginko) - 15:07.55

3. Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera) - 15:10.98

4. Miyaka Sugata (Japan Post) - 15:51.17

5. Yu Jin Kim (South Korea) - 16:00.41

6. Mao Kogure (Japan Post) - 16:01.76

7. Hikari Onishi (Japan Post) - 16:06.37

8. Momoka Kawaguchi (Uniqlo) - 16:07.94

9. Ayuka Kazama (Shiseido) - 16:09.27

10. Kaho Onishi (Route Inn Hotels) - 16:15.15

Men's 5000 m A-Heat

1. Raphael Dapash (JR Higashi Nihon) - 13:24.30

2. Anthony Maina (Toyota Kyushu) - 13:24.78

3. Kiprono Sitonik (Kurosaki Harima) - 13:26.56

4. Dennis Mutuku (JR Higashi Nihon) - 13:44.76

5. Muiru Muthoni (Press Kogyo) - 13:49.43

6. Kyosuke Hanao (Toyota Kyushu) - 13:49.71

7. Shunta Uchida (Toyota) - 13:53.28

8. Mahiro Yoshimoto (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 14:00.59

9. Reishi Yoshida (Honda) - 14:01.96

10. Hiroto Kuniyasu (Rikkyo Univ.) - 14:02.72

-----

17. Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) - 14:15.67

Men's 5000 m B-Heat

1. Victor Kipkirui (Chudenko) - 13:35.64

2. Simon Musio Saidimu (Chuo Hatsujo) - 13:39.39

3. Shota Nishiwaki (JR Higashi Nihon) - 13:44.05

4. Nickson Lesiyia (Nishitetsu) - 13:53.35

5. Rinto Nakayama (Nishitetsu) - 13:56.58

Women's 10000 m

1. Nanaka Izawa (Starts) - 32:01.87

2. Miu Yagi (Iwatani Sangyo) - 32:49.76

3. Kaede Kawamura (Iwatani Sangyo) - 33:29.02

4. Mayuka Fujita (Route Inn Hotels) - 33:32.73

5. Misaki Ichida (Uniqlo) - 33:35.79

6. Fuka Fukunaga (Edion) - 33:36.00

7. Momoko Hanano (Hitachi) - 33:58.54

8. Anna Suzuki (Shimamura) - 34:24.01

9. Shiori Takase (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 34:47.98

10. Ayami Hirano (Noritz) - 34:54.08

Men's 10000 m

1. Taiju Nakashima (Chugoku Denryoku) - 28:38.67

2. Itsuki Koizumi (Kurosaki Harima) - 28:43.36

3. Masashi Nonaka (Toyota) - 28:46.25

4. Yuki Suzuki (Kao) - 29:11.23

5. Toshiya Sato (Toyota) - 29:11.48

6. Kaisei Sugiyama (Kay) - 29:12.94

7. Hitoshi Okahara (Chudenko) - 29:13.54

8. Kosei Matsunami (Kurosaki Harima) - 29:14.50

9. Yudai Katakawa (Asahi Kasei) - 29:25.25

10. Fumiya Oshima (Hosei Univ.) - 29:26.76

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...

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Chisato Fukushima Selected as First Women`s 100 m Olympian in 56 Years

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080706-00000027-yom-spo http://www.47news.jp/CN/200807/CN2008070601000467.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On July 6 Rikuren announced that it has added women`s 100 m runner Chisato Fukushima (20, Hokkaido HiTec AC) to the Beijing Olympic team. Fukushima will become the first Japanese woman to compete in the Olympic 100 m since Ayako Yoshikawa ran in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Fukushima broke the Olympic B-standard of 11.42 with her national record-tying 11.36 mark at April`s Oda Memorial Meet. Although she won June`s National Track and Field Championships, Fukushima was not initially selected for the team as she did not meet the Olympic A-standard. In light of her victory at today`s Nambu Memorial Meet in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Rikuren reversed its decision and added her to the Olympic team lineup. Fukushima reacted to the news of her Beijing ticket by saying, "It hasn`t really hit me that it`s real yet. I would be honored to be the tri...

japan running news

Search This Blog