Honda and Okamoto Break NR, Nonaka and Murayama Take XC Medals

Honda and Okamoto Break NR, Nonaka and Murayama Take XC Medals - Weekend Update

We've been in transit back from NYC, where Komazawa University 2nd-year Shunsuke Kuwata turned in the fastest-ever half marathon by a Japanese man outside Japan, and are catching up on a busy weekend in Japan and elsewhere.

Saturday saw 2 new records and 2 international medals. At the rebranded Fukuoka Ohori Road Running race, Ojiro Honda (Tottori Johoku H.S.) took 1 second off the NR in the men's road mile, coming up just short of a sub-4 in 4:00.2. Laura Nicholson (Ireland) won the women's mile in 4:44 by 3 seconds over Yuzu Nishide (Daihatsu).

Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) had a big win in the women's 5 km, outrunning the more accomplished Medina Eisa (Ethiopia) and Margaret Akidor (Comodi Iida) to win in 15:15 with Medina 2nd in 15:20 and Akidor 3rd in 15:33. Marathoner Mao Uesugi (Tokyo Metro) was the top Japanese finisher at 4th in 16:11. Kio Furuhashi (Surugadai Univ.) took the men's 5 km in 13:45 by 2 seconds over steepler Ryoma Aoki (Honda), 2nd in 13:47 after doubling in the mile with a 4:03.0 for 3rd.

No Japanese athletes won individual medals at the IAU 50 km World Championships in New Delhi, India, but Haruki Okayama (Comodi Iida) came through with a 2:50:44 for 8th in the men's race, breaking the Asian area record behind winner Alex Milne (Great Britain), 1st in 2:46:09 to lead a British sweep of the top 6. 100 km NR holder Jumpei Yamaguchi was 23rd in 3:07:28 and Hiroki Kai 29th in 3:16:42 to put Japan 6th in the team scoring.

Hina Shiozaki led the Japanese women at 10th in 3:27:41, Mai Fujisawa and Haruna Takano going 13-14 in 3:34:32 and 3:35:50 to land the team bronze for Japan. A 1-2 finish by Naomi Robinson and Katrina Ballantyne gave Great Britain the women's team gold to go along the men's, Poland taking silver.

There were 2 individual medals for Japan at the FISU World University Cross Country Championships in Cassino, Italy on Saturday. Hiromichi Nonaka (Koku Gakuin Univ.) dueled with Ugandans Elisha Yeko and Solomon Cherotwo in the men's long race. Yeko won out in 30:27, with Nonaka holding off Cherotwo by 4 seconds to take silver in 30:36. Sota Orita (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) was 9th in 31:16.

In the women's long race Amisa Murayama (Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) took bronze in 35:41 behind gold medalist Lucia Arnoldo (Italy), 35:20, and silver medalist Nursena Ceto (Turkey), 35:35. Haruka Ogawa (Rikkyo Univ.) was 9th in 36:44.

Other university women were in action at the Matsue Ladies' Half Marathon on Sunday, the host of the National University Women's Half Marathon Championships. Yumi Yamada (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) broke free of a pack of 10 in the last 5 km to win in 1:11:26, with Momoka Tsutano (Daito Bunka Univ.) 2nd in 1:11:59 and Sakura Yumiki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) 3rd in 1:12:03. Collegiate athletes took the top 6 places, corporate leaguer Kurumi Yoda (Panasonic) coming in 7th in 1:12:31.

After a 2:07:39 PB for 8th by Naoya Sakuda (JR Higashi Nihon) last year, the Seoul Marathon continues to grow as another option on the late winter calendar for Japanese marathoners. This time around Daisuke Uekado (Otsuka Seiyaku), already qualified for the 2027 L.A. Olympics marathon trials after winning August's Hokkaido Marathon in 2:11:36, was 12th in 2:09:03 after holding 2:06 pace through 25 km. Kensuke Horio (MABP Maverick) had to hit the 2:06:30 time standard in Seoul to qualify, but like Uekado he fell off that pace after 25 km and finished 15th in 2:10:01.

After a 2:34:41 PB at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in January and a 2:37:39 CR 3 weeks later to win the Kyoto Marathon, Miyu Fukada (Ritsumeikan Univ.) ran an evenly-paced race for 13th in Seoul, coming just short of her PB in 2:35:00.

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...

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...

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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