Murayama and Sasaki Making U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10 km

Every year since 2012 that there's been a United Airlines NYC Half, JRN has partnered with the NYRR and November's Ageo City Half Marathon to bring two top-tier collegiate Japanese men to the NYC Half for what's usually been their international debuts. For years we've wanted to extend that program to include top collegiate women, but that has always faced 2 problems. For one, while the half marathon distance is the main focus for Japanese collegiate men due to the stage lengths at the Hakone Ekiden, few collegiate women run it. Those that do run the National University Women's Half Marathon in Matsue, held the same day as the NYC Half.

This year, though, we're finally making it happen in a slightly different way. Amisa Murayama and Nazuki Sasaki of 2025 Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national collegiate championship runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University are joining the field for the NYRR's Mastercard New York Mini 10 km on June 6. After running an 18:14 CR for the 5.8 km 3rd leg at October's Morinomiyako Ekiden Sasaki was 2nd overall and the top Japanese finisher on the Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden longest stage, the 10.5 km 5th leg. Murayama was 2nd overall on the Mt. Fuji anchor stage that climbs 169 m late in its 8.3 km length. Since then Murayama made her international debut with a bronze medal run in March's World University Cross-Country Championships in Italy, but for Sasaki the New York Mini will be her first-ever race outside Japan.

Head coach Masamori Kabuki will be joining them in New York, one of the more interesting young coaches currently working in Japanese athletes given his success in building a small program from nothing and coming just 9 seconds short of scoring a national title against the nation's top teams.

There's a solid field like always at the New York Mini, led by world record holder Agnes Ngetich. It's not likely we'll see either Murayama or Sasaki end up in the top 10, but given their ekiden times they should both have a shot at Ayuko Suzuki's record for the fastest-ever Japanese women's time at the New York Mini, 32:37. JRN will be on-site in NYC with them throughout race weekend.

2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10 km Elite Field Highlights

New York, U.S.A., 6 June 2026

complete field listing

times listed are athletes' best road or track times within last 3 years except where noted

Agnes Ngetich (Kenya) - 28:46 (Valencia 2024)

Tsigie Gebreselama (Ethiopia) - 29:48.34 (Los Angeles 2024)

Klara Lukan (Slovenia) - 29:51 (Ljubljana 2026)

Weini Kelati (U.S.A.) - 30:49 (New York 2025)

Emma Hurley (U.S.A.) - 31:00 (Tokyo 2025)

Jessica McClain (U.S.A.) - 31:13 (Mesa 2026)

Wuga He (China) - 31:14.94 (Walnut 2023)

Hellen Obiri (Kenya) - 31:16 (Manchester 2025)

Amanda Vestri (U.S,A.) - 31:17 (New. York 2024)

Annie Frisbie (U.S.A.) - 31:37 (Charleston 2026)

Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) - 31:39 (Boston 2025)

Annie Rodenfels (U.S.A.) - 31:54 (Boston 2024)

Ednah Kurgat (U.S.A.) - 31:56 (Miramar 2025)

Dakotah Popehn (U.S.A.) - 31:58 (New York 2024)

Emily Venters (U.S.A.) - 32:11 (Boston 2024)

Viola Cheptoo (Kenya) - 32:13 (Atlanta 2022)

Amisa Murayama (Japan) - 32:15.10 (Osaka 2025)

Fionnuala McCormack (Ireland) - 32:19 (Malaga 2022)

Sydney Vaught (U.S.A.) - 32:21.37 (Eugene 2025)

Callie Hughes (U.S.A.) - 32:21.54 (Walnut 2025)

Stephanie Bruce (U.S.A.) - 32:22.45 (London 2024)

Tess Barrett (U.S.A.) - 32:27 (Philadelphia 2026)

Rachel Smith (U.S.A.) - 32:35 (Cape Elizabeth 2024)

Mercy Chelangat (Kenya) - 32:37 (Boston 2024)

Nazuki Sasaki (Japan) - 32:48 (equiv., Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden 2025)

Sophia King (U.S.A.) - 32:59.93 (Portland 2025)

Madison Offstein (U.S.A.) - 33:09.78 (Azusa 2025)

Elena Haydar (U.S.A.) - 33:30 (Boston 2024)

Katarina Birimac (U.S.A.) - 33:48.47 (Philadelphia 2025)

Lisa Hart (Great Britain) - 34:05 (Winter Park 2026)

Gabi Rooker (U.S.A.) - 34:11 (Charleston 2026)

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...

Keita Sato on Training with OAC, Breaking NR in the USA, and the Road Ahead

Translator's note: Over his 2nd year at four-time national champion Komazawa University , 1500 m, 3000 m, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m U20 NR holder Keita Sato spent a total of three months training with OAC with support from JRN, one week in Boulder last spring, three weeks in St. Moritz during the summer, and the last two months back in Boulder. During that time he ran the equivalent of a 27:57 road 10 km and 59:22 half marathon in ekidens and U20 Asian area best 27:28.50 for 10000 m, all at age 19, and since turning 20 in January an indoor 5000 m NR of 13:09.45, an indoor 3000 m NR of 7:42.56, and an Asian area best 8:14.71 for 2 miles indoor. This interview by journalist Tatsuo Terada took place in late February before The TEN, where Sato ran 27:34.66. Komazawa University 2nd-year Keita Sato had a great indoor track season. On January 26 in Boston just after his 20th birthday he ran a 13:09.45 indoor 5000 m national record, the 2nd-fastest time ever by a Japanese man behind o...

Restaurant Owner Selected as Olympic Torchbearer Dies in Fire After Becoming Despondent Over Impact of Coronavirus Crisis (updated)

On the evening of Apr. 30, the 54-year-old male owner of a restaurant in Tokyo's Nerima ward specializing in tonkatsu deep fried pork cutlets died from full-body burns in a fire at the restaurant. The man had been one of the people chosen as a torchbearer for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay. With the coronavirus crisis causing both the postponement of the Olympics and a loss of business at the restaurant, the man had recently started talking pessimistically about the future to those around him. With evidence of the man's body having been doused in tonkatsu cooking oil, metropolitan police from the Hikarigaoka Police Station are carefully examining the cause of the fire. At around 10:00 p.m. on the 30th, the fire broke out in the tonkatsu restaurant on the first floor of a three-story building. A neighborhood resident who noticed smoke called the fire department. Firefighters found the floor and part of a wall burning, with the man lying on the floor in the customer seat...

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