japan running news

http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20130302k0000m050067000c.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Following his 3rd-place 2:08:48 finish at the Mar. 3 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, James Mwangi , 28, is moving back to his native Kenya after twelve years in Japan running for Aomori Yamada H.S. and Team NTN.  He has chosen to move to support his wife, who is in poor health, but Mwangi plans to continue to devote himself to marathon training in Kenya.  "To show my gratitude to all those who have supported me I want to ultimately end up a champion." Lake Biwa was Mwangi's eighth marathon.  He came to Japan in 2001.  While at Aomori Yamada H.S. his achievements included winning the 800 m at the National High School Championships, and following his graduation he joined the corporate league in 2004.  The memory he holds dearest from his 12 years in Japan is of seeing snow for the first time in his life on the very first day he arrived in Aomori.  The ne...

translated and edited by Brett Larner The week of Nov. 2-9 saw the men's and women's district championship races to select the teams which will compete in the December 21 All-Japan High School Ekiden Championships. Each of the district races featured a standardized format, with men running a 7-stage, 42.195 km course and women a 5-stage, 21.0975 km race. Winners automatically advance to Nationals, with the top 6 teams in each district going on to the regional ekiden championships on Nov. 22 and 23. A selection of some of the results nationwide: Yamagata Aomori Yamada had a sensational day, taking both the men's and women's district titles after several winless years. The men's team won its first district competition in 3 years with a time 2:09:21, while the women recorded their first win in 6 years, running 1:10:49. Kagoshima Running in unseasonable temperatures of 27' C, Kagoshima's dominant men's and women's schools continued their streaks. Kagoshi...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?key=&k=200801/2008010600071&rel=j&g=spo http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?key=&k=200801/2008010600076&rel=j&g=spo http://www.the-miyanichi.co.jp/contents/?itemid=4557 translated and edited by Brett Larner Kenyan Julia Mombi won the 28th Miyazaki Women's Road Race half marathon on Jan. 6 in a PB time of 1:09:34. She followed her pre-race plan precisely, attacking with 2 km to go and dropping Hiroko Miyauchi of Team Oki. Mombi attended Aomori Yamada High School and now runs for Team Aruze. She is preparing for the Jan. 27 Osaka International Women's Marathon , where she hopes to run 2:25 to qualify for the Kenyan marathon team at the Beijing Olympics. Mombi enthusiastically smiled, "I ran easily today. My legs have gotten stronger." Miyauchi finished 20 seconds behind Mombi in 2nd place, while Miyauchi's sister Yoko, also of Team Oki, finished 3rd. 2006 Asia Games women's marathon bronze medalist Kayoko Obata of Team Aco...