japan running news

by Brett Larner The 2013 Great North Run lived up to expectations with thrilling races up front on both the men's and women's sides.  Battling strong crosswinds through the first half of the race and benefitting from an equally strong tailwind through the middle stages, 5000 m and 10000 m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) made a successful transition to longer distances with a 1:00:09 win by one second over favorite Mo Farah  (Great Britain) and the great Haile Gebrselassie  (Ethiopia) who took nearly two minutes off the existing 40+ world record in 1:00:41, while London Marathon winner Priscah Jeptoo  (Kenya) mopped the soaking wet roads with Moscow World Championships 5000 m and 10000 m gold medalists Meseret Defar  (Ethiopia) and Tirunesh Dibaba  (Ethiopia) to win in a smoking 1:05:45.  The JRN-supported Japanese contingent brought its A-game, six of the seven of them making the top eight led by Arata Fujiwara  (Miki House) w...

by Brett Larner Scratches from the upper end of the entry lists for tomorrow's Great North Run include Koen Raymaekers  (Netherlands) and Andy Vernon  (Great Britain) in the men's race and #1-ranked Brit Gemma Steel , Irene Jerotich  (Kenya), Jen Rhines  (U.S.A.), Laura Whittle  (Great Britain) and Abigail Bayley  (Great Britain) in the women's race. 2013 Great North Run Start List Highlights Newcastle-South Shields, U.K., 9/15/13 Men Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) - debut Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) - 58:55 (Phoenix, 2006) Mo Farah (Great Britain) - 1:00:22 (New York 2011) Collis Birmingham (Australia) - 1:00:56 (Marugame 2013) Daniele Meucci (Italy) - 1:01:06 (New York 2013) Arata Fujiwara (Japan/Miki House) - 1:01:34 (Marugame 2012) Tomohiro Tanigawa (Japan/Team Konica Minolta) - 1:02:17 (Marugame 2013) Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/Saitama Pref. Gov't) - 1:02:18 (Marugame 2012) Jonathan Mellor (Great Britain) - 1:02:59 (New York 2012) Ryota Mat...

by Brett Larner Sunday's Great North Run  features men's and women's races bound to go down in history, with the winners of the last five Olympic 10000 m gold medals, Kenenisa Bekele  (Ethiopia), Mo Farah  (Great Britain) and now-veteran Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) slated to go head-to-head in the men's race and London Olympics marathon silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo  (Kenya) going after Moscow World Championships 5000 m and 10000 m gold medalists Meseret Defar  (Ethiopia) and Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia).  Even though there may be doubts as to whether Bekele will really start what would be his half marathon debut, what more could you ask for? But beyond the big stars both races feature deep quality fields.  The men's race features 2013 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon winner Collis Birmingham (Australia), top Europeans Daniele Meucci  (Italy) and Koen Raymaekers  (Netherlands), and five Japanese men appearing with support...

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/great-north-run-citizen-runner-5817853 Along with Kawauchi, London Olympian Arata Fujiwara  (Miki House) will run his first race of 2013 at the Great North Run after recovering from a long injury following December's Fukuoka International Marathon.  Among the other Japanese men competing at the Great North Run,  Ryuji Watanabe  (Team Toyota Kyushu) and Tomohiro Tanigawa  (Team Konica Minolta) both beat Kawauchi at July's Shibetsu Half Marathon, making for an interesting race-inside-a-race.   Ryota Matoba  (Team Komori Corp.) and female athletes Ayaka Hitomi  (Team Shimamura) and Misaki Kato  (Team Kyudenko) round out the Japanese contingent appearing at the Great North Run with support from JRN.