japan running news

Marathon great Toshihiko Seko 's final race.

Lorraine Moller anchors the New Zealand women to the win at the 1988 International Chiba Ekiden, outrunning the U.S.A., Australia and Japan.

2014 Incheon Asian Games women's 10000 m bronze medalist Ayumi Hagiwara (Toyota Jidoshokki) has finally emerged from a long, dark tunnel. Running her first half marathon in five years this February she broke her PB by one second. "I feel as though I've managed to get the hands moving a little on a watch that had stopped," she said, measuring her words thoughtfully. Hagiwara graduated from Shizuoka's Tokoha Kikugawa H.S., joining the Uniqlo corporate team where she was coached by Hideo Suzuki who had previously led World Championships medalist Reiko Tosa to success in the marathon. With her Asian Games bronze and a run that helped the Japanese national team win the 2014 International Chiba Ekiden she quickly gained attention. But when injury struck she was forced to cancel her planned marathon debut, and things started to fall apart. She had a disastrous run in the 10000 m at the 2016 National Championships and failed to make the Rio Olympic team. When her...

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH5X5RP5H5XUTQP02J.html http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201505/2015052800724&g=spo  http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/150529/spo1505290004-n1.html translated and edited by Brett Larner photo courtesy of STITCHrunner On May 28 the JAAF announced that it is cancelling the International Chiba Ekiden , scheduled for Nov. 23 this year, and will no longer stage it.  The event's organizing committee at the Federation made the decision today, citing difficulty in recruiting top-level athletes in the midst of a calendar already crowded with marathons and other ekidens and a decreasing significance in staging Chiba as both Japanese and international athletes focus on other international races. The International Chiba Ekiden was first held in 1988.  Beginning in 2007 it featured mixed teams alternating men's and women's legs over a six-stage, 42.195 km course.  At last year's 26th running 13 teams from 11 countries took place including ...

by Brett Larner Up against a relatively anonymous team fielded by course record holder and three-time defending champion Kenya , the Japan team fought hard over the final two of the day's six stages to come up with its first International Chiba Ekiden win since 2009, covering the 42.195 km course in 2:05:53 for the win with an all-star team of three men and three women.  But it was anything but a one-dimensional race, at least half a dozen countries bringing top-quality teams that made for an exciting race of turnover the entire way. #1-ranked collegiate runner Kenta Murayama led off for Japan but fell behind the talented front pack midway and finished only 6th on the 5 km First Stage.  Jake Robertson (New Zealand) did most of the work against Lucas Bruchet (Canada), Tadashi Isshiki (Japan Univ.) Florian Orth (Germany), Egor Nikolaev (Russia), Tyler Pennel (U.S.A.) and Brett Robinson (Australia), all staying side by side through most of the stage before Robinson k...

by Brett Larner Monday's International Chiba Ekiden leads Japan's weekend action, with 13 teams from 11 countries competing over a 6-stage, 42.195 course that alternates men's and women's stages.  Defending champion Kenya returns with a surprisingly weak team of relative unknowns led by Matthew Kisorio in his first race wearing the Kenyan national vest since his drug suspension and, on its women's side, Mercy Kibarus .  On paper at least 7 teams have a shot at beating the 3-straight winners, but Kenya has come to Chiba with uncredentialed teams that have mopped the roads with the competition before and can't be ignored. The last team to beat them was the Japanese University Team in 2010, and this year's JUT is just as strong.  Meiji University 's Ken Yokote broke a stage record at the National University Ekiden Championships 3 weeks ago and, with support from Aoyama Gakuin University stars Yusuke Ogura and Tadashi Isshiki, Kyoto University ...

http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/141111/spo1411110022-n1.html translated by Brett Larner On Nov. 11 the Japanese Federation released the rosters for the thirteen combined men's and women's teams from eleven countries for the Nov. 24 International Chiba Ekiden .  The six-stage, 42.195 km race uniquely features alternating men's and women's stages.  At the forefront of the Japanese National Team are the leaders of the university athletics world, identical twins Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) and Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.).  Joining them in hopes of generating Japan's first Chiba win in five years are Incheon Asian Games 10000 m bronze medalist Ayumi Hagiwara (Team Uniqlo) and other young stars. The Japanese University Team features a solid lineup of current young collegiate talent including 2014 National University Track and Field Championships 10000 m runner-up Kentaro Hirai (Kyoto Univ.) and last year's Chiba Fourth Stage winner Natsuki Omori (Rit...

http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2014/rw_news_20141007_AC_Chiba.html#.VDPwzfhfCIk.facebook

by Brett Larner photo courtesy of STITCHrunner The 2013 International Chiba Ekiden lived up to expectations with a dynamic race that saw two-time defending champion Kenya  make it three in a row in a course record 2:03:59 for the six-stage, 42.195 km course with a team made up of three men and three women. Kenya led wire to wire, but despite a couple of scares from 2012 runner-up Japan  mid-race, Kenya managed to build a lead of over three minutes on the final two stages to seal the record-setting win.  Japan again took the silver spot in 2:07:13, with last year's 4th-placer Russia  moving up to 3rd just a few meters back in 2:07:22.  The 2012 bronze medal U.S.A.  team spent much of the race in the back half of the field, advancing to 5th on the anchor stage but outrun by 28 seconds by a team made up of the world's best collegiate distance runners, the Japanese University Select Team , 4th in 2:08:03. 2010 World XC champion Joseph Ebuya  (Ken...

by Brett Larner Saturday's 2013 edition of the International Chiba Ekiden tops this weekend's list of international long distance action, with thirteen mixed men's and women's teams from around the world competing over Chiba's six stage, 42,195 km course.  Two-time defending champion Kenya  returns with a team led by 2010 and 2013 World XC women's gold medalist Emily Chebet Muge  and 2010 World XC men's gold medalist Joseph Ebuya .   Japan  provides the toughest competition, with a team including all three men from the Moscow World Championships 10000 m, Suguru Osako  (Waseda Univ.), Yuki Sato  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi  (Team Konica Minolta) along with their Moscow women's 5000 m teammate Misaki Onishi  (Team Sekisui Kagaku).  2012's 3rd-placer U.S.A.  returns a quality squad of domestic talent but should again face tough challenges for the podium from the team it beat to get there last year, Russia , the 2008...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/131111/oth13111119380017-n1.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner On Nov. 11 Rikuren, the Japanese Federation, announced the entry lists for the thirteen teams at the Nov. 23 International Chiba Ekiden .  A six-stage, 42.195 km event, Chiba is unique in featuring mixed men's and women's teams with each gender alternating over the course of the race. The Japanese team will be picked from an entry list of four men and four women.  The men's list includes all three Japanese men from this summer's Moscow World Championships 10000 m, Suguru Osako  (Waseda Univ.), Yuki Sato  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) and Tsuyoshi Ugachi  (Team Konica Minolta), as well as Moscow women's 5000 m runner Misaki Onishi  (Team Sekisui Kagaku).  Combined with the likes of 2011-2013 National University Ekiden champion Komazawa University's star anchor Shinobu Kubota  and women  Miho Ihara  (Team Sekisui Kagaku),  Risa Ki...

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-138199/ak-pick-team

by Brett Larner For the second year in a row, Kenya and Japan battled back and forth for the lead of the International Chiba Ekiden all the way, with Kenya pulling ahead in the final two km to a narrow victory in 2:05:06 to Japan's 2:05:16.  All three Kenyan women on the team won their stages,  Gladys Cherono  and anchor Joyce Chepkirui  setting new records on their legs.  Olympic 10000 m medalist Galen Rupp  won his stage to bring the U.S.A close to the leaders but could not improve his team's position, the U.S.A. taking 3rd in 2:06:36.  Russia, the Japanese University Select Team, Canada, New Zealand and hosts Chiba Prefecture rounded out the top eight, with New Zealand's twins Jake  and Zane Robertson  winning their stages.  Although times were slower than last year in the cold rain the day brought, in all it felt like the highest-level, most truly international edition of Chiba since the switch to the joint men's and women's tea...

by Brett Larner Continuing on with its unique and entertaining format of alternating men and women on each stage the Nov. 23  International Chiba Ekiden boasts its strongest overall field since switching from separate men's and women's races, with London Olympics medalists Priscah Jeptoo  and Thomas Longosiwa of Kenya and American  Galen Rupp crowning the lists.  The race will be broadcast live nationwide on Fuji TV beginning at 1:00 p.m. local time.   Keyhole TV  has reportedly not been working recently, leaving limited viewing options for international fans.  JRN will cover the ekiden via Twitter  @JRNLive .  Please note that this is not the regular  @JRNHeadlines  feed, so follow both to be sure to get all updates.  Live results should be available after each stage on  the official race website .   Fuji's race website  is also worth a check. Defending Chiba winner and course record holder  Kenya i...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20121112-1046022.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On Nov. 12 Rikuren, the Japanese Federation, released the entry lists for the Nov. 23 International Chiba Ekiden , a six-stage, 42.195 ekiden featuring teams of three men and three women.  Thirteen national teams along with a Japanese University select team and a team from hosts Chiba Prefecture make up the field. The Japanese national team includes London Olympics women's 10000 m 9th-place finisher and 5000 m national champion  Hitomi Niiya  (Team Univ. Ent.) and her Olympic teammate, 10000 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa  (Team Panasonic) along with top-ranked collegiate runner Suguru Osako  (Waseda Univ.) and past 1500 m and 5000 m national champion Yuichiro Ueno  (Team S&B).  The Japanese University team features three members of Izumo Ekiden course record-setters Aoyama Gakuin University, Takehiro Deki , Kazuma Kubota...

http://runningmagazine.ca/2012/10/sections/news/coolsaet-to-lead-a-talented-national-team-at-japans-chiba-ekiden/

by Brett Larner In its fifth year with a mixed men and women team format, the 2011 International Chiba Ekiden was one of the better editions in recent memory.  All three Kenyan men won their stages, with Patrick Mutunga Mwikya  and Edwin Nyandusi Mokua  setting stage records, while all three Japanese women won theirs including a stage record from anchor Hitomi Niiya , making for a tense race with lead changes on almost every stage.  Kenya came out 19 seconds ahead of the Japanese team for the win in 2:04:40 as both broke the old course record.  The defending champion, the Japanese University Select Team, was far back in 3rd in 2:07:26 after spending most the race battling 4th placer Russia.  The United States and Australia also had a good duel throughout the ekiden, American men Robert Cheseret  and Bobby Mack  making the top three on their stages and Australian women Lisa Corrigan  and Emily Brichacek  doing likewise.  ...