japan running news

The 2021 Hokuren Distance Challenge series wrapped up Saturday in Chitose with a big day for Japanese middle distance. Hiroki Minamoto  (Kantai Heiyo Univ.) started things off with a 1:45.75 to win the men's 800 m, exactly tying the national and collegiate records. The holder of both records, Sho Kawamoto (Suzuki), was 2nd in 1:45.83, with Mikuto Kaneko  (Chuo Univ.) right there in 1:45.85 to come in at 3rd in the race and the all-time JPN lists. Kazuki Kawamura  (Toenec) kept it going in the men's 1500 m, taking over 1.5 sec off Nanami Arai 's 7-week-old NR in 3:35.42. U18 NR holder Keita Sato (Rakunan H.S.) was 2nd in 3:37.18, breaking the U20, U18 and H.S. national records and moving up to all-time JPN #3.  Tokyo Olympics 5000 m team member Yuta Bando  (Fujitsu) was 3rd in 3:37.99, good for all-time JPN #6, with his teammate in both Fujitsu and the Olympic 5000 m Hiroki Matsueda  last in 3:52.01. Although they're listed as DNS in the official results,...

On May 14 the JAAF announced the schedule and program for the five-meet Hokuren Distance Challenge series in Hokkaido. Scheduled after the end of the Olympic qualifying period, the series will still play a key role for middle and long distance athletes tuning up for the Tokyo Olympics and fall ekiden season. Sat. July 3 - Shibetsu Meet men:  1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m women:  1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m Wed. July 7 - Fukagawa Meet men:  5000 m, 10000 m women:  3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m Sat. July 10 - Abashiri Meet men:  1500 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m, 3000 mSC women:  1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m, 3000 mSC Wed. July 14 - Kitami Meet men:  800 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m, 10000 m women:  1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, T11-13 5000 m Sat. July 17 - Chitose Meet men:  800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, 2000 mSC women:  800 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10000 m, 2000 mSC Entires for all five meets are open June 7-18 for all athletes who have met the ...

In preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the JAAF will hold a 10-day women's marathon training camp in Chitose, Hokkaido from July 27 to August 5. It is the first time for the city of Chitose to host a JAAF training camp since it was selected as the site for the Japanese national team's pre-Tokyo Olympics base. Six athletes including 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian Mai Ito will take part, with the program scheduled to include running classes with local amateur runners. The six athletes identified as high-level in the marathon and long distance and invited to participate in the program are Ito, Yuka Ando , Hanami Sekine , Yukari Abe , Mao Ichiyama and Miyuki Uehara . Along with them, a staff of sixteen support personnel will also take part. Conceived of as a simulation of the Tokyo Olympics, the camp takes place at the same time and for the same number of days as it will two years from now before the main event. The athletes will train at Aoba Field, on the 3.6 km Aoba Par...