japan running news

The world's deepest half marathon returned after a 3-year absence Sunday in Ageo, Saitama. In its 35th anniversary year the Ageo City Half Marathon debuted a tweaked new World Athletics-certified course that moved its starting point onto the road outside the stadium traditionally used for its start and finish.  Boniface Mulwa (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) took off from the massive main pack after a leisurely 14:48 opening 5 km, pursued at first by national record holder Yusuke Ogura and Kensuke Tsubura of this season's Izumo and National University Ekiden course record breaker Komazawa University . But Mulwa's sub-14 split from there to 10 km was too much for them, and he ran the rest of the way complete alone out front. Ageo's first sub-61 clocking looked to be in the works, but after a short stretch of undulations leading to 15 km Mulwa slowed just enough to miss that and let the chase group start to come back into sight of him. With a kick on the last lap of the track...

Behind Kenenisa Bekele 's near-miss on the men's marathon world record, half marathon talent Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) gave the Japanese national record another go at the Berlin Marathon. Almost dead even through halfway in 1:02:21, Murayama began to slip slightly over the second half before things started to fall apart after 30 km. Run down by China's Guo Jian Dong just before the finish, Murayama took 9th in 2:08:56, a PB by about a minute but far off his plans. Not far behind him, Yuichi Yasui (Toyota), a training partner of MGC race runner-up Yuma Hattori , negative splitted a 2:10:26 for 11th, adding to Toyota's claim as Japan's top current marathon team. Berlin Marathon Berlin, Germany, 9/29/19 complete results Men 1. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:01:41 - NR 2. Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) - 2:02:48 3. Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) - 2:03:36 4. Jonathan Korir (Kenya) - 2:06:45 5. Felix Kandie (Kenya) - 2:08:07 ----- 9. Kenta Murayama (Japan) - 2:08:...

Every year it seems like the question is how much further can Ageo go? The answer still seems to be more. More further. The Ageo City Half Marathon is the world's greatest half marathon, the place where Hakone Ekiden-bound universities line up most of their rosters to help coaches whittle down the contenders for the final sixteen-man Hakone lineup. Perfect conditions at this year's race meant something special. Four runners from Chuo Gakuin University led by Takumi Yokokawa took it out hard, splitting 5:47 at 2 km, 1:01:00 pace, well ahead of last year's CR with the entire field in tow. A field that included national record holder Yuta Shitara (Honda), Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't), Hakone uphill hero Daichi Kamino (New Balance), 2017 London World Championships marathoner David Nilsson (Sweden), Kenyans Michael Githae (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC), Vincent Laimoi (Kokushikan Univ.) and Paul Gitonga (Kokushikan Univ.) and Ethiopian Wor...

2017 Kanto Regionals 10000 m and half marathon D2 champion Simon Kariuki (Nihon Yakka Univ.)  overcame windy conditions at the 30th edition of the Ageo City Half Marathon to shave one second off the course record, winning in a PB 1:01:25. Kariuki and 2017 Kanto Regionals D1 5000 m and 10000 m champ Patrick Mathenge Wambui (Nihon Univ.) took it out in the first km, setting up a fascinating duel between Kanto's top two collegiate men on the track. Led by Hayato Seki , star runner of this year's Izumo Ekiden champ Tokai University in his half marathon debut, the main body of the Japanese pack gradually relinquished the lead to the Kenyan pair, down 50 seconds by 10 km and continuing to drift back from then. Ageo has typically seen its lead Japanese collegiate men running between high-61 and mid-62, but nobody in the field seemed willing to go ahead of Seki and the runner on his shoulder, 2017 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Kei Katanishi (Komaza...