japan running news

by Brett Larner 別府大分毎日マラソン 優勝 中本健太郎選手(安川電機) 2 9 32 妬ましいほど格好良かった(^^; 優勝おめでとうございます🎉 pic.twitter.com/K6JrFL5dm9 — manamin (@kinokonoko0916) February 5, 2017 There's a good case to be made that from 2011 to 2013 Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki) was Japan's best marathoner.  9th at the 2011 World Championships, 6th at the 2012 London Olympics, 5th at the 2013 Moscow World Championships, a PB every year from his 2:13:54 debut in 2008 to his 2:08:35 in 2013 and twice under 2:09.  That 2:08:35 came at the 2013 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, one of the classic races in Japanese marathon history, a brutal smackdown duel as Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) dropped a very large stone into the tranquil pond of Nakamoto's plans for his first marathon win.  After Moscow Nakamoto looked to be on the decline, with a 2:11:58 for 12th at the 2014 Fukuoka International Marathon marking his first-ever marathon finish outside the top ten, no marathons in 2015, and jus...

by Brett Larner With just over two weeks to go the organizers of the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon have announced their elite field for their 66th running on Feb. 5. Kenyan Felix Keny  fronts the field, a former 2:07 man with a best recent time of 2:09:04 in Hamburg three years ago.  Likewise, #2-ranked international Dereje Debele of Ethiopia has run 2:07 in years past, but in the last three years hasn't broken 2:10 with his 2:10:31 at the 2015 Mumbai Marathon his best recent credential.  American Jeffrey Eggleston completes the front of the overseas contingent with a 2:10:52 runner-up finish at the 2014 Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Beppu-Oita Mainichi factors into the complicated selection process for the 2017 London World Championships men's marathon team with a slot potentially available to a Japanese winner.  The best chance of seeing that happen comes from the talented Fumihiro Maruyama of the 2017 New Year Ekiden national champion Asahi Kasei team, Ma...

http://www.iaaf.org/news/preview/kiyeng-kamais-kawauchi-cape-town-marathon A blog post on Kawauchi by massage therapist Jason Bailey: http://thenaturegym.blogspot.co.za/2015/09/the-idealistic-yuki-kawauchi.html Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Elite Field Cape Town, South Africa, 9/20/15 Men David Kemboi Kiyeng (Kenya) - 2:06:23 (2009) Abraham Girma Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:06:46 (2012) Peter Lotogor Kamais (Kenya) - 2:07:37 (2012) Dereje Debele Tulu (Ethiopia) - 2:07:48 (2013) Yuki Kawauchi (Japan) - 2:08:14 (2013) Ketema Bekele Negasa (Ethiopia) - 2:11:17 (2014) Million Feyssa Hailu (Ethiopia) - 2:12:14 (2015) Lucky Mohale (South Africa) - 2:13:35 (2010) Sibusiso Nzima (South Africa) - 2:13:42 (2013) Xolisa Tyali (South Africa) - 2:16:03 (2014) Munyaradi Jari (Zimbabwe) - 2:16:54 (2014) Lucas Jani (South Africa) - 2:17:37 (2015) Gladwin Mzazi (South Africa) - 2:17:43 (2014) Africa Mailola (South Africa) - 2:17:57 (2014) Women Renee Metivier-Baillie (U.S.A.) - 2:27:1...

by Brett Larner With 30 days to go until South Africa's Sanlam Cape Town Marathon the organizers have announced the men's elite field for a race the hope will elevate Cape Town from IAAF silver label status to become the first gold label race in Africa.  Defending champion and course record holder Willy Kibor Koitile (Kenya) returns to face 2013 Dusseldorf Marathon winner Dereje Debele Tulu (Ethiopia), 2014 Hofu Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (Japan) appearing with support from JRN, 2013 Prague Marathon winner Nicholas Kipngeno Kemboi (Qatar), 2013 Castellón Marathon winner Andualem Belay Shiferaw (Ethiopia) and more.  Also in the field is South African great Hendrick Ramaala competing in the masters' division.  With course changes this year to take out some of the hills Koitile's 2:10:45 course record should be in range of a field featuring eight men who have run faster than that within the last three years. Making his South African debut, Kawauchi will be ho...