by Brett Larner coach Atsushi Fujita, Yusuke Nishiyama and Haruki Minatoya in New York For the fifth year in a row the NYRR have invited the top two Japanese university finishers at November's Ageo City Half Marathon to make their U.S. debuts at the United Airlines NYC Half . Last year in Ageo Kenya Sonota and Yusuke Nishiyama from four-time National University Ekiden champion Komazawa University went 1-2 in 1:02:48 and 1:02:52 to seal up their invites to New York, just outkicking Japan's best first-year Haruki Minatoya of Tokai University . Three weeks ago Sonota sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw. 19-year-old Minatoya, already entered for the National University Half Marathon, was ready to take over. In New York with support from JRN and Komazawa coach Atsushi Fujita , the former Japanese marathon national record holder at 2:06:51, Nishiyama was a star runner at Iga Hakuho H.S. with a win on the First Stage at the 2012 National High Scho...
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