japan running news

A statement published by the organizers of the Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon on their race website. JRN's Mika Tokairin  was involved with the organization of the first edition in 2017, and we traveled to the tsunami-hit areas that year to see the race. Read Tokairin's article on it here . In 2017 we launched the Tohoku Miyagi Fukko [reconstruction] Marathon along the coastal areas impacted by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami as part of an effort to support recovery and redevelopment of the area. Along the way there were cancelations due to typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic, but even so the race returned in 2023 and 2024 with over 10,000 runners from all 47 of Japan's prefectures and from abroad. Participants praised the course, which let them see the progress of the ongoing recovery, the aid stations full of local flavor, and the warm hospitality of the volunteers. The support and cooperation of a wide range of people and organizations, including local ...

On the last business day of May four of the remaining fall Japanese marathons made announcements about their events' futures in the face of coronavirus crisis. The Oct. 4 Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon , 7.457 finishers in its second edition two years ago and canceled last year due to a typhoon, announced the cancelation of this year's race. In their announcement the organizers said that while they did not want to cancel for the second year in a row, they felt that the options available to them for going ahead with the race would deviate too far from the race's mission of building contact between runners and local residents still rebuilding from the 2011 tsunami. All entry fees will be refunded. Held in the only prefecture in Japan not to have found a single case of coronavirus infection to date,  the Oct. 25 Iwate Morioka Marathon , 5,729 finishers last year announced that it is stepping back from its plans to go ahead as scheduled. Race organizers said that they would ...

Saturday's Hakone Ekiden Qualifier half marathon was the main event of the weekend, but between that and early ekiden season track time trials across the country there were a few other notable results at home and abroad. In Sendai, the second running of the Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon took place, an event launched last year to commemorate those lost in the 2011 tsunami and to show the area's recovery. In its first running organizers brought in then-future 2:06 man Hiroto Inoue to lead the field. This year it was 2017 Gold Coast Marathon winner Takuya Noguchi (Konica Minolta), who took more than 5 minutes off the course record with a workout-effort 2:18:37 for the win. Aki Odagiri (Takemura Seisakusho) won the women's race in 2:46:07. In Toyama, 2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) ran the Namerikawa Hotaruika Half Marathon a week after a disappointing run at the Chicago Marathon. Running completely solo he won in 1:05:18, beat...

by Mika Tokairin, JRN associate editor On March 11, 2011, an unprecedented disaster impacted East Japan. What caused bigger damage than the magnitude 9.0 earthquake was the tsunami that hit the east coast of the Tohoku region. Shocking video that showed monstrous, leaden waves swallowing people, houses and cars was seen world-wide. After six and a half years, how has the affected area changed? 2011年3月11日、未曾有の大震災が東日本を襲った。マグニチュード9.0という揺れ以上に甚大な被害をもたらしたのは、東北地方の太平洋沿岸を襲った津波であった。鉛色の怪物のような波が人間を、家を、車を呑み込んでいくショッキングな映像はインターネットを通じて世界へと配信された。あれから6年半。被災地はどう変わったのか。 Just after 32 km the course rounds Hiyoriyama and the remnants of its shrine. The tsunami reached a height of 2 m up the tree on top of the hill, sweeping away the old shrine. The Tohoku Miyagi Fukko [Revival] Marathon held on October 1 was established with the concept of letting people see the region's current state and the process of its recovery from the devastation of the tsunami. Imagine the challenges in establishi...

World Championships men's marathon team members Hiroto Inoue (MHPS) and Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) both lined up in marathons again today, just under two months since representing their country in London. At the first running of the Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon , a new event along the Sendai coastline washed away by the 2011 tsunami, Inoue went out at training run pace for the first half, almost four minutes behind leader Daisuke Hosomori (YKK) before picking up the pace. 私はやっぱ、大仁さんのこーゆーところが尊敬。 東京マラソンから世界陸上で知名度上がったけど、山梨学院時代の4年間も最高だった。 知ってる人いたら語ろ(￣▽￣) ニューイヤー見に行きたいなぁ pic.twitter.com/D3ZEbj7SXl — Miichiikaaaa@駅伝垢 (@luckygirl_2001) October 1, 2017 The debuting Hosomori faded over the second half, run down by amateur  Taiyo Akiyama  with 5 km to go and Inoue right after. Inoue made contact with Akiyama near 40 km, but rather than run away with it the 2:08 marathoner ran side-by-side with Akiyama all the way to the finish line, smiling and encouraging him ...