japan running news

  On Feb. 21 the Toyota Kyushu corporate team announced that its longtime member Masato Imai , 39, known throughout Japan as the original God of the Mountain for his spectacular runs on the Hakone Ekiden's uphill Fifth Stage in college, will retire from competition. His final race will be Sunday's National Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka. After retirement Imai will remain with Toyota Kyushu and become part of its coaching staff. At Juntendo University , Imai won the Fifth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden in new course records in 2005, 2006 and 2007, taking the top spot in both 2006 and 2007. When he did it during his final Hakone his senior year in 2007, the late Nippon TV announcer Ryo Kawamura shouted the now-legendary words, "Right now, right here, the god of the mountain has descended! His name is Masato Imai!" Imai has been known by that moniker ever since, and the title has become a part of Hakone lore. Since his time it has been given to two other runners w...

Saku Chosei H.S. grads Yuki Sato , Suguru Osako and Akinobu Murasawa battle it out in the 2012 Fukuoka Cross-Country Meet Senior Men's 10 km. Under then-head coach Hayashi Morozumi Saku Chosei was one of the first teams in Japan to incorporate cross-country training as a major part of its approach. All three athletes went on to run sub-28 for 10000 m and sub-2:10 for the marathon.

One of the few events to survive the wave of race cancelations currently sweeping Japan as the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads, the National Cross-Country Championships took place Feb. 22 in Fukuoka. The senior men's 10 km was almost a replay of last year's race, with Hakone Ekiden uphill Fifth Stage star Yuhei Urano (Koku Gakuin Univ.) replacing Yuta Bando (Hosei Univ.) in the leading role of outrunning brothers Kazuki Tamura (Sumitomo Denko) and Yusuke Tamura (Kurosaki Harima) for the national title. Despite windy conditions times were quicker than in recent years, with Urano winning in 29:18 by 6 seconds over Kazuki Tamura and Yusuke Tamura another 10 seconds back. In the senior women's 8 km, last year's 5th-place and 2018 national 3000 m steeplechase champion Yukari Ishizawa (Edion) came back from a mid-race dropoff to outrun a group of women more than a decade younger for the win in 26:57, beating 20-year-old Yuna Wada (Meijo Univ.) by 1 second and 19-yea...

Japan held its 2019 National Cross Country Championships Saturday in Fukuoka, its primary selection race for next month's Aarhus World Cross-Country Championships . In the senior men's race, heavy favorite Kazuya Shiojiri (Juntendo Univ.) broke away from the field early, only to be run down midway by the 190-cm Yuta Bando (Hosei Univ.), who quickly broke Shiojiri and went ahead in the lead. With just a lap to go he was caught by brothers Kazuki Tamura (Sumitomo Denko) and Yusuke Tamura (Kurosaki Harima). With Kazuki Tamura constantly turning to call encouragement to his younger brother over his shoulder Bando had just enough downtime to attack in the last kilometer and get away for the win in 29:36. Kazuki Tamura was 2nd in 29:40 with Yusuke 3rd in 29:41. Waseda University first-year Yuhi Nakaya was 4th, with Yohei Komatsu and Shota Onizuka , two of the star members of 2019 Hakone Ekiden winner Tokai University , rounding out the top six and probable Aarhus senior me...

Entry lists were announced Feb. 6 for the 2019 National Cross Country Championships , to be held Feb. 23 in Fukuoka's Uminonakamichi Kaihin Park. The senior men's 10 km field of 165 is led by last year's 5000 m national champion Hazuma Hattori (Toenec), 2019 Marugame Half Marathon 4th-placer and new Aoyama Gakuin University captain Takato Suzuki , and Fukuoka native Shota Onizuka who ran the First Stage on 2019 Hakone Ekiden champion Tokai University's winning team. The senior women's 8 km features Yuka Hori , Fifth Stage record breaker at last year's National Corporate Women's Ekiden for national champion Panasonic, her teammate and Third Stage winner Nanami Watanabe and 2018 Asian Games 5000 m 6th-placer Minami Yamanouchi (Kyocera). 102 women are scheduled to run. The national championships will also include junior men's 8 km and junior women's 6 km races. JAAF marathon development project leader Toshihiko Seko commented, "The...

On May 30 long-distance runner Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) announced on his Twitter feed that he is withdrawing from a shot at a third-straight 10000 m national title at next month's Yamaguchi National Championships. His management company said that he is not injured and instead wants to focus on "preparing for what comes next." At last December's Fukuoka International Marathon Osako, 27, ran 2:07:19, what was at the time the 5th-fastest time ever by a Japanese man, to finish 3rd overall. He won February's National Cross-Country Championships and ran the World Half Marathon Championships in March. Osako skipped a spring marathon in order to try to break the 10000 m national record earlier this month at the Payton Jordan Invitational , but he dropped out of that race near the 6000 m mark. source article: http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20180530/ath18053020220001-n1.html translated and edited by Brett Larner

Top-ranked high schoolers Ririka Hironaka (Nagasaki Shogyo H.S.) and Yuhi Nakaya (Saku Chosei H.S.) won the junior titles at Saturday's National Cross-Country Championships in Fukuoka's Umi no Nakamichi Kaihin Park. With some of her main competition including Nozomi Tanaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) on a training camp in Australia, Hironaka's primary challenge in the U20 Women's 6 km came from Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) who pushed her throughout the race but couldn't keep up in the later stages. Hironaka won in 19:50 by a margin of 8 seconds over Takamatsu, the pair the only ones to break 20 minutes. Nakaya, star runner of 2017 National High School Ekiden champ Saku Chosei H.S. with accomplishments including a 13:47.22 best for 5000 m last October, outclassed the field to win the U20 Men's 8 km in 24:05 by 12 seconds over Takuro Miura (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.). His Saku Chosei teammates Sakito Matsuzaki and Keita Honma took ...

by Brett Larner Japan's main selection race for the 2017 Kampala World Cross Country Championships happened Saturday at Fukuoka's National Cross Country Championships .  On fire this season with top three finishes in every race since November and wins at both January's National Men's Ekiden and the Karatsu 10-Miler two weeks ago, Tokai University first-year Shota Onizuka won a photo finish over pro Yuma Higashi (Team Kyudenko) to score the national title in the senior men's 12 km.  Burning just as hot with top three finishes all the way since October including two wins, Mao Ichiyama (Team Wacoal) won the senior women's 8 km national title by three seconds over Yuka Hori (Team Panasonic). The junior men's 8 km was nearly as close as the senior race.   Yuhi Nakaya of 2017 National High School Ekiden runner-up Saku Chosei H.S. won a three-way sprint finish over Ryo Saito (Akita Kogyo H.S.) and Kazuya Nishiyama (Tokyo Nogyo Prep Daini H.S.), runnin...

by Brett Larner Following the rebranding of the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet earlier this month as the trendier-sounding X-Run Chiba, Japan's mini XC season saw most of its action over the weekend.  The other big domestic meet alongside Chiba, the Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet was likewise rebranded this year as the National Cross-Country Championships .  Yukari Abe (Team Shimamura) was crowned the first senior women's national champion, winning the 8 km race in 27:13 by a second over Tomoka Kimura (Team Univ. Ent.).  With Ethiopian Kassa Mekashaw (Team Yachiyo Kogyo) running up front to keep the pace hot, first-year pro Takashi Ichida (Team Asahi Kasei) had a surprise win over Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage star Daichi Kamino (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) and, fresh from breaking 1:01 at the Marugame Half, the ascendant Keijiro Mogi (Asahi Kasei) to pick up the inaugural senior men's 12 km title in 35:59.  Fukiko Ando (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) and Sot...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1580556.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The JAAF has announced that beginning with next year's edition on Feb. 27, the Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet will become the Japan Cross-Country Championships.  The male winner will be guaranteed a place in the 10000 m at the National Track and Field Championships, with the women's winner able to choose between the 5000 m and 10000 m.  The new format will also serve as the official selection event for the World Cross-Country Championships national team. Up to now Fukuoka has been one of two major domestic cross-country meets along with the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet, but the JAAF will now position Fukuoka as the meet for top-level athletes, with Chiba becoming the National Junior High School Cross-Country Championships and a race for amateurs.  The next edition of Chiba will be held on Feb. 14.

by Brett Larner photos by rikujoulove Japan's two-race cross-country season wrapped up Saturday with the 29th Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet , the last chance for Japanese athletes to make this year's World Cross-Country Championships team.  Two-time world junior 3000 mSC champion Jonathan Ndiku (Kenya/Team Hitachi Butsuryu) easily beat #1-ranked collegiate Kenta Murayama (Komazawa University) in the senior men's 10 km, surging on a corner mid-race to break free and win by a margin of 9 seconds in 29:22.  Murayama, in his last race wearing the Komazawa uniform, dueled with New Year Ekiden Fourth Stage course record setter Yuta Shitara (Team Honda) before kicking away for 2nd in 29:31, Shitara 4 seconds behind. Corporate runner Yuta Takahashi (DeNA RC) outkicked 2014 Ageo City Half Marathon winner Koki Takada (Waseda Univ) for 4th in 29:36, with 2013 Ageo winner Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) closing fast but coming up short of catching his high...

by Brett Larner It's another busy weekend in Japan, with at least six big races across the country and one important one overseas.  Saturday kicks off with the second of the two-meet Japanese cross country season as the Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet plays host to Japanese athletes hoping to join the National Team for this year's World Cross Country Championships.  With a total of four foreign athletes led by the Japan-based Jonathan Ndiku (Team Hitachi Butsuryu) in the senior men's 10 km there isn't much of an international component, but bigger Japanese names on the entry lists include #1-ranked collegiate runner Kenta Murayama making his last appearance in the Komazawa University uniform before his graduation next month and United Airlines NYC Half-bound Koki Takada (Waseda University) and Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka University) in the senior men's 10 km, Chiba International XC runner-up Maki Izumida (Rikkyo Univ.) in the senior women's 6 k...

http://gazoo.com/my/sites/0001453813/toyokyu/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=2116 translated and edited by Brett Larner click here for these and more photos from hosts Life Style Running and the Toyota Kyushu Booster Club Toyota Kyushu member Samuel Wanjiru pacing training partner Mitsuya in June, 2005 There was a major announcement at the post-race reception at a hotel in Takasaki following the New Year Ekiden.  After a 12-year career at the Koichi Morishita -coached Toyota Kyushu corporate team where he leaves a record of achievement including two World Championships teams and numerous track and ekiden records, Yu Mitsuya announced that he will retire from competition at the end of this season.  Other athletes quickly surrounded Mitsuya to throw him into the air in premature celebration. Wanjiru and Mitsuya on the way to Mitsuya's 27:41.10 Japanese-soil record in June, 2005 Mitsuya currently plans for his final race to be the Feb. 21 Fukuoka International Cross...

by Brett Larner The 28th Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet played host to this year's Asian Cross Country Championships, the international championship races held within Fukuoka's regular senior men's 10 km, senior women's 6 km, junior men's 8 km and junior women's 6 km races.  In the senior men's 10 km, Japan-based Kenyan Jeremiah Karemi  (Team Toyota Kyushu), two-time winner of Fukuoka's junior race, ran tough against an all-African Bahraini squad, outkicking its Aweke Yimer  by 9 seconds for the win in 28:43.  Karemi's continuing development over the last year is especially noteworthy given that the last time Toyota Kyushu head coach Koichi Morishita , the Barcelona Olympics marathon silver medalist, took on a Kenyan it was future Beijing Olympics gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru . 2nd overall, Yimer took the Asian Championships gold medal with teammates Isaac Korir  and Alemu Bekele  taking silver and gold.  2010 5000 m national champion Y...

by Brett Larner It's yet another busy weekend in Japan with at least four quality events on the calendar. It's not every day that an international championships takes place on Japanese soil, and Saturday's Asian Cross-Country Championships, held in conjunction with the annual Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet, tops the list in that respect.  Fresh off a bronze medal between two Qataris in the 3000 m at last weekend's Asian Indoor Championships , Tetsuya Yoroizaka  (Team Asahi Kasei) leads the Japanese senior men's team alongside 2013 5000 m national champion Sota Hoshi  (Team Fujitsu), who ran a PB 1:01:18 just last weekend at the National Corporate Half Marathon Championships, and 13:28.79 junior Genki Yagisawa  (Meiji Univ.).  No Qataris are on the entry list, but Bahrain is sending a squad of five Kenyan and Ethiopian-born athletes led by Olympian Bilisuma Shugi  who should provide the main competition.  Also noteworthy is 2013 Southeast A...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140212-00000203-jij-spo http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20140213k0000m050001000c.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On Feb. 12 Rikuren announced the lineup for the Japanese team for the Feb. 22 Asian Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka's Uminonakamichi Kaihin Park.  Held in conjunction with the Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet, the Asian Championships will consist of the senior men's 10 km, senior women's 6 km, junior men's 8 km and junior women's 6 km events. 2013 National Championships 5000 m champion Sota Hoshi  (Team Fujitsu) and runner-up Tetsuya Yoroizaka  (Team Asahi Kasei) lead the men's team in the 10 km, with National Championships 10000 m 3rd-place Ayumi Hagiwara  (Team Uniqlo) and marathon national collegiate record holder Sairi Maeda  (Bukkyo Univ.) topping the women's team for the 6 km division.  Thirteen countries are scheduled to compete, some of them fielding leading African ...

by Bret Larner Sera H.S.  grad Charles Ndirangu  (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) followed up his win two weeks ago at the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet with another win Feb. 23 at the Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet , narrowly outrunning #1-ranked Japanese collegiate Suguru Osako  (Waseda Univ.) in the senior men's 10 km, 29:47 to 29:50 with Australian 10000 m national record holder Ben St. Lawrence  3rd in 30:21.  With Fukuoka a selection race for Japan's World Cross-Country teams, Osako and 4th and 5th place finishers Yuki Matsuoka  (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) and Wataru Ueno  (Komazawa Univ.) threw their hats into the ring for team consideration.  The top Japanese man from Chiba, Keigo Yano  of 2013 Hakone Ekiden champion Nittai University , was 6th as Ueno just got him at the line. In the senior women's 6 km race London Olympian Hitomi Niiya  (Team Univ. Ent.) took yet another Fukuoka title by a sweeping margin, clocking 20:0...

by Brett Larner Six noteworthy races are on the schedule for this weekend.  First among them is Saturday's Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet , the second of two chances for Japanese athletes to pick up places on the national team for next month's World Cross-Country Championships.  Highlights of the main races will be shown on TBS beginning at 3:30 p.m., the only cross-country race in Japan with a TV broadcast. All five Japanese men in the top ten in the senior race at the Chiba International Cross-Country Meet return, led by  Keigo Yano ,  Takumi Honda  and  Shota Hattori  of 2013 Hakone Ekiden winners Nittai University .  Top competition for the additional places on the Worlds team includes #1-ranked Japanese collegiate  Suguru Osako  (Waseda Univ.), 27:44.30 man Tetsuya Yoroizaka  (Team Asahi Kasei), Ikuto Yufu and Kenta Murayama of 2012 National University Ekiden champion Komazawa University , Murayama's twin brothe...

2012 Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet Results Fukuoka, 2/25/12 click here for complete results Senior Men's 10 km 1. Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) - 30:27 2. Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 30:27 3. Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) - 30:32 4. Daichi Motomura (Tokai Univ.) - 30:40 5. Yuya Konishi (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 30:47 6. Yu Mitsuya (Team Toyota Kyushu) - 30:50 7. Hiroyoshi Umegae (Team NTN) - 30:56 8. Shinobu Kubota (Komazawa Univ.) - 30:58 9. Yuichiro Ueno (Team S&B) - 31:00 10. Hideyuki Anzai (Team Nissin Shokuhin) - 31:02 Note: The top three men, Osako, Sato and Murasawa, are all graduates of Nagano's Saku Chosei H.S., along with 9th-place finisher Ueno.  Saku Chosei is one of the only schools to incorporate XC training as a staple of its methodology. Senior Women's 6 km 1. Hitomi Niiya (Sakura AC) - 20:18 2. Grace Kimanzi (Kenya/Team Starts) - 20:38 3. Megumi Kinukawa (Mizuno) - 20:49 4. Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) - 20:56 5. Sach...

by Brett Larner With the opening of the Tokyo Marathon expo tomorrow JRN will be focused on coverage of what looks set to be the most exciting edition yet.  Check back starting tomorrow for our race previews and other coverage. But there is other action lined up across Japan this weekend.  First and foremost is Saturday's Fukuoka International Cross-Country Meet.  Fukuoka usually plays the role of one of the two selection races for the Japanese teams for the World Cross-Country Championships, but with no World XC this year only places on the Japanese team's for next month's Asian Cross-Country Championships and April's World University Cross-Country Championships are there for the taking.  The junior races are as always stacked with the best high school talent and the senior women's 6 km promises a great rematch between defending champ Hitomi Niiya  (Sakura AC) and 5000 m national champion Megumi Kinukawa  (Mizuno), but the most interesting race looks s...