japan running news

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/0002533364.shtml
http://www.47news.jp/CN/200911/CN2009112201000157.html
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/091122/oth0911221928033-n1.htm
http://www.pjnews.net/news/291/20091122_10

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At the 2009 Kobe National Women's Half Marathon on Nov. 22, Misato Horie (Team Noritz) took her first win on the Rikuren-certified 21.0975 km course from Kobe's Nagisa Park to Kobe Harborland, running a time of 1:13:09.

Manami Takemori (Team Sysmex) was 2nd in 1:13:54, with Kaori Yoshida (Amino Vital AC) 3rd and Satoko Uetani (Kobe Gakuin Univ.) 4th. The four women set out together in a pack from the start and stayed together through 15 km. By 17 km Horie had pulled ahead and kept her lead all the way to the finish.

A native of Kobe, Horie attended Seiryo High School and Mukogawa Women's University before joining Team Noritz last spring. Along the course she saw many friends and former teachers who turned out to cheer her on.…

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/0001686000.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

Following the retirement of head coach Takahiro Ueno in December, Team Noritz has announced that former Team Sega Sammy head coach Yoshihiko Morioka (50) will take over effective Mar. 16. "My goal is to make my runners competitve at the world level," said Morioka. "It will require our complete spirits and bodies."

Morioka is a native of Kawasaki. A notable runner while at Daito Bunka University, he later served as head coach for Team NTN and the now-defunct Team Nihon Seimei and Team Sega Sammy. While with Sega Sammy he coached Yasuko Hashimoto, who ran on the national team in the 2007 Osaka World Championships women's marathon. Both Morioka and Hashimoto left when Sega Sammy ended its support of the team in March last year.

Team Noritz contains six members who will return in the 2009-2010 season, including 2005 and 2007 World Championships marathoner Mari Ozaki. In April three n…