japan running news

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASGCY4W7ZGCYUTNB003.html
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20141130-00000102-spnannex-spo
http://www.hochi.co.jp/event/sports/20141130-OHT1T50268.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The 3rd Hasuda Road Race took place Saturday, Nov. 29 on a course around Kurohama Park in Hasuda, Saitama, with around 3000 people showing their stuff in the event's 10 km and 3 km races.  The official representative of Saitama prefecture, civil servant runner Yuki Kawauchi was back again in the 3 km this year for the third-straight time, first across the finish line in 8:47 after running 8:50 last year and 8:44 two years ago in Hasuda's first running.  Before and after the race he was all smiles, high fiving other runners all around.  "I love this course," he said.  "It's always great to run here."

3 km participant Mitsuyo Kubo of Iruma, Saitama, commented, "I get to meet a fantastic runner like Mr. Kawauchi, so I enter this race ever…

http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20140623k0000m040092000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

Comedian Hiroshi Neko, 36, has been named to the Cambodian national team for this autumn's Incheon Asian Games in the marathon according to a June 22 press release from his management.  Neko, a Cambodian citizen, holds the all-time second-best Cambodian time of 2:30:26.  The Asian Games will be his third time being named to a Cambodian team for an international championships.  Neko commented, "I will do everything I can in training for the three months until the main event, and I will show everyone my best running there."

The Japanese-born Neko, whose real name is Kuniaki Takizaki, took Cambodian citizenship in 2011.  He was initially named to Cambodia's 2012 London Olympics team, but due to eligibility issues surrounding his transfer of citizenship he was unable to run.

http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/f-et-tp0-20130616-1143679.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The Phnom Penh International Half Marathon took place June 16 in the Cambodian capitol of Phnom Penh.  Having taken Cambodian citizenship in 2011 in a bid to make the London Olympics, Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko, (born Kuniaki Takizaki), 35, ran the half marathon but was beaten by his rival, the native-born Hem Bunting, 27.  Bunting, the Cambodian marathon national record holder and a Beijing Olympian, won in 1:15:34. Neko, 2nd in 1:17:04, said post-race, "I couldn't keep me speed up in the second half the way I expected."

Neko became a Cambodian citizen in October, 2011 and was selected for the Cambodian Olympic team in the marathon in March last year.  However, citing factors including that Neko had not fulfilled the minimum one-year waiting period following his transfer of citizenship, the IAAF ruled that he was not elligible to run.  In addition…

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20120415-934528.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The Kawauchis lead in Kasumigaura.

Having missed out on the London Olympics team, Yuki Kawauchi (25, Saitama Pref.) marked the first win among his twelve marathon starts to date at the Apr. 15 Kasumigaura Marathon, Japan's third-largest marathon returning after post-disaster cancellation last year.

Kawauchi ran as a pacer for his younger brother Koki Kawauchi (19, Takasaki Keizai Univ.), but after 23 km he left his brother behind and ran on his own to the finish, closing with an impressive 6:09 split for the final 2.195 km.  Because the brothers went into the race planning to run around 2:25, even with this closing speed Kawauchi's winning time of 2:22:38 was a personal worst, but his wide margin of victory over 2nd place still showed that he was in a different class from the other runners.

"I didn't plan to win today, so I guess I was just lucky,"…

http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2012/04/13/0004969026.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

Questions have arisen at the IAAF concerning the eligibility of comedian Hiroshi Neko, 34, to compete in the London Olympics marathon following his transfer of citizenship to Cambodia last October and his naming to the Cambodian Olympic team in March.  On April 12 it was revealed that the IAAF has asked the Cambodian federation for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding Neko's selection, raising doubts that Neko will be approved to compete.

Regarding transfers of nationality, at its general meeting last year the IAAF introduced new rules effective this year pertaining to athletes who have not previously run for their country's national team.  For such athletes, if less than one year has elapsed since a transfer of nationality the athlete must either
Have lived continuously in the adopted country for at least one year, orHave received special exemption from the IAAF council.Neko is acti…

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012033055325/Sport/hem-bunting-and-ly-nary-wind-up-kenyan-training-head-to-paris.html

Thanks to reader CK for sending this link to the latest chapter in the Cambodian Olympic marathon selection saga involving Cambodian national record holder Hem Bunting, Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko and others.  Bunting and Ly Nary run the Paris Marathon this Sunday.

http://www.j-cast.com/2012/04/02127558.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Click here to let Hiroshi Neko know how you feel about his Olympic plans directly.

Having secured a place on the Cambodian Olympic team in the men's marathon following a transfer of nationality in November, voices have begun to speak out online against comedian Hiroshi Neko, 34, calling for him to "get out of the Olympics."  There are plenty of examples of athletes changing nationality, but Neko is not that quality of a marathoner and his naming to the Cambodian team "steals" a place from an actual Cambodian athlete, so talk calling the whole thing a disgrace and asking what exactly Cambodia stands to benefit has begun to circulate.

Neko has been running seriously for four years.  On Feb. 5 he finished 50th at the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, taking seven minutes off his best time to set a new PB of 2:30:26.  With zero Cambodian track and field athletes having cleared the Olympic q…

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/news/20120326-OHT1T00015.htm

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Having taken Cambodian citizenship in a bid to make the London Olympics, comedian Hiroshi Neko (Hiroshi Cat, 34, born Kuniaki Takizaki) was been named to the Cambodian Olympic team in the men's marathon according to a statement from Cambodian Olympic Committee managing director Vath Chamrouen on Mar. 25.  An official announcement will be made in April along with the lineup of the Cambodian Olympic team in other sports.  Neko's dream is coming true, but his participation in the Olympics after transferring citizenship has sparked debate.

Running headlong in pursuit of the Olympics, Neko's dream has come true.  After whittling down the candidates for the wildcard athletics berth to three men and one woman, the Cambodian Olympic Committee evaluated the candidates based on their performances and other criteria in accordance with IAAF procedures.  Director Chamrouen gave th…

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20120214-OHT1T00212.htm

translated by Brett Larner

The 46th Ome Road Race takes place this Sunday, Feb. 19.  This year 20000 runners from across the country are entered, 15000 in the 30 km and 5000 in the 10 km.  This is the first in a five-part series on runners who will help call in spring on the streets of Ome.

At the Feb. 5 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Kaori Yoshida (30, Amino Vital AC) drew attention for her pacemaking of comedian runner Hiroshi Neko, 34, who was attempting to qualify for Cambodia's London Olympic team after having changed his citizenship.  Running between 17 and 18 minutes per 5 km, Yoshida finished her run at the 30 km point in 1:46:22.  "I kind of wanted to keep going, but I knew I had other races coming up so I stopped there," she says with a wry smile.  Neko went on to smash his PB with a new mark of 2:30:26, opening up the door for his chances for the Olympics.  His result inspired Yoshida.  "In …

http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/f-et-tp0-20111116-864133.html
http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/p-et-tp0-20111112-862322.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Newly minted Cambodian citizen, professional comedian and former Japanese national Hiroshi Neko ran the Nov. 16 Southeast Asian Games marathon in Indonesia in a bid to make Cambodia's Olympic team for next summer's London Olympics.  Neko ran a ten-second PB of 2:37:39 for 5th place.  Five days before the race his top rival for the Cambodian Olympic team, national record holder Hem Bunting (25), withdrew from competition and Cambodia's other two marathon entrants switched events to the 800 m.  As the only Cambodian entrant in the marathon Neko cleared the Cambodian Olympic Committee's criterion of being the top Cambodian finisher, but he was informed before the race that the Committe would be looking for a time close to Bunting's SB of 2:31, set in Australia in August, to conside…

http://mainichi.jp/enta/geinou/news/20111110k0000m040001000c.html

translated by Brett Larner

On Nov. 9, management for Japanese comedian Hiroshi Neko, 34, announced that he became a Cambodian citizen at the beginning of this month and is targeting running the London Olympics marathon for Cambodia.  Neko will run Cambodia's Olympic selection race, the Southeast Asia Games marathon Nov. 16 in Indonesia.

According to Neko's management, the amateur runner was approached by Cambodia's Olympic committee after he finished 3rd in an international half marathon in Cambodia in December last year and aksed if he would be interested in changing his citizenship to run for Cambodia in the Olympics.  IAAF regulations with regard to citizenship changes bar athletes from competing internationally within three years of taking new citizenship.  However, according to a JAAF official the rule does not apply in Neko's case because he is not registered with the JAAF.

Neko recorded his PB of 2…

http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/p-et-tp0-20101026-694422.html

translated by Brett Larner

TV personality Hiroshi Neko, 33, ran a PB of 2:49:28 at the Oct. 24 Niagara Falls International Marathon, finishing 10th overall and breaking his PB by more than 6 minutes. The marathon, which featured a field of just 960, began in Buffalo, NY, ran along the shores of Lake Erie, crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada and finished in front of Niagara Falls, one of the world's three great waterfalls. Neko commented afterwards, "I was feeling pretty jetlagged, but since it had rained the day before it was pretty comfortable to run. I was shooting for a 2:48 but forgot to figure the last 195 m into my pace calculation and missed it by 30 seconds. I'll work on my math and next time I'll definitely get it."

Neko began running in 2005 for his appearance in the Akasaka Mini Marathon segment of broadcaster TBS' annual "All-Star Kanshasai" program. After a stron…

by Brett Larner

1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson (U.S.A.) took time out from her preparations for next month's New York City Marathon to appear on Japanese broadcaster TBS' All-Star Kanshasai variety game show on Oct. 3. On the biannual five-hour show, a panel of 200 celebrities compete for cash prizes by trying to predict the winners in a series of contests starring other celebrities. Samuelson appeared on the Akasaka Go-Chome Super Ekiden segment running a relay with two-time World Championships medalist Masako Chiba and marathon great Mari Tanigawa before running in the show's climax, the Akasaka Go-Chome Mini-Marathon.

A handicap race on a hilly 3-loop course around and through TBS' Akasaka studio, the Mini-Marathon saw Benoit Samuelson square off against Chiba, Tanigawa, defending champion and two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina (Kenya), Wainaina's 'Zeitoku Marathon' TV spot co-star Hiroshi Neko, 'Running Man…

Suntory's 'Zeitaku Marathon' ad for its Boss Coffee was released on June 1.

http://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/boss/cm_press/index3.html

The commercial includes actors Atsushi Ito and Hiroshi Neko along with running greats Erick Wainaina, Shigeru Soh, Shingo Suetsugu, Dai Tamesue, Yoshio Koide and Akemi Masuda. JRN's Brett Larner is runner #808.

Click here for a direct link to the 30-second version of the commercial.

Here's a preview clip of the commercial I was in a couple of weeks ago. I'm number 808. The actual commercial starts at 3:16, although this is apparently just a short version. Click photo for video.

Some still photos are also available here. That's me on the left in the bottom picture.