japan running news

The thirteen events of the 74th National Sports Festival track and field competition took place Oct. 4th through 8th in Ibaraki prefecture. Representing Tokyo, Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) won the senior women's 5000 m in 15:34.38. In the race, the pace stayed slow through 3000 m. Hironaka held back around the 3rd-place and 4th-place position before surging at that point, covering the remaining 2000 m in six minutes flat. "I ran exactly the way I'd envisioned," she said with the same kind of enthusiastic smile she had in high school. Hironaka still wore the Nagasaki uniform when she was the top Japanese woman and 3rd overall in the junior women's 3000 m last year. She joined the Tokyo-based Japan Post team after graduating from Nagasaki Shogyo H.S. this spring, finishing 3rd in the National Championships 5000 m. Her assertive win here capped a successful track season. She had thought about running in the Nagasaki uniform again this time, but, she said, ...

As part of the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, representatives of the Republic of Palau 's national track and field team arrived in Hitachi Omiya, Ibaraki on June 2 to inspect facilities for their pre-Olympic camp. On June 6 they met with deputy governor Shun Onodera and spoke enthusiastically about their plans for two years from now. The delegation of five included Rodman Teltull , 24, a member of Palau's 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics team in the 100 m,. Deputy governor Onodera encouraged the athletes, telling them, "If you eat our local specialty natto you'll be able to stick to it in your races and win medals. I hope that you will all train well and arrive back here in two years fully prepared." Teltull commented, "Ibaraki is cold, but it's a good training environment. We'll do our best to perform in the relays." Teltull and the others will train in the town of Hitachinaka's Kasamatsu Sports Park and elsewhere until...