japan running news

After finishing 6th at the MGC Race 2020 Olympic marathon trials on Sept. 15, Yoshiki Takenouchi (NTT Nishi Nihon) ran the second-fastest time of his career, 2:11:18, to take 8th at the New York City Marathon. His time was one of the best-ever by a Japanese man in New York, the fastest since Masato Imai 's 2:10:45 in 2013. New York City Marathon New York, U.S.A., 11/3/19 complete results Men 1. Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) - 2:08:13 2. Albert Korir (Kenya) - 2:08:36 3. Girma Bekele Gebre (Ethiopia) - 2:08:38 4. Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) - 2:09:20 5. Shura Kitata (Ethiopia) - 2:10:39 ----- 8. Yoshiki Takenouchi (Japan) - 2:11:18 Women 1. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) - 2:22:38 2. Mary Keitany (Kenya) - 2:23:32 3. Ruti Aga (Ethiopia) - 2:25:51 4. Nancy Kiprop (Kenya) - 2:26:21 5. Sinead Diver (Australia) - 2:26:23 © 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Two weeks after running 2:32:30 at the Tokyo Marathon and a week after a 2:34:49 in Nagoya, Hiroko Yoshitomi (Memolead) ran Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon . Hoping to break the 2:34:53 course record, Yoshitomi led the lead pack of six women through most of the first half. But nearing the turnaround point she faded, leaving eventual winner Naomi Jepkosgei Maiyo (Kenya) to claim the win in a new course record time of 2:34:08. Runner-up Meseret Gola Sisay (Ethiopia) was also under the old course record, just, in 2:34:51. Yoshitomi fell off pace to take 6th in 2:48:45. The course record also fell in the men's race, with winner Matthew Kipsaat (Kenya) negative splitting a 2:11:17 for the win. Kipsaat was the only runner to go under the old course record of 2:13:05. Eriko Kushima (Noritz) was faster than Yoshitomi at the Seoul Marathon , running 2:40:55 for 10th. Kazuki Takeshita (SDF) ran 2:14:14 for 12th in the men's race, the best time by a Japanese man outside Japan s...

Women's world record holder and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) and last year's top man Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) return to lead the elite fields for the April 22 Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon . The women's field is small but high-quality at the front end, with Eunice Chumba (Bahrain) and Valary Jemeli (Kenya) joining Jepkosgei under the 68-minute mark and additional support coming from sub-70 runners Joy Kemuma (Kenya) and Karolina Nadolska (Poland). The top Japanese woman in last summer's London World Championships marathon, Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) again leads the way as the fastest Japanese woman at 1:10:31. Most of Gifu's budget clearly went to the women's race, as the men's field is made up almost entirely of Japan-based athletes. Not that it's short of quality. With a 1:00:31 mark Mutiso is only the 5th-fastest athlete in a field led by sub-60 men James Mwangi (Kenya/NTN), James Rungaru (Kenya/Chuo Hatsuj...

Joyciline Jepkosgei 29:43 WR to win Birell Prague Grand Prix 10k pic.twitter.com/dlem1WFKvQ — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) September 9, 2017 Japanese runners were busy overseas this weekend with top-level athletes racing in at least four countries. Four Japanese athletes ran in Saturday’s Birell Prague Grand Prix 10 km . In a race that saw the women’s road 5 and 10 km world records fall to half marathon world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya), Asian area record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal) was almost five minutes out of the action, finishing 10th in 34:43. Fukushi told JRN post-race that she had stomach problems midway, but with a halfway split just under 17 minutes she was never really in the action. Four women cleared 31 minutes, the most in history. Yoroizaka and Murayama 18th and 19th at Birell Prague Grand Prix, both in 29:09. pic.twitter.com/0nyGT8wdoy — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) September 9, 2017 Benard Kimeli (Kenya) took the men’s course...

Saturday night's Birell Prague Grand Prix 10 km looks set to be the biggest race of the weekend. Returning to Prague after both going under Paula Radcliffe 's 10 km world record of 30:21 en route to more world records at April's Prague Half Marathon, Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) and Violah Jepchumba (Bahrain) will face off again in a race that organizers hope will produce the first-ever women's sub-30 clocking on the roads. In April Jepkosgei clocked 30:04 and Jepchumba 30:05 at the Prague Half, and with decent temperatures around 20˚C and moderate winds forecast for the evening race the chances look good. Fancy Chemutai (Kenya), Netsanet Gudeta (Ethiopia) and Kayoko Fukushi (Japan/Wacoal) have all cleared 31 minutes on the track or roads and could factor into the second pack with solid performances, but whether any is up for being paced by three men to go under 30 minutes is a question mark. Fukushi in particular has taken it relatively easy since the Rio Oly...

by Brett Larner Just three weeks after her world record run at the Prague Half Marathon, Joyclinie Jepkosgei blew apart the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon with one of the fastest women's half marathons ever run on Japanese soil.  Solo from the start, Jepkosgei hit 5 km in 15:08, just 12 seconds behind the second men's pack led by London World Championships marathoner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't).  As in her WR run Jepkosgei faded progressively the rest of the way, but with a lead of over a minute at 10 km there was never any danger of her being caught. Jepkosgei became the first woman to break 68 minutes in hilly Gifu, setting a new course record of 1:07:44.  Running the race a little more evenly, runner-up Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia) was also under the old course record, 2nd in 1:08:19.  London World Championships women's marathon team leader Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) returned to the roads for the first time since her 2:21:36 debut at last month's ...

by Brett Larner In its seventh edition the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon celebrates its promotion to its new status as the only IAAF gold label half marathon in Japan with a move a month earlier to a hopefully cooler mid-April date.  Newly-crowned women's half marathon world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) leads the women's entries for what should be an easy win should she actually run another half marathon three weeks after breaking the world record.   Mimi Belete (Bahrain) and London World Championships marathon team member Yuka Ando (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) are the only other women in the field with recent sub-70 times, Belete with a 1:09:15 earlier this year in Verona and Ando with a 1:09:51 at the 2015 Sanyo Ladies Road Race.  Ando's London teammate Mao Kiyota (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) is also on the short women's list rounded out by Sara Hall (U.S.A.), Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia), Lillian Partridge (Great Britain) and formerly Japan-based Philes Ongori (...

Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, 5/22/16 click here for complete results Women 1. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) - 1:09:07 2. Ayantu Gemechu (Ethiopia) - 1:11:19 3. Bekelech Daba (Ethiopia) - 1:11:42 4. Risa Takenaka (Japan/Shiseido) - 1:11:52 5. Etalemahu Zeleke (Ethiopia) - 1:15:04 Men 1. Abraham Akopesha (Kenya) - 1:02:08 2. Evans Kurui (Kenya) - 1:02:27 3. Wilson Too (Kenya) - 1:02:48 4. Amos Kurgat (Kenya) - 1:03:25 5. Simon Tesfay (Eritrea) - 1:04:01 GoteborgsVarvet Half Marathon Goteborg, Sweden, 5/21/16 click here for complete results Men 1. Richard Mengich (Kenya) - 59:35 2. Geoffrey Yegon (Kenya) - 1:00:12 3. Leonard Langat (Kenya) - 1:01:40 4. Morris Munene (Kenya) - 1:01:40 5. Festus Talam (Kenya) - 1:01:48 ----- 9. Tsubasa Hayakawa (Japan/Toyota) - 1:04:12 11. Keita Baba (Japan/Honda) - 1:04:51 Women 1. Viola Jepchumba (Kenya) - 1:08:01 2. Worknesh Degefa (Ethiopia) - 1:08:54 3. Angela Tanui (Kenya) - 1:09:32 ...