japan running news

The number of Japanese athletes going overseas continues to inch back toward pre-pandemic levels, with people racing in Europe and North America this weekend. Three were at the Adizero: Road to Records promotional event at Adidas world HQ in Germany Saturday, 19-year-old Koku Gakuin University teammates Kiyoto Hirabayashi and Ayumu Yamamoto , and marathoner Mao Uesugi (Starts). Despite low-hanging official road 5 km NR of only 13:55 and 15:52, both times regularly beaten by high schoolers in ekiden racing, both Yamamoto and Uesugi fell far short. Yamamoto, who ran 1:00:43 for the half marathon in February, ran only 14:34 in the men's 5 km, while Uesugi, 2:22:29 at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, ran 16:12 in the women's 5 km. Hirabayashi was at about the same level in the men's half marathon, running 1:03:33. Two women from the Uniqlo corporate team were at Stanford University's Payton Jordan Invitational in the U.S.A., Mai Shoji in the 5...

by Brett Larner With temperatures clipping 35 degrees the 2014 National Track and Field Championships kicked off July 30 in Kofu, Yamanashi, home ground of 2013 National High School Boys' Ekiden champion Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.   The biggest news on the first of the meet's five days of competition came in the boys' 400 m.  48 hours after helping the Japanese team win silver in the 4x400 m relay at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, U.S.A., Takamasa Kitagawa (Uruga H.S.) swept through the competition, winning his opening round heat in 48.22 and his semi-final in 47.23 before taking the final in 46.57, the 10th-fastest time ever by a Japanese high schooler.  Satoshi Yamamoto (Amakusa Kogyo H.S.) gave Kitagawa a solid challenge in the final but had to settle for 2nd in 46.61.  Seika Aoyama (Matsue Shogyo H.S.) had a clearer margin of victory in the girls' 400 m final, winning the national title in 53.73 by 0.21 seconds over runner-up Nanako Matsumot...