japan running news

On a beautiful sunny late summer's day newly Japan-based Kenyan  Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) had no trouble taking down the field to win the senior men's 8 km at the 19th Hiroshima Cross Country Meet . Solo the entire way, Kurgat was the only runner under 24 minutes at 23:43. The only collegiate runner in the top 20, Ryosuke Nara , son of Daito Bunka University head coach Osamu Nara , took 2nd almost a minute back in 24:34 well ahead of his nearest corporate league competitor Shoma Yamamoto . Twins Kenta and Kota Otani (JFE Steel) were 7th and 8th just 5 seconds apart. 19th Hiroshima Cross Country Meet Hiroshima, 8/18/18 Senior Men's 8 km 1. Amos Kurgat (Chudenko) - 23:43 2. Ryosuke Nara (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 24:34 3. Shoma Yamamoto (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 24:53 4. Kyosuke Nishioka (Chudenko) - 24:57 5. Shunya Suo (Mazda) - 25:06 6. Yamato Otsuka (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 25:07 7. Kenta Otani (JFE Steel) - 25:08 8. Kota Otani (JFE Steel) - 25:13 9. Shuji Matsuo (Ch...

by Brett Larner Sato takes the lead. Click photo for complete photo sequence courtesy of the Rikubaka website. Half marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato  (Team Chugoku Denryoku) made another step toward a comeback when he won the men's 8 km division at the 12th annual Hiroshima Cross-Country Meet on a hot and humid Aug. 20.  Sato outran 2010 winner Peter Kariuki  (Kenya/Team Mazda) and 2007 winner Joseph Gitau  (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) over the final two km to take the win in 24:03 by a margin of 15 seconds.  Gitau finished 2nd in 24:18, Kariuki taking 3rd in 24:21. At the nearby Central Japan Five-Prefecture Track and Field Championships Gitau's teammate Kota Otani  (Team JFE Steel) broke the 25-year-old meet record with a new mark of 8:53.13 in the men's 3000 mSC, while Otani's identical twin brother Kenta Otani  (Team JFE Steel) won the men's 5000 m in a modest 14:23.67.  Independent runner Kota Taniguchi  (Tottori Pref.) almo...