japan running news

Alongside the weekend's 2 big 30 km races and college ekiden action, 4 of Japan's big mass-participation races with quality sub-elite fields happened across the country. The Kitakyushu Marathon just north of Fukuoka saw the fastest men's race up front, with Toyo University 's Mashu Nishimura scoring the win in his debut in 2:16:14, outrunning Rio Olympian Hisanori Kitajima by 2 minutes. The Daihatsu corporate team's Yuki Shibata had a decent debut to win the women's race in 2:40:36. The only one of the 4 marathons to be on the World Athletics calendar and visible to the rest of the world, the Kumamoto Castle men's race was almost as fast as in Kitakyushu, with amateur Hiroaki Furukawa taking a 5th win in 2:16:56 and 3 others under 2:20 like in Kitakyushu. Another amateur, women's winner Michiru Kato took her 5th win too, running a CR and PB 2:42:00. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. , the Kyoto Marathon had the fastest Japan...

NHK has reported finding that 40% of mass-participation races across the country sponsored or co-sponsored by local prefectural governments reported lower participation levels. Experts in the field suggested that events need to take creative approaches to increase their popularity. February's Kochi Ryoma Marathon had a maximum field size of 12,000, but only 9,300 people entered. It was the second year in a row for the event to come in under capacity, forcing co-organizer Kochi Prefecture to utilize supplementary budget resources to cover the deficit caused by the missing revenue from entry fees. NHK found that out of 25 full and half marathon races across the country sponsored or co-sponsored by prefectural governments last year, nine were in the same situation as the Kochi Ryoma Marathon with shortfalls in numbers of entries. In terms of the ratio of entries to maximum field size, the Tottori Marathon was at only 70% capacity, the Tohoku Miyagi Fukko Marathon at 77%, Kochi Ryoma a...

We regret to announce that the Feb. 20, 2022 Kochi Ryoma Marathon has been canceled. To meet the expectations of all those who had trained through the pandemic and everyone else who supports our event, the organizing committee had thoroughly explored and planned measures that would allow the race to go ahead. But with new coronavirus cases expanding rapidly across the country and the difficulties created in securing the services of staff necessary to put on the event, despite the short amount of time left until the race the organizing committee has decided that it would not be possible to hold the race in a way that would be safe for participants, staff, and the citizens of Kochi prefecture. We are very sorry for all the runners who believed in our race and trained to be ready for it, for all the staff, volunteers and other stakeholders already in the process of preparing for the event, and all the others who support the Ryoma Marathon. Thank you for understanding this decision. Part...

It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce that the Feb. 21, 2021 Kochi Ryoma Marathon has been canceled. We studied every possible way that the race might go ahead, but based on the current status of the coronavirus crisis we determined that it would difficult to hold the 2021 race and be able to guarantee the safety and security of the runners, staff, volunteers and spectators. We apologize to everyone who had been anticipating taking part in the race but ask for your understanding. In place of the Kochi Ryoma Marathon we plan to hold a variety of alternative events, so please check back with us on the official race website for updates. We hope to see an end to the coronavirus crisis soon and will be working hard to put on a great race in 2022. We hope to see you all there. Thank you for your support. Seiji Hamada Kochi Ryoma Marathon Organizing Committee Director Translator's note: With 10,924 finishers in 2020 Kochi Ryoma is the 11th large Japanese marathon...

At a June 15 meeting at the Kochi Prefectural Government offices, the Kochi Ryoma Marathon organizing committee confirmed that it will again be seeking to host a field of over 10000 participants at next February's race. In the event's fifth edition this February the number of starting runners broke 10000 for the first time. In addition, as the number of overseas participants has continued to grow the organizers aim to have the course certified by the IAAF, with the certification process set to take place July 9. The organizers' hope is that the international recognition will help to further increase overseas participation. Organizers will also aim to improve the event's aid and safety protocols. source article: http://www.news24.jp/nnn/news8777727.html translated by Brett Larner

By Brett Larner Sunday was a break in the elite Japanese marathon calendar, but there were at least seven quality amateur marathons across the country, two with over 10,000 finishers ranking them among the world’s largest full marathons . Winning times were as fast as 2:20:32 for men and 2:38:51 for women, with one race featuring a rare European winner. A nationwide breakdown of the Feb. 19 marathons: Kyoto Marathon , Kyoto Total finishers: 15,714 Men: 1. Kosuke Murasashi 2:20:32 Women: 1.Yuria Ikuno 2:45:15 Kumamoto Castle Marathon , Kumamoto Total finishers: 10,944 Men: 1. Haruki Okayama 2:22:45 Women: Chigusa Yoshimatsu 2:56:20 Kochi Ryoma Marathon ,  Kochi Total finishers:  9,589 Men:  1. Daisuke Ikemoto 2:28:06 Women:  1. Chiho Matoba 2:58:51 Kitakyushu Marathon , Fukuoka Total finishers: 9,434 Men: 1. Shuji Tsukamoto 2:22:31 Women: 1. Marie Imada 2:38:51 Okinawa Marathon ,  Okinawa Total finishers:  8,303 Men: ...

by Brett Larner Running marathons on back-to-back weekends for the first time, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) improved on his 2:15:16 8th-place finish at last weekend's Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon with a 2:15:06 win at the 69th edition of the Kochi Ryoma Marathon . Still recovering the fitness lost to a month off serious training after spraining his ankle in late December, Kawauchi found an unexpected challenge from Tatsuya Itagaki (Team JP Post), a 2:22:19 marathoner who went through halfway right next to him on 2:12 marathon pace.  Things slowed down in the uphill second half, Itagaki lasting until 27 km before a surge from Kawauchi put him away. From there Kawauchi was free all the way to the end, his 2:15:06 missing the course record by 42 seconds.  Itagaki was rewarded for a brave first half with a new best of 2:18:56. Kawauchi's win marked his 35th career sub-2:16 marathon and 37th sub-2:17.  Both marks surpassed the world records held by Ethiopian g...

by Brett Larner It's another busy weekend on the roads in Japan.  One runner who won't be part of it is one of its best, Oregon-based Suguru Osako (Team Nissin Shokuhin).  Osako has set national records for 3000 m and indoor 2 miles since affiliating with the Nike Oregon Project and is set to run Saturday's Millrose Games Paavo Nurmi 5000 m .  There is no official Japanese NR for indoor 5000 m, but the JAAF has a blank waiting for whatever time he runs.  Considering that his indoor 2 mile NR of 8:16.47 two weeks ago broke the outdoor NR by 8 seconds that could end up being a very decent one. The biggest race back home is Sunday's National Corporate Half Marathon Championships .  The men's race has a fantastic field, featuring all-time Japanese #4 Chihiro Miyawaki (1:00:53, Team Toyota), all-time Japanese #5 Masato Kikuchi (1:00:57, Team Konica Minolta), sub-61 Japan-based Kenyans Jacob Wanjuki (1:00:55, Team Aichi Seiko) and Daniel Gitau (1:00:59, Te...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150201-00000514-sanspo-spo http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2015/02/01/kiji/K20150201009732430.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Things are tough all over for the civil servant runner.  2014 Asian Games marathon bronze medalist Yuki Kawauchi (27, Saitama Pref. Gov't) ran the 82nd edition of the six-stage, 42.195 km Saitama Ekiden on Feb. 1.  Running its longest stage, the 12.1 km Third Stage, Kawauchi clocked 3:15 slower than his own course record, timed at 39:28 for 6th on the stage but still advancing the Saitama Prefectural Government team from 12th to 9th. Kawauchi sat out last weekend's Okumusashi Ekiden to let the ankle he sprained late last year heal.  The pain from the sprain has dissipated to "minor discomfort," but although the wind was strong in Saitama, more than any lingering discomfort in his ankle this time he was set back by coming down with a cold on Jan. 28.  "I've been sleeping nine ...