japan running news

For the third year in a row, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) won the Kawauchi no Sato Kaeru Half Marathon in Kawauchi, Fukushima, running 1:05:54 in hot and sunny conditions. His mother Mika and younger brothers Yoshiki and Koki also ran, Yoshiki fresh back from running last weekend's PZU Krakow Marathon and Koki newly elected to the local city council in the family's hometown of Kuki, Saitama. 川内選手ゲストランナー(*^^*) pic.twitter.com/YdyXo1nO1d — かずのこ (@flyingkazuchan) April 28, 2018 Over the stage where the brothers appeared before and after the race hung a banner that read, "The town of Kawauchi supports Yuki Kawauchi with all our hearts! Congratulations on winning the Boston Marathon!!" A long line of fans lined up for autographs and selfies with Kawauchi, who wore his Boston winners' medal after the race. He next runs half marathons in Saitama and Hokkaido on back-to-back days this coming Friday and Saturday. 福島県の川内村に川内優輝選手の取材に行ってきました（※川内の...

Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi 's youngest brother Koki Kawauchi , 25, was elected to the Kuki city council in an election held April 22, winning 6309 votes. Kawauchi was delighted, commenting, "My older brother's Boston Marathon win was like the winds of a typhoon filling my sails. I couldn't be more grateful." When the results of the election were announced just after midnight, Kawauchi made an appearance to celebrate his win, wearing a running uniform and a crown of laurels. Smiling broadly he raised his arms and shouted in victory as he broke a finish line tape that said, "Koki Kawauchi Elected." 朝から朗報💥🌟✨ 埼玉久喜市市会議員選に 川内鴻輝議員（＾◇＾）誕生 スポーツ振興に力を… 川内三兄弟よくやるなあ この行動力に感心🎉💞🎉 pic.twitter.com/9dphJ1CFZT — 生駒のえりざべーと (@fukkatuERZABEAT) April 22, 2018 As a government employee Yuki Kawauchi was prohibited from campaigning on his younger brother's behalf, but his Boston Marathon victory and subsequent declaration that he would go profe...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2016/11/24/kiji/K20161124013780460.html http://www.ryoutan.co.jp/news/2016/11/23/010999.html translated and edited by Brett Larner 4,544 people were entered in the 29th Ohtawara Marathon in Ohtawara, Tochigi on the Nov. 23 national holiday.   Takahiro Gunji (25, Team Komori Corp.) won the men's division in 2:22:56, with Hiroko Yoshitomi (32, Team Memolead) winning the women's division for the second year in a row in 2:37:20.  Both runners were awarded the Sponichi Cup. Gunji came from far behind to score his first Ohtwara win in the last kilometer. Five minutes behind the leader at halfway, he left the chase pack near 30 km and began to pick up the pace.  Running into a strong headwind Gunji was discouraged by the distance to the leader, but, he said, "People on the side of the road kept shouting at me not to give up."  Doing exactly that, he drew closer and closer to the lead and around 41 km moved into the top positi...

by Brett Larner 川内優輝選手、スーツで快走🏃🏃 #久喜 #マラソン大会 #川内優輝 pic.twitter.com/6ZgpHYi7xw — ぴの (@pinobubu) March 13, 2016 A week after his Olympic dreams ended with a 2:11:53 finish at the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) took to the streets of his hometown of Kuki, Saitama to run the Kuki Half Marathon.  A special guest of race organizers, Kawauchi treated local fans by portraying his role as the Civil Servant Runner in a literal way, running the race wearing a full suit including tie, vest, belt and dress socks. というわけで、久喜マラソン大会（撮りに）行ってきました～Σp[【◎】]ω｀*) スポーツなんて滅多に撮らないので不安でしたが、川内優輝選手のスタートと間近でとゴールのところは撮れたので満足満足～(*´ω`*) #川内優輝 #マラソン pic.twitter.com/ZOLcInHWbo — えるる＠鷲宮 (@erukuma) March 13, 2016 The official Guinness World Record for a half marathon in a suit is 1:24:41 by American Gihan Amarasiriwardena last December.  Dueling with his longtime friend and rival Saeki Makino (DNPL), runners from Heisei Kokusai University and his younger b...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160303-00000083-spnannex-spo an editorial by Ryosuke Sugimoto translated by Brett Larner It's official, Kayoko Fukushi has backed out of her plans to run the Nagoya Women's Marathon.  As a result there's not much doubt that the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women's marathon team will be made up of Mai Ito for placing 7th in the Beijing World Championships, Fukushi for breaking the JAAF's 2:22:30 Olympic qualifying standard when she won the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2:22:17, and the top Japanese finisher in Nagoya. The storm has pretty much passed for women's selection, but what about the men?  Among the entries for the final men's selection race, this weekend's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, is civil servant runner Yuki Kawauchi .  No men qualified for Rio in Beijing, so essentially the top three Japanese finishers in the three domestic selection races will be chosen.  At December's Fukuoka Intern...

http://www.news-kushiro.jp/news/20150727/201507271.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The 43rd running of the Kushiro Shitsugen Road Race took place July 26 in Kushiro, Hokkaido in rainy conditions.  3870 people started the race, aiming for the finish line as they ran through the region's beautiful natural areas.  Likewise aiming for the Olympics as an amateur athlete, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) was on-hand as an invited runner, receiving a bouquet of flowers. 4220 people entered the race this year, a new record.  The 30 km walk division began at 6:00 a.m., with the 30 km race starting at 9:30 accompanied by people in the 15 km walk, 10 km and 3 km run divisions.  Locals crowded the course to cheer passing runners on.  Kawauchi won for the fifth-straight year, crossing the finish line in 1:35:08.  Post-race he said, "I feel great when the conditions are perfectly cool like this.  If it's late July that means I'm running in Kush...

by Brett Larner 隠岐の島で川内三兄弟と子供たちのマラソン大会 pic.twitter.com/39PuIqenMo — IZUMI TAM 6/21 隠岐の島 (@izuizuu) June 20, 2015 For the last four years the Okinoshima Ultramarathon has been a staple on Yuki Kawauchi 's schedule, a tough and hilly race held every year on Father's Day on the west coast island where his father Ashio Kawauchi was born.  This year to mark the 10th anniversary of both Ashio's passing and the race, Kawauchi was joined by both of his younger brothers, Yoshiki and Koki .  Yoshiki, a 2:22 marathoner, made his ultra debut in the 100 km division, while Koki, the youngest of the three, joined course record holder Yuki in the 50 km. Yoshiki's day began early, the 100 km race getting going at 5;00 a.m.  6 1/2 hours later, Yuki missed his pre-race introduction to the crowds at the 50 km start and arrived at the starting line with just 4 minutes to go, Koki giving him a perplexed, "What's up?"  Last year Yuki ran 2:47:27 in Okinoshima, insi...

http://www.hochi.co.jp/dosports/running/20150617-OHT1T50097.html translated and edited by Brett Larner In thin air between 1500 m and 1700 m, the Kawauchi brothers ran together over tough challenging hills of Nagano.  With their mother Mika Kawauchi , 51, watching, her oldest son Yuki , 28, won the June 14 Venus Half Marathon in 1:10:39.  A day earlier on the 13th, Yuki and the older of his two younger brothers, Yoshiki , 24, ran the neighboring Megamiko Cup Ekiden, a warmup for the Venus Half, together with friends as part of the four-member "Team Kawamoto," raising the excitement level at the race with a come-from-behind win. The Kawauchi brothers ran the ekiden together with two friends, brothers Ryusuke and Yuta Sakamoto , 35 and 28, respectively, combining their family names to create the Team Kawamoto name.  With each member running the same 2.3 km loop, Yoshiki started the second stage in 5th, running 6:58 and passing four people to take the lead befo...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/07/02/kiji/K20140702008487440.html translated by Brett Larner The civil servant runner's youngest brother is set to become the part-time job runner.  On July 1 it was announced that marathoner Yuki Kawauchi 's youngest brother Koki Kawauchi (21, Takasaki Keizai Univ. 4th-yr.) will continue his career as an athlete following his graduation next spring by joining the Arata Project led by London Olympian Arata Fujiwara (32, Miki House). Koki is already training with the other members of the Arata Project group and went to Switzerland last summer to train with Fujiwara at his altitude training camp in St. Moritz.  "Yeah, it's probably better if he trains with Fujiwara than with me," commented Yuki. Depending on his race results, as a member of the Arata Project Koki will begin to receive financial support from the project beginning next year.  However, he will rely mainly on income from a part-time job at another c...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/06/29/kiji/K20140629008469110.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/06/30/kiji/K20140630008473350.html translated and edited by Brett Larner 2014 Incheon Asian Games marathon team member Yuki Kawauchi (27, Saitama Pref. Gov't) ran the 1500 m at this weekend's Saitama Prefecture Track and Field Championships at Kumagaya Sports Park Field.  Running both the semifinal and final on June 29, Kawauchi placed 1st in the semis in 3:55.18 before winning the final in 3:56.48 to happily claim his first prefectural title. Kawauchi fell short of his PB of 3:50.51, but, he said with a smile, "I'm really, really happy to win the title.  It was important to me to win, and everything went according to plan.  Marathon runners don't have to just run the marathon!" Asked for comment on Japanese-born comedian Hiroshi Neko being named to the Cambodian team for the Asian Games marathon , Kawauchi replied, "His be...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243077.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243078.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243079.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20140113-OHT1T00039.htm translated and edited with additional background information by Brett Larner At the 15th Tanigawa Mari Half Marathon , Jan. 12 along the Arakawa River in northern Tokyo, unknown university runner Hideyuki Ikegami  (20, 2nd-yr., Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) ran 1:03:09, opening a massive lead over defending champion  Yuki Kawauchi  (26, Saitama Pref. Gov't) and 2012 winner Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Monteroza) to take the win. Around 10 km he attacked with a series of surges before pulling away to run the final 10 km alone. Thinking, "What do you know, Kawauchi's mortal after all," Ikegami broke the finish line tape with a lead of 1:08, his time a PB by more t...

http://www.sakigake.jp/p/akita/news.jsp?kc=20120916k translated and edited by Brett Larner The 27th Tazawako Marathon took place Sept. 16 on a course around Lake Tazawa in Senboku, Akita.  4869 runners from both inside and outside Akita prefecture took part in the race, which included 45 divisions over four different distances, 3 km, 10 km, 20 km and full marathon.  With temperatures climbing to 30 degrees under a cloudless sky 4198 runners succeeded in completing their races.   Koki Kawauchi  (Takasaki Keizai Univ.), younger brother of 2011 World Championships marathoner Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.), took his first marathon win in 2:37:49, while Eri Suzuki  (Noshiro) won the women's race in 3:10:56. Translator's note:  Click here for complete results .  The same day as Koki Kawauchi's win, his brother Yuki Kawauchi won the Sydney Marathon in a course record 2:11:52 .

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20120415-934528.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The Kawauchis lead in Kasumigaura. Having missed out on the London Olympics team, Yuki Kawauchi  (25, Saitama Pref.) marked the first win among his twelve marathon starts to date at the Apr. 15 Kasumigaura Marathon , Japan's third-largest marathon returning after post-disaster cancellation last year. Kawauchi ran as a pacer for his younger brother Koki Kawauchi  (19, Takasaki Keizai Univ.), but after 23 km he left his brother behind and ran on his own to the finish, closing with an impressive 6:09 split for the final 2.195 km.  Because the brothers went into the race planning to run around 2:25, even with this closing speed Kawauchi's winning time of 2:22:38 was a personal worst, but his wide margin of victory over 2nd place still showed that he was in a different class from the other runners. "I didn't plan to win today, so I guess I was jus...

http://mainichi.jp/area/ibaraki/news/20120323ddlk08050128000c.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Cancelled last year in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami disasters, the organizers of the 22nd Kasumigaura Marathon announced on Mar. 22 that a record 27,353 people have entered this year's race, scheduled for April 15.  The number makes it the third-largest marathon in Japan after the Tokyo Marathon and Osaka Marathon. 2011 World Championships marathoner Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.) will appear as an invited athlete, pacing his younger brother Koki Kawauchi  (Takasaki Keizai Univ.) through his marathon debut.  Past Olympic marathon greats Yuko Arimori , Kenji Kimihara , Akio Usami  and Takeyuki Nakayama  will run as guide runners in the International Blind Marathon Championships division. Translator's note: Kasumigaura also features a competitive 10-miler, which Kawauchi won in 2010.  The race course was damaged in last year's d...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20111015-850392.html translated by Brett Larner Koki Kawauchi  (Takasaki Keizai Univ.), younger brother of Daegu World Championships marathoner Yuki Kawauchi  (24, Saitama Pref.), made his university debut at the Oct. 15 Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km qualifier road race.  At the start of the race one of the younger Kawauchi's shoes unluckily came off, but he nevertheless was able to run a tenacious race, finishing 302nd in 1:06:48, the 2nd finisher from his team.  Along the way he heard his older brother's cheers.  "He's got a high voice, so I knew right away it was him," said Koki with a smile.  His goal is to make the Hakone Ekiden Select Team, on which his brother ran Hakone's Sixth Stage twice.  "If I can run Hakone then I want to do the Sixth Stage," he said, revealing his dreams of the future of his university career.