japan running news

by Brett Larner

2010 Nagoya International Women's Marathon winner Yuri Kano (Team Shiseido) ran her first race since leaving Second Wind AC and career-long coach Manabu Kawagoe at the end of the summer to return to her previous sponsor, Shiseido.  Wearing the new Shiseido uniform for the first time, Kano placed 4th in the women's 5000 m A-heat, at 15:57.80 the fastest Shiseido runner of the night ahead of marathoner Yoshiko Fujinaga who won the B-heat in 15:59.63.  Kano hopes to make Japan's marathon squad for next summer's London Olympics.

National champion Bukkyo University's Mai Ishibashi won the A-heat in a solid 15:37.56, with Bukkyo first-year Risa Shibuya likewise strong as she finished 3rd in 15:46.53.  The team's chances for defending its title at the upcoming National University Women's Ekiden Championships continue to look better and better.

In the men's and women's 10000 m A-heats both Tomomi Itakura (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) and Kumi Ogura …

by Brett Larner

2009 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist and 5000 m silver medalist and 2010 National University 5000 m champion Kasumi Nishihara (Bukkyo Univ.) took another step toward the top with a 15:27.94 PB to finish 1st in the final women's 5000 m at the 2010 Nighter Time Trials in Marugame on Oct. 9. With runner-up Rei Ohara (Team Tenmaya) over 15 seconds behind, Nishihara's solo effort makes her the third-fastest Japanese woman of the year over 5000 m behind national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) and Nishihara's younger teammate Hikari Yoshimoto (Bukkyo Univ.). Nishihara's progression since high school has been impressively consistent:

2006: 15:47.52
2007: 15:41.54
2008: 15:36.72
2009: 15:32.89
2010: 15:27.94

Yoshimoto was also scheduled to run but was a DNS, raising concerns about her condition after several weak performances earlier this fall season. With Bukkyo runners Mai Ishibashi and Rika Kawashima also under 16 minutes in heats 5 and 6, i…