japan running news

The Kanto Student Athletics Federation (KGRR), organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, announced this week that as of April 1 they have changed their legal status from a volunteer organization to an incorporated foundation. Having served as the KGRR's chairperson for eight years since his appointment in 2016, Masahiro Ariyoshi , 76, has stepped down to be replaced by Yasushi Ueda , 68, a 1984 Olympian in the men's triple jump. Former Yamanashi Gakuin University  head coach  Masahito Ueda , 65, stepped down as chair of the KGRR ekiden committee after serving for ten years. Susumu Hara , 57, head coach of course record-breaking 2024 Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University , was named KGRR executive director and will succeed Ueda as ekiden committee chair. Tokai University  head coach Hayashi Morozumi , 57, will serve as ekiden committee vice-chair. Other committee members include Seiji Kushibe  (Josai University, 52), Toshiyuki Sakai  (Toyo University, 47), Tomoo ...

At an online executive board meeting on June 30, the KGRR made the decision to open up the October, 2023 Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race to universities from across the country in honor of the Hakone Ekiden's 100th running. The decision gives universities from outside the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region the chance to compete in the Hakone Ekiden centennial edition on January 2 and 3, 2024 if they make the cut at the Yosenkai. The Hakone Ekiden is traditionally only open to university men's teams from within Kanto. Teams from other parts of the country will have to meet the same criteria as Kanto Region schools in order to take part in the qualifying race, the minimum of which is currently having at least 10 athletes with 10,000 m bests under 34 minutes at certified competitions. There are precedents for universities from elsewhere in the country to take part. Kansai University competed three times in Hakone's early history, and at the 40th running in 1964 both Ritsumeika...

Entry lists for the 98th Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships , Japan's most competitive collegiate meet, were released May 14. The meet begins May 23rd at Kanagawa's Sagamihara Gion Stadium. Celebrating its 25th anniversary as a D1 program, Yamanashi Gakuin University will field its new Kenyan first-year Boniface Murua in the 10000 m on the 23rd and in the final day's 5000 m on the 26th. At 181 cm Murua has a long and dynamic stride that was in full evidence when he ran 14:06.27 at the Setagaya Time Trials meet immediately after his arrival in Japan in April, and in his 28:17.36 follow-up at the Nittai University Time Trials later that month. Asked about his Kanto Regionals debut, the Japanese Murua has learned was just enough for him to answer, "I'll do my best!" 3rd in the 800 m last year, third-year Daichi Setoguchi is also entered for the third year in a row. "I've been 5th and 3rd, so this year I want to deliver the win...

by Brett Larner video by Ekiden News Waseda University fourth-year Rintaro Takeda became just the fourth man and third Japanese collegiate runner in the 29-year history of the Ageo City Half Marathon to break 62 minutes on the Ageo course, running a PB of over a minute to win in 1:01:59 in a tight sprint finish on the track. Just about the last major university race before the January 2-3 Hakone Ekiden , Ageo serves to help coaches of the twenty Hakone-bound schools sort out their final rosters for Japan's biggest race.  With most schools fielding around thirty runners apiece this has made Ageo into the deepest half marathon in the world, and over the last five years an invitation for the top two finishers to run March's United Airlines NYC Half Marathon has taken the front end of the race to another level. Despite predicted hot weather the day dawned with thick fog and temperatures under 10 degrees.  Running his first half marathon, 18-year-old  Chuo Gakui...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/ekiden/2014/news/20140107-OYT1T01067.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner Eliminated from the Jan. 2-3 90th running of the Hakone Ekiden when second year Enock Omwamba   fractured the fibula in his right leg and dropped out 9.7 km into Hakone's Second Stage, Yamanashi Gakuin University 's remaining athletes were able to refocus themselves and complete the race with all they had.  Head coach Masahito Ueda commented, "Even though their times won't be in the record books, they will live on in people's memories and in the team's history," reflecting on how this year's race will influence the future. This year's results will remain unofficial, but each of Yamanashi Gakuin's athletes ran his part of the Hakone course full of compassion for the injured Omwamba.  After the race captain  Yutaro Matsuyama , who ran the Seventh Stage in his final Hakone as a senior, said, "As captain I didn't leave the...

http://www.47news.jp/CN/201202/CN2012020401002077.html translated by Brett Larner Having broken the Third Stage record at last month's Hakone Ekiden, Yamanashi Gakuin University Kenyan senior Cosmas Ondiba  is set to take a job at Nanyo City Hall in Yamagata prefecture following his graduation this spring.  According to Yamanashi Gakuin University head coach Masahito Ueda , Ondiba will be a part-time worker, training with the City Hall's track and field team and running ekidens and other races.  Saitama prefectural government runner Yuki Kawauchi  is a big topic these days, but, said Ueda, "Ondiba will be the first Kenyan public servant runner in Japan." Translator's note: Ondiba had an outstanding fall season as a senior, winning the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km qualifier, the Ageo City Half Marathon, and the Hakone Ekiden Third Stage, but had difficulty securing a contract from a corporate team because his PB marks are not significantly better than thos...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20100913-OYT1T00255.htm http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/yamanashi/news/20100913-OYT8T00829.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner At the Yamanashi Prefectural Track and Field Championships on Sept. 11, Kofu North Municipal J.H.S. third-year Kenta Ueda , 15, son of Hakone Ekiden powerhouse Yamanashi Gakuin University's head coach Masahito Ueda , 51, ran 5:34.41 to break the junior high school 2000 m national record 30 years after the previous mark of 5:40.02 was set in 1980 by Hiro Takeuchi (Hiroshima Takamiya J.H.S.). The younger Ueda's time also broke the best time his father ran in junior high school. "I'm happy, but I think this was just a checkpoint along the way," he said afterwards. "I'm already looking toward the next step. I want to run the Hakone Ekiden someday." His father commented, "Kenta still has a long way to go ahead of him, but more than anything else I want him to enjoy his years as an ...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/090501/oth0905010946004-n1.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner Mogusu in the Hyogo Relay Carnival 10000 m on Apr. 26. Click photo for full-sized version. A former Hakone Ekiden star during his days at Yamanashi Gakuin University, Mekubo Mogusu (Team Aidem) has begun his comeback after a car accident in his native Kenya in February. Mogusu was 5th in the Apr. 26 Hyogo Relay Carnival 10000 m and 2nd in the Apr. 29 Oda Memorial Track and Field Meet 5000 m in a time just off his best. "I have to just take things bit by bit," he said after the race in Hyogo. Mogusu was driving the car at the time of the accident which left his new coach Sho Kimura in a coma. Shock and guilt over Kimura's condition prevented Mogusu, who was uninjured, from training in the months following the accident. Now hospitalized in Wakayama, Kimura's condition has improved to the point where he is able to feed himself, but the news doesn't bring back Mo...

http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/0313/TKY200903130293.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20090314-470948.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Hakone Ekiden star Mekubo Mogusu (22) and Yamanashi Gakuin University head coach Masahito Ueda held a press conference at the school's Kofu campus on Mar. 13 to discuss the details of the car accident in which Mogusu was involved last month in his native Kenya. On Feb. 9 Mogusu was driving to a practice ground when he struck an oncoming vehicle head-on while pulling out to pass a parked car. Mogusu and fellow runners Daniel Gitau (Nihon Univ.) and Cosmas Ondiba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) were uninjured, but Team Aidem coach Sho Kimura (26), riding in the front passenger seat, struck his head hard and fell unconscious. Kimura is now in a hospital in Wakayama Prefecture where he has regained consciousness and is able to respond to his name. Mogusu is still suffering from the shock of the accident and is unable to train....

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008120200064 translated and edited by Brett Larner "Everything I've experienced in Japan has been precious to me," smiles Yamanashi Gakuin University's Mekubo Mogusu, 21, gently. The driving force behind his school's ekiden team, the Kenyan exchange student says, "I love running the ekiden more than anything else." Having chosen university over a professional career in order to compete in the Hakone Ekiden , the senior now awaits his final run on Hakone's legendary roads. Not liking Japanese food when he first arrived as a high school student, life in Japan was initially hard for Mogusu, but he persevered and with time adapted. Now, even while carrying out incredibly severe training, Mogusu holds down a part-time job in a restaurant in order to be able to send money to his parents back home. This kind of single-minded dedication has helped the exchange student to hone his cutting edge in Japan. At last y...