japan running news

http://iaaf.org/LRR09/news/newsid=50217.html Surprisingly, there will not be a live broadcast of this year's Nagano Marathon. NHK will broadcast a one-hour highlights show on Apr. 25 at 2:00 p.m.

http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20090401/KT090327IWI090025000022.htm translated by Brett Larner On Mar. 31 the organizing committee of the 11th Nagano Olympics Commemorative Marathon announced the elite athletes for this year's race to be held on Apr. 19. Running Nagano for the third time, 2005 men's winner Isaac Macharia (Kenya) will be back to look for his second Nagano win, while two-time Olympic track gold medalist Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) will lead the women's race. Tulu won the gold medal in the 10000 m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She won the 2001 London Marathon and set her PB of 2:23:30 while finishing 4th at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. At 37 she is facing the effects of age but is still competitve, finishing 9th at last year's Tokyo International Women's Marathon in 2:36.47. Macharia won the 2005 edition of Nagano in 2:10:59 and took 3rd in 2006 with a time of 2:12:44. At the 2007 Dubai Marathon he was 2nd in 2:0...

by Brett Larner While much of the rest of Japan struggled with heavy snow, clear skies, cool temperatures and gentle winds greeted the runners in the 42nd Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita Prefecture. Beppu-Oita, or Betsudai as the race is usually known, has the reputation of being a development for younger runners to break through into the front ranks of Japanese marathoning. This year's race lived up to the event's reputation. A large pack of 16 runners with 2 pacemakers ran together through the first half of the race, passing 5 km in 15:19. 2003 L.A. Marathon winner Mark Yatich was the first to drop off the pack. Race commentators passed along their condolensces to Yatich, whose older brother was killed last week in the ongoing strife within Kenya. By 10 km the pack was down to 14 runners plus the pacemakers, going through the mark in 30:29. 15 km (45:50) and 20 km (1:01:16) passed mostly without event. Team Mitsubishi Juko Nagasaki's Yoichi Watanabe slipped and fell...

by Brett Larner The first Sunday in February is one of the busiest days in the elite Japanese racing world. Three major events take place across the country, the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, the Ome Marathon 30 km road race, and the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon. The Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon has historically been one Japan's top marathons, having seen four sub-2:09 performances and one world record, and sometimes serving as a selection race for Olympics and World Championships teams. This year Betsudai, as the race is commonly known, was not chosen as an Olympic selection race; as a result the field is somewhat softer than usual. The top domestic marathoner in the field is Team Kanebo's Michitane Noda with a PB of 2:09:58 from the 2003 Fukuoka International Marathon; Team Fujitsu's Takayuki Ota has been running well of late and looks set to make a mark in his debut marathon. Overseas contenders include four-time Chunchon Marathon winner Elijah Mutai of Kenya, Rugger...

by Brett Larner On Jan. 17 the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon announced the domestic and international elite fields for the event's 57th running on Feb. 3. Although Beppu-Oita, or Betsudai as the race is colloquially known, has in the past sometimes served as a selection race for world-level competitions, its absence from the pool of Beijing Olympics selection races means that this year's domestic elite field is comparatively limited. The Japanese elite field includes only four athletes. Team Kanebo's Michitane Noda is the most experienced of the group, holding a PB of 2:09:58 from the 2003 Fukuoka International Marathon. Noriyuki Mizuguchi of Team Otsuka Seiyaku will be trying to improve on his PB of 2:14:26. The remaining two domestic competitors, Team Nissin's Kenta Oshima and Team Fujitsu's Takayuki Ota, are fast half-marathoners who will be debuting at the full marathon distance in Betsudai. The overseas elite field is slightly larger at seven runners. The top e...