japan running news

In maybe the most competitive event so far at the 2026 National High School Championships , Chihiro Obata (Iida H.S.) took the win in the boys' 5000 m race walk in 20:07.28 by 3 seconds over Yuki Kaida (Chuodai Yokohama H.S.) and other 3 seconds over Koya Hayashi (Tosu Kogyo H.S.) - 20:13.12. Right behind Hayashi, the next 3 were all under 20:17 and 2 more under 20:28, with almost everyone in the top 15 clocking a new PB. Impressive given the hot and humid summer conditions. Girls' 3000 m winner Mirriam Njeri (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) also impressed, putting 7 seconds on Nami Kawakami (Nagano Higashi H.S.) to win in 9:02.42. Other winners included Yui Yoshinaga (Nagasaki Nichidai H.S.), 11.57 (+0.7) in the girls' 100 m, Sekito Matsushita (Shizuoka H.S.), 10.27 (+0.7) in the boys' 100 m, Nana Ishihara (Hakuodai Ashikaga H.S.), 6.31 m (+1.1) in the girls' long jump, and Rinoa Akagi (Shigakudai Kagawa Nishi H.S.), 50.35 m for the win in the girls' javelin throw. ...

There weren't any Japanese athletes in action at the Rabat Diamond League meet Sunday, but 2 lower-tier domestic meets produced new national records. At the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama, Samuel Kibathi (Toyota) led the top 5 in the men's 10000 m under 28 minutes in 27:39.97. In 3rd, China's Wenjie Wang took just over a second off his own NR from the same meet last year, setting a new record of 27:47.53. His teammate Haoran Tang was 6th in a 28:27.44 PB, with the top Japanese time in the race being a 28:33.39 for 8th from Jin Yuasa (Toyota). Amazingly, Wang and Tang were back the next day on day 2 of the Nittai meet, Wang running a PB of 13:35.58 for 4th in the A-heat and Tang winning the B-heat in a PB of 13:38.80. Isaac Ndiema took the A-heat in 13:26.49, with the fastest Japanese time going to Yuhei Urano (Fujitsu) with a 13:35.94 for 5th behind Wang. Other Nittai highlights: Deborah Chemutai (Univ. Ent.) won a photo finish against Yua Nagamori ...

Japan's National High School Championships took place this weekend in Hiroshima and produced record-breaking performances across events despite hot conditions. Across the first two days of the Championships Kiichi Miyashita (3rd yr., Shiritsu Funabashi H.S.) set new high school and meet records in the boys' heptathlon with a final score of 6325 that far surpassed the old record of 6264. Miyashita's strongest events were the sprints, where he ran 10.79 (+1.2) in the 100 m and 48.08 in the 400 m, with his weakest events being the shot put, 12.91 m, and high jump, 1.86 m. Felix Muthiani (3rd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin H.S.) set a meet record 3:39.20 to win the boys' 1500 m , holding off Haruki Niizuma (3rd yr., Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) to 2nd in 3:40.83. Muthiani's record was a data point in favor of speculation by Saku Chosei H.S. head coach Masaru Takamizawa last summer that the new restriction of non-Japanese athletes to the shortest stage at the National High School...