japan running news

On Mar. 28 the Wacoal women's corporate team announced that women-only marathon national record holder and Tokyo Olympics marathon 8th-placer Mao Ichiyama , 24, and head coach Tadayuki Nagayama , 62, will quit the team at the end of this month. At the same time, 2021 National Corporate Women's Ekiden runner-up Shiseido  announced that both Ichiyama and Nagayama will join its lineup beginning in April. Born in Izumi, Kagoshima, Ichiyama joined Wacoal in 2016 after graduating from high school. Following the Tokyo Olympics, in December last year Ichiyama announced that she had gotten married with men's marathon national record holder Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu). Translator's note: The relocation to the Shiseido team puts Ichiyama close enough to the Fujitsu team's base in Chiba that she and Suzuki would be able to live together. With Wacoal she has been based in Kyoto, a roughly four-hour trip each way. As the women's and men's winners of the first Japan Marathon ...

The Final Challenge Tokyo Olympics marathon qualification series ended with a Cinderella story come true. Indifferent to the cold rain falling around her, 22-year-old Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal) ran the fourth-fastest time ever by a Japanese woman, 2:20:29, to win the Nagoya Women's Marathon . Beating the 2:21:47 that Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) ran to win January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, Ichiyama was named to the final spot on the Japanese women's marathon team for this summer's Tokyo Olympics. She also broke both national record holder Mizuki Noguchi 's 17-year-old record for the fastest time by a Japanese woman on Japanese soil, and the course record held by the now-suspended Eunice Kirwa , a Kenyan-born Bahraini, by nearly a minute. Up to 30 km Ichiyama sat in the pack. "It'd be too much to say I was jogging for the first 30 km, but I was running with plenty to spare," she said. The only runner in the lead group wearing Nike'...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2016/07/15/kiji/K20160715012969550.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2016/07/15/kiji/K20160715012969530.html http://www.nikkansports.com/olympic/rio2016/athletics/news/1679246.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Japan's Rio de Janeiro marathon teams face a tough challenge in the Olympic races, the women's race scheduled for Aug. 14 and the men's race for the final day of the Games, 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 21 Japan time. For the men, top eight looks like a realistic goal.  Among the three, Satoru Sasaki (Team Asahi Kasei), Hisanori Kitajima (Team Yasukawa Denki) and Suehiro Ishikawa (Team Honda), Sasaki has the fastest PB at 2:08:56.  In comparison, Kenyan Olympic team member Eliud Kipchoge won April's London Marathon in an all-time #2 time of 2:03:05.  The gap in ability between the Africans and the Japanese men is enormous. Among the women, a three-time Olympian on the track, Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) is...

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ6Q3JD3J6QKTQ2006.html translated by Brett Larner On June 22 the organizers of the June 26 Hakodate Half Marathon announced that Rio Olympics women's marathon team member Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) has pulled out of Sunday's race due to pain in her right foot.  After returning mid-month from a training camp in the U.S.A. Fukushi went to the hospital to undergo examination before making the decision to withdraw. The details are not clear, but there is a possibility of a stress fracture and the team has opted to take it seriously.  Wacoal head coach Tadayuki Nagayama was cautious looking toward August's main event, commenting, "We really have to watch our step here, but training will continue."  He indicated that Fukushi plans to race abroad in July as a tuneup for Rio. Update: http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/general/2016/06/22/0009212045.shtml In response to reports that Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon ...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1607599.html translated by Brett Larner With regard to her entry in the final Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon selection race, the Mar. 13 Nagoya Women's Marathon, on Feb. 21 JAAF Strengthening Committee Chairman Kazunori Asaba , 55, sent a message to Kayoko Fukushi (33, Team Wacoal): "We do not want you to run." Fukushi won the second Rio selection race, January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, in 2:22:17, one of the fastest times ever run by a Japanese woman, but because the JAAF would not confirm her spot on the Rio team, the next day she indicated that she would run Nagoya as well.  Chairman Asaba seeks to persuade Fukushi that if she hopes to contend for an Olympic medal she should not run Nagoya, but at the same time refuses to change the JAAF's stance that it will not confirm that she is definitely on the Rio team. Attending the 20 km racewalk national championships in Kobe, C...

2:22:17...Kayoko Fukushi is going to Rio!!! pic.twitter.com/rFefyN9U7e — Boulder Wave (@BoulderWave) January 31, 2016 A post-race tweet by Fukushi's agent Brendan Reilly. http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/1599606.html translated by Brett Larner Despite having won Sunday's Osaka International Women's Marathon in all-time Japanese #7 2:22:17 to seemingly mark herself a lock for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic team, Kayoko Fukushi (33, Team Wacoal) revealed on Feb. 1 that she is considering running the final selection race at the Mar. 13 Nagoya Women's Marathon as well. Despite having cleared the JAAF's sub-2:22:30 Olympic standard with a win, depending on what other athletes do in Nagoya there is a slight chance Fukushi could be cut out of contention, and with the additional problem of a lack of clarity in the JAAF's Olympic selection criteria Fukushi may make the unprecedented move of running a second selection race. A day after she shou...

http://mainichi.jp/sports/news/20141214k0000m050169000c.html translated by Brett Larner 2013 Moscow World Championships women's marathon bronze medalist Kayoko Fukushi will not be a starting member at for the Wacoal team at tomorrow's National Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships.  According to head coach Tadayuki Nagayama , Fukushi is not at full fitness after suffering a stress fracture in one of the toes on her right foot in early October.  Nagayama also announced that Fukushi will not run in either of the remaining two selection races for the 2015 Beijing World Championships teams, January's Osaka International Women's Marathon and March's Nagoya Women's Marathon.  With an eye toward the Japanese Federation's sub-2:22:30 qualifying time for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic team Nagayama commented, "In the short term the goal is not to focus on competing but to improve her time and running ability." 

by Brett Larner This year's Japanese Olympic track squad includes three women and only one man in the distance events, all of whom are scheduled to double at 5000 m and 10000 m.  The women's team features 5000 m national record holder Kayoko Fukushi  (Team Wacoal), 5000 m national champion Hitomi Niiya  (Team Univ. Ent.) and 10000 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa  (Team Panasonic), while two-time men's 10000 m national champion Yuki Sato  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) will be the sole Japanese man in the 5 and 10. Fukushi originally targeted the marathon in London, but after a failed qualification race in Osaka in January she regrouped and went back to the track, where she is already a two-time Olympian.    Sub-par throughout the spring, at the Olympic Trials she acted as an unofficial pacer for Yoshikawa to get the 10000 m A-standard, finishing 2nd in 31:43.25 but a lock for the team with a career 2nd-best 30:54.29 A-standard mark at last year's P...

http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2012/01/28/0004773977.shtml translated by Brett Larner Fukushi at 26 miles in Chicago. Photo (c) 2011 Dr. Helmut Winter The pre-race athletes' press conference for the Jan. 29 Osaka International Women's Marathon Olympic selection race took place Jan. 27.  Aiming for her long-hoped-for appearance on the Olympic marathon stage, half-marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi  (29, Team Wacoal) appeared confident of her chances of punching her ticket.  Four years ago in Osaka Fukushi went out at a blazing speed in her debut only to slow dramatically after 30 km.  Fully prepared this time, Japan's queen of the track is ready for payback. Fukushi looks confident because she feels it.  At the press conference her face was relaxed.  "My goal is to beat myself," she said.  "What's different this time?  Maybe I've grown up a little, as people do."  It's been four years since her " Breakdown of the Cen...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/111218/oth11121817520012-n1.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner Half-marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi  (29, Team Wacoal) announced Dec. 18 that she will run the Jan. 29 Osaka International Women's Marathon in a bid to make the London Olympic team.  Her coach Tadayuki Nagayama  commented, "We're looking forward to the race, including the chance for some payback for 2008 [where Fukushi was 19th in 2:40:54 in her debut] .  Fukushi's only stab at the marathon since then was her 2:24:38 best at October's Chicago Marathon.  In Osaka she will face Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist and national record holder Mizuki Noguchi  (33, Team Sysmex), who declared for Osaka some time ago.  "There's no point being nervous," said Fukushi.  "I don't know what I can do in the marathon yet."

Half-marathon national record holders Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) and Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) at the 2011 Chicago Marathon press conference.  Photo (c) 2011 Dr. Helmut Winter http://www.letsrun.com/2011/fukushi-1006.php A good piece on Kayoko Fukushi  by Race Results Weekly's David Monti  ahead of Fukushi's highly anticipated run at Sunday's Chicago Marathon.  Here's hoping we don't see this again: Before: After: Click here for a documentary on Fukushi's debut at the 2008 Osaka International Women's Marathon.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/osaka/spor/200904/24/spor219690.html translated by Brett Larner Sidelined since November with plantar fasciitis in her left foot, Beijing Olympics 5000 m and 10000 m runner Kayoko Fukushi (27, Team Wacoal) will make a comeback at the May 15 Kansai Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships at the Amagasaki Memorial Park Track and Field Grounds in Hyogo Prefecture. Tentatively entered in both the 5000 m and 10000 m, Fukushi will be running her first track races in 7 1/2 months since last September's National Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships. Team Wacoal head coach Tadayuki Nagayama commented, "Kayoko's injury has completely healed. She's feeling the best she has since the Beijing Olympics."

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2008/10/16/07.html http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/081013/spg0810131848008-n1.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner The entry lists for the Nov. 3rd Awajishima Women's Ekiden were released at an Osaka press conference on Oct. 15. Heading the list are Beijing Olympians Kayoko Fukushi (26, Team Wacoal), who finished 11th in the 10000 m, and Yurika Nakamura (22, Team Tenmaya), who was 13th in the marathon. The two are expected to run against each other on the ekiden's longest stage, the 11.78 km 3rd leg. The dangerous road racer Nakamura is considering another shot at the marathon. There is a possibility that Fukushi, who debuted at the marathon in January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, may also give the distance another try later in the season, but at last weekend's Niigata Big Festa track and field meet Fukushi herself said only, "I'm getting ready for ekiden season." Team Wacoal head coach Tadayuki ...

http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/tochu/article/sports/news/CK2008012802082970.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20080129-OHT1T00039.htm http://beijing2008.nikkansports.com/athletics/p-sp-tp0-20080129-313437.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The door is open for Q-chan to make it to Beijing. At the second selection race for the Beijing Olympic women's marathon team, queen of the track Kayoko Fukushi failed to make the grade. Top Japanese finisher Tomo Morimoto's time was also relatively slow, meaning that the Olympic team's final member will not be settled until the Nagoya International Women's Marathon on Mar. 9. For Naoko Takahashi, who declared some time ago that she would be running Nagoya, the chance exists to make the team. The marathon is not sweet. The bloody scrape across her nose is a fitting symbol of Fukushi's first time at the 42.195 km distance. Going out faster than Mizuki Noguchi's course record pace, Fukushi was smooth and powerfu...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2007122300155 http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2007/12/24/0000780564.shtml Hot on the heels of recovering from childbirth to defeat Catherine Ndereba in the International Chiba Ekiden last month and finish 2nd to 10000 m national record holder Yoko Shibui on the 10 km anchor leg of last week`s All-Japan Jitsugyodan Women`s Ekiden, Yukiko Akaba of Team Hokuren ran 31:23.27 in the women`s 10000 m at the Nittadai Track and Field Meet in Yokohama on Dec. 23 to meet the Beijing Olympics A standard of 31:45:00. This performance broke Akaba`s PB by 30 seconds. "I ran within myself," commented Akaba after the race. "I will do it again next year at the Olympic Trials." Kayoko Fukushi of Team Wacoal, who is scheduled to run the Osaka International Marathon in January next year, was entered in the 10000 m at the Nittadai meet but did not run. Team Wacoal coach Tadayuki Nagayama stated that Fukushi did not attend the meet in order to av...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?key=&k=200712/2007121800555&rel=j&g=spo http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2007121800675 http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/071218/oth0712181809003-n1.htm http://www.iza.ne.jp/news/newsarticle/sports/other/110610/ http://www2.asahi.com/olympic2008/news/TKY200711190104.html translated and edited by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner On Dec. 18, the organizers of the Beijing Olympics-qualifying Osaka International Women`s Marathon announced the field for next`s month`s competition. The biggest news is the inclusion of 15 km world record and Japanese 3000 m, 5000 m, and half marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal). Fukushi will be running her debut marathon not as part of the invited field but as an independent runner. The word `finally` is the first to come to mind. Until now Fukushi has avoided speaking directly about her marathon plans, only making vague comments such as, "There are many options to go to the Olympics...