japan running news

by Brett Larner photo by a_yamako videos by Ekiden News Perfect conditions brought fast times at one of the best distance meets on the Japanese spring calendar, Saturday's Golden Games in Nobeoka.  With a focus on 5000 m, almost every heat saw four out of the top five run PBs.  Kenya Pauline Kamulu  (Team Toto) soloed her way to a one-second best of 15:29.55 in the women's 5000 m A-heat, with runner-up  Miho Shimizu  (Team Hokuren) in 15:36.03 leading three Japanese women to PBs under 15:40. Newcomers Bernard Kimani  (Team Yakult) and James Mwangi  (Team NTN) continued their climb up the ranks of the Japan-based Africans, beating World XC junior silver medalist Leonard Barsoton  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) in PBs of 13:14.64 and 13:16.06 with Barsoton 3rd in 13:21.44 in the men's 5000 m C-heat.  The lone Japanese man in the heat, 2014 World Half Marathon team member Masato Kikuchi  (Team Konica Minolta), ran 13:35.18 for 6th, yet anot...

http://kumanichi.com/fsports/marathon/2011/kiji/20120218002.shtml translated and edited by Brett Larner The 56th edition of the Kanaguri Memorial Kumanichi 30 km road race takes place at 9 a.m. on Feb. 19th in Kumamoto, Kyushu.  It's the race where the best future prospects of Japanese long distance running gather to get their first experience battling over the longer distances, one where countless Olympians and World Championships team members have run.  Two world records have been run at Kumanichi, but with a new course this year featuring 20 m hills the race has taken on a tougher, up-and-down character. Among the eight invited men and two invited women, the favorite is the leading candidate for Japan's 10000 m squad at the London Olympics, Tsuyoshi Ugachi  (Team Konica Minolta).  What kind of race will he deliver before he shifts his focus to track season?  His strong rival Takuya Ishikawa  (Team Chugoku Denryoku) has withdrawn with injury to his...

by Brett Larner In the last meet of the federation's annual northern Europe track trip, the Aug. 6 Memorial Rasschaert Flanders Cup Meet in Belgium, sub-62 half marathoner Yusuke Takabayashi  (Team Toyota) ran his second PB in a week , clocking 13:34.38 for 5000 m to erase his oldest standing PB.  Takabayashi, a second-year corporate runner, beat his Komazawa University-era teammate Tsuyoshi Ugachi  (Team Konica Minolta), Japan's leading 10000 m and half marathon runner of 2011, and current teammate Chihiro Miyawaki  (Team Toyota) by less than four seconds, dropping both on the final lap in a bid to keep up with eventual winner Faisa Dame Tasama  (Belgium).  Takabayashi's mark puts him at fifth for the year in the 5000 m among Japanese men. 2011 Memorial Rasschaert Flanders Cup Meet Ninove, Belgium, 8/6/11 click here for complete results Men's 5000 m 1. Faisa Dame Tasama (Belgium) - 13:32.86 2. Yusuke Takabayashi (Team Toyota) - 13:34.38 - PB 3. T...

2011 Flanders Cup Gentse Feesten Meeting Gent, Belgium, 7/30/11 click here for complete results Men's 5000 m 1. Brian Olinger (U.S.A.) - 13:32.74 2. Arne Gabius (Germany) - 13:35.90 3. Philipp Bandi (Switzerland) - 13:36.89 4. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:38.92 5. Stephen Furst (U.S.A.) - 13:40.75 6. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:41.56 7. Chihiro Miyawaki (Team Toyota) - 13:45.97 8. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:46.30 9. Kazuya Deguchi (Team Asahi Kasei) - 13:59.14 10. Mohamed Mohamed Ali (Netherlands) - 14:04.44 Women's 3000 m SC 1. Korene Hinds (Jamaica) - 9:38.07 2. Stephanie Garcia (U.S.A.) - 9:41.12 3. Lindsay Allen (U.S.A.) - 9:47.03 ----- 7. Minori Hayakari (Kyoto Koka AC) - 9:57.51 Men's 1500 m Heat 1 1. Andrew Bumbalough (U.S.A.) - 3:40.35 2. Ciaran O'Lionaird (Ireland) - 3:41.34 3. Brandon Bethke (U.S.A.) - 3:41.60 ----- 10. Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 3:44.16 Men's 1500 m Heat 2 1. Yusuke Takabayas...

by Brett Larner The Japanese outdoor track season began in earnest Apr. 9 with the first of the season's major meets, the Kanaguri Memorial Track Meet in Kumamoto. Locally-based Kenyan Sally Chepyego (Team Kyudenko) had the biggest result of the day with a world-leading 15:18.70 to win the women's 5000 m after dueling with fellow Kenyan Ann Karindi (Team Toyota Jidoshoki). 10000 m junior national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) was 3rd in 15:51.33, holding off former Tamagawa University ace Tomomi Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei) in Tanaka's pro debut. Tanaka's teammate, the unknown Kaho Tanaka (Team Daiichi Seimei), was almost as strong in the 5000 m B-heat, running 15:56.03 for the win. Titus Waroru, Takuya Ishikawa and Daniel Gitau in the men's 5000 m. Click here to enlarge photo. In the men's 5000 m, Kenyans took the top five spots with Edward Waweru (Team NTN) coming in a step ahead of 10000 m Japanese all-comers' record holder Josepha...

by Brett Larner Men's 800 m national record holder Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) had the best result of the day for the Japanese contingent at this year's KBC Nacht meet in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on July 10. Less than half a second off his national record of 1:46:16, Yokota won the 800 m in 1:46.63 by the narrowest of margins over South African Jonas Windy . Among the other Japanese participants in the meet, Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) was perhaps the most disappointing as he fell well short in his attempt on the Japanese 5000 m national record, running only 13:27.36 for 9th. A summary of results is included below. 2010 KBC Nacht - Top Results click here for complete results Men's 800 m 1. Masato Yokota (Team Fujitsu) - 1:46.63 2. Jonas Windy (South Africa) - 1:46.64 3. Ludolph Siren (Germany) - 1:47.29 Men's 1500 m B-heat 1. Mthobisi Baloyi (South Africa) - 3:41.58 2. Gregory Beugnet (France) - 3:31.99 3. Niels Verwer (Netherlands) - 3:42.75 ----- 4. Yasunor...

by Brett Larner Unstoppably talented in university, Yuki Sato (Team Nissin Shokuhin) has had an off-and-on career since joining the corporate world last year. Last year he ran 3 seconds off the Japanese national record for 10000 m to become the all-time #3 Japanese man at that distance, but then went on to miss out on qualifying for the Berlin World Championships. On July 3rd this year he pulled off one of his best accomplishments so far, running 7:44.63 for 3000 m at the Memorial Leon Buyle meet in Belgium. Sato finished 3rd behind Kenyans John Kemboi Cheruiyot and Yusef Biwott , the top two 3000 m runners thus far in 2010. His time, a PB by 9 seconds, was less than 3 seconds off Toshinari Takaoka 's 11 year-old national record of 7:41.87 and shows that he is in excellent form as he kicks off a summer stint on the European circuit. A similar improvement over 5000 m would put Sato 1 second off the relatively weak Japanese national record of 13:13.20, a mark which may well fall w...

by Brett Larner The spring regional corporate track and field championship season began May 8 with the first day of the Chugoku Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships, the regional meet for central Japan. Each of the regional meets throughout the country is spread over two consecutive weekends, with the Chugoku region's men's and women's 5000 m the first events to take place. Many of the biggest names sat the races out in favor of the May 9 Sendai International Half Marathon and next weekend's 10000 m, leaving easy wins for Kenyans Joseph Gitau (Team JFE Steel) and Danielle Filomena Cheyech (Team Uniqlo). 2010 Chugoku Jitsugyodan T&F Championships - Top Finishers click here for complete results Men's 5000 m 1. Joseph Gitau (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) - 13:49.85 2. Takuya Ishikawa (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:50.70 3. Akihiko Tsumurai (Team Mazda) - 13:50.94 4. Naoki Okamoto (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 13:52.30 5. Tetsuya Sasaki (Team Chudenko) - 14:04.15 Women's...

by Brett Larner April 1 marks the start of the Japanese fiscal and academic year. This year's round of university graduates and transfers from other teams are now settling in to their new homes around the country. Below is a list of many of the best new men joining corporate teams this season. Click for a larger version. 2010 New Year Ekiden national champion Team Nissin Shokuhin picks up a major score in 2010 World XC Junior Men's winner Caleb Ndiku (Kenya), a replacement for Olympian Julius Gitahi (Kenya). It will be interesting to see how Ndiku fares compared to the team's current #1 Kenyan, Gideon Ngatuny . Nissin rescues Komazawa Univ. grad Hideyuki Anzai from the disbanded Team JAL Ground Service. Team Honda likewise picks up a World XC Junior Men's champion, 2008 winner Ibrahim Jelian (Ethiopia), and a JAL survivor, Ryosuke Fukuyama , and should maintain its spot near the top of the hierarchy. Perennially strong Team Asahi Kasei lands two top recruits, Ko...

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp201003050232.html translated by Brett Larner Note: This article repeats that of a few days ago but fleshes out the details significantly. Led by Team Chugoku Denryoku head coach and Rikuren director of men's marathoning Yasushi Sakaguchi, the athletes in Rikuren's men's marathoning reinforcement training camp depart Mar. 7 for two weeks in New Zealand. Departing from the usual practice, this year's camp is targeting university runners. Among the five student athletes attending the camp is two year-straight Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage record setter Ryuji Kashiwabara (Toyo Univ.). We spoke to Director Sakaguchi about the training camp. Last year Rikuren revived the overseas training camps which had been a fixture of its calendar in the 1990's. What is the aim this time in focusing on athletes under age 23? Our goal is to get our most talented young runners looking toward the marathon from the start. We have a lot of runners who ...

by Brett Larner In a repeat of last year's performance, Meiji University prevailed in rainy conditions to win the Kanto Regional Qualifying Meet for the November's National University Ekiden Championships having missed out on breaking into the six national seeded positions after last year's regional win. Excluding the schools which were made the seeded rankings at last year's Nationals, the twenty fastest Kanto-region schools sent teams of eight to Tokyo's National Stadium on June 21 to run the qualifier. Each team's eight runners were split into pairs by PB, each pair running in one of four 10000 m heats. At the end of the fourth heat teams were ranked by the aggregate times of their eight runners, with the top six teams qualifying for the National Ekiden. Highlights of Kodai Matsumoto's win in the fourth heat. Click here for the full-length video. Meiji simply outclassed all competitors, with seven of its eight runners making the top five in their heats ...