japan running news

On Sept. 1, New Year Ekiden national champion Honda announced that Hidekazu Hijikata , the 5th-fastest Japanese marathoner ever with a best of 2:06:26, has left its team. Following his departure, Hijikata will transfer to the Asahi Kasei team, 3rd at the New Year Ekiden. Hijikata was a successful ekiden runner at Koku Gakuin University , running a 2:09:50 marathon debut at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon while still a student there. After joining Honda, he ran a massive 2:06:26 PB at the 2021 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon. At the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden this year he anchored Honda to its first-ever national title. Following up with a 2:08:02 at the Tokyo Marathon in March, he secured his place at the September, 2023 MGC Race Olympic marathon trials. In a statement Hijikata said, "Thanks to everyone who has shown me support the last two and a half years. I'll always be proud of having run for Honda, for having trained with their fantastic coaching staff, and for having gotten to run nex...

Daiji Kawai age: 27 sponsor: Toenec graduated from: Seki Shogyo H.S., Reitaku University best time inside MGC window: 2:10:50, 11th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon PB: 2:10:50, 11th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon other PBs: 5000 m: 13:45.91 (2018) 10000 m: 28:08.52 (2018) half marathon: 1:02:45 (2019) marathons inside MGC window (Aug. 1 2017 – April 30 2019) 11th, 2019 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:10:50 60th, 2018 Hokkaido Marathon, 2:28:25 42nd, 2018 Lake Biwa Marathon, 2:23:13 other major results: 5th, 2019 National Championships 10000 m, 28:43.46 3rd, 2019 Oda Memorial Meet 5000 m, 13:51.56 31st, 2019 Marugame Half Marathon, 1:02:45 – PB 8th, 2019 New Year Ekiden Fourth Stage (22.4 km), 1:05:48 3rd, 2018 Kumamoto Kosa 10-Mile Road Race, 46:15 1st, 2016 Inuyama Half Marathon, 1:03:21 Kawai is a rarity in the MGC men’s field, one of the only men who went to university in the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region but didn’t run the Hakone Ekiden. After graduating from Reitaku Univers...

http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20160705-OHT1T50100.html http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20160705-00000225-sph-spo translated and edited by Brett Larner Former teammates at 2012 National High School Ekiden champion Toyokawa H.S. and now two of the biggest stars on the Hakone Ekiden circuit, 2015 National University Half Marathon champion Tadashi Isshiki (Aoyama Gakuin University) and 2015 National University 5000 m champion Hazuma Hattori (Toyo University) are set to follow unconventional paths post-graduation. At a press conference this week GMO Internet announced that Isshiki will join its new GMO Athletes team after his graduation next spring.  Isshiki finished as the third Japanese man overall and second university finisher in his marathon debut at February's Tokyo Marathon, running 2:11:45 to position himself as a hopeful for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Having received recruitment offers from ten different corporate league teams, after careful consideration...