japan running news

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20090318-472510.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20090318-OHT1T00135.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner Japan's toughest mother, Beijing Olympics track runner Yukiko Akaba (29, Team Hokuren), is staking everything on Berlin. Having placed 2nd in January's Osaka International Women's Marathon in her first attempt at the distance, Akaba is now on the provisional list for the August 15-23 Berlin World Championships women's marathon team. At a press conference in Sapporo on Mar. 17, Akaba told members of the media that if she is not chosen for the World Championships team she will instead run the Sept. 20 Berlin Marathon. In either case, her goal in her second marathon is a time of 2:22, a mark which would put her into the all-time Japanese women's top ten. Following her Osaka run, Akaba said at the time, "I'm not thinking about anything but the marathon now. I'm certain I will run [on t...

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sports/news/CK2009022702000123.html http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/sports/wm/CK2009030102000169.html?ref=rank translated and edited by Brett Larner Yoshio Koide and Hitomi Niiya training for Nagoya on Tokunoshima island. Among the athletes vying for a spot on the Berlin World Championships women's marathon team at the Mar. 8 Nagoya International Women's Marathon is Hitomi Niiya (Team Toyota Jidoshokki), a runner who hopes to become the successor to Sydney Olympics gold medalist Naoko Takahashi (36, Team Phiten). Only 21, Niiya is nothing like other Japanese runners the same age. Nagoya is already her third marathon. Ordinarily a coach brings an athlete up in distance gradually in order to minimize the risk of injury, but Niiya has pushed her way forward through her own determination and she will be standing on Nagoya's start line brimming with confidence. "I've never felt so positive about a race before," she says. ...

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20090224-OHT1T00291.htm translated by Brett Larner On Feb. 24, former men's marathon national record holder Atsushi Fujita (32, Team Fujitsu), held a public practice session in Chiba as he prepares for next month's Tokyo Marathon. Fujita has sworn to stage a comeback victory in memory of his late mother. Today was the one-year anniversary of his mother Shizue's loss at age 54, the victim of a brain tumor. On the 22nd Fujita returned to his hometown of Shirakawa in Fukushima Prefecture to observe the one-year memorial ceremony. "Please watch me as I run this marathon," he prayed before her shrine. Fujita's last marathon was the Dec. 2007 Fukuoka International Marathon, where he finished 8th. Since Team Fujitsu's win at the New Year Ekiden he has been at training camps on the southern islands of Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima, focusing on high mileage to fortify his stamina. On the 27th he will again travel to Am...

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sports/news/CK2009022002000136.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Naoko Takahashi stands between the two monuments in her honor on Tokunoshima island. Sydney Olympics women's marathon gold medalist and former world record holder Naoko Takahashi (36, Phiten), who retired from professional running last fall, began training on the island of Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture on Feb. 19 for what she has up until now called a 'thank-you run' at the Mar. 8 Nagoya International Women's Marathon . Q-chan has said her goal for her 'final run' is simply, "to break 3 hours." However, she recently commented, "I'm really afraid that when the starting gun goes off I might get excited and try to run up front [in the lead pack] instead of going out as planned," suggesting the possibility that Nagoya might become a 'real run.' Takahashi was quick to add, "I'm going to try to hold back as ...

http://sports.nikkei.co.jp/index.aspx?n=SSXKB0323%2008122008 translated by Brett Larner Management for former women's marathon legend Naoko Takahashi, who announced her retirement in October, revealed on Dec. 8 that Takahashi will run March's Nagoya International Women's Marathon in the individual entrant division, following through on a long-standing plan to run a 'Thank You' race for her fans. "I want to show my deepest gratitude to all those who cheered and supported me. I'll keep going on step by step as I look back at my running life," commented Takahashi. Although she will run the race among the amateurs, Takahashi will head to Kagoshima Prefecture's Tokunoshima in February for a training camp as part of her preparation for Nagoya. Takahashi set her first Japanese national record at Nagoya in 1998, marking it as a special race in her heart. She won the 2000 Nagoya to qualify for the Sydney Olympics, where she went on to win Japan's f...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2008/11/04/04.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Beijing Olympics 5000 m and 10000 m runner Yukiko Akaba (29, Team Hokuren) has confirmed that she will make her marathon debut in the Jan. 25 Osaka International Women's Marathon, a selection race for the 2009 Berlin World Track and Field Championships. "I'm going to run Osaka," Akaba told reporters after the Nov. 3 East Japan Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden. Explaining her reasoning for choosing Osaka for her debut, Akaba said, "All four years that I was in university I won my stage in the National University Women's Ekiden in Osaka, so there are a lot of good memories for me there." The first mother in the history of Japanese track and field to forge a successful career, Akaba has followed a 2-year marathon development plan since giving birth to her daughter Una. "I thought it would be best to start from polishing my speed on the track," she explain...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008022200916 http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2008/02/22/0000846994.shtml translated and edited by Brett Larner The Yokohama International Women's Ekiden takes place this Sunday, Feb. 24. The 42.195 km course consists of 6 stages through the streets of downtown Yokohama. The Japanese team met the press at a pre-race conference on Feb. 22. A victory here would be Japan's first Yokohama win in 3 years. Team member and 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi, 19, (Team Toyota Jidoshokki), said, "I'm the youngest person here but I want to lead our team to win. I don't want to let us down. I want to learn about international running culture from the foreign runners too." Kobayashi brushed aside questions about her conflict with Rikuren over being banned from jitsugyodan races for enrolling in university after joining a jitsugyodan team. "I'm leaving that to the coaches. I don't let it distract me." ...

http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/news/CK2007122502075007.html http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2007/12/26/0000782494.shtml http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/071113/oth0711132353005-n1.htm translated and edited by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner Sydney Olympics gold medalist Naoko Takahashi (Team Phiten) left Japan on Dec. 25 for a high-altitude training camp in Kunming, China as part of her preparation for trying to qualify for the Beijing Olympic marathon team at the Nagoya International Women`s Marathon on Mar. 9. In the early morning while on the way to Narita Airport, Takahashi discovered that her ticket was actually for Dec. 26, not Dec. 25. Fortunately, she was able to fly on the 25th. In the past Takahashi has always had trouble before her good races, so this may have been a good omen. Shortly before Takahashi won the 2000 Nagoya International Women`s Marathon to qualify for the Sydney Olympics, she suffered food poisoning while at a training camp in Tokunoshima, Kagos...