japan running news

http://mainichi.jp/select/today/news/20101211k0000e050020000c.html an editorial by Makoto Izawa translated by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin photo by Dr. Helmut Winter click link to original article above for a photo of Fukuoka pacemaker Eliud Kiptanui just after being physically stopped by a race official Update: JRN's translation of this article has been translated into Italian here . You're the fastest runner but you're not allowed to win. At last weekend's Fukuoka International Marathon , a bizarre happening took place which left race officials saying, "We've never heard of something like this before." A pacemaker hired to lead part of the race at a designated speed took off with reckless abandon, creating chaos in the race behind him. What is the role of pacemakers in a marathon? The Fukuoka International Marathon hired four official pacemakers this year. However, at 15 km one of them, Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) abruptly accelerated, ignoring his agreeme...

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/090121/spg0901210501001-n1.htm translated by Brett Larner The 2009 Osaka International Women's Marathon athletes' village officially opened on Jan. 20. Making her first appearance in Osaka, Russian Gulnara Vygovskaya, 28, arrived in the athletes' village together with her coach Volker Wagner, 59, a former coach of men's marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. Also arriving in the athletes' village for her ninth Osaka was three-time winner Lidia Simon of Romania, 35. "I want to break 2:25 and be in the top three," Simon told reporters. As part of the pre-race festivities, runners in the athletes' village took part in a mochi-making ceremony (photo above) . Simon professed her love for the traditional pounded rice-paste delicacy.