japan running news

by Brett Larner For the last five years JRN has worked with the NYRR to bring the fastest two Japanese university men at November's Ageo City Half Marathon, one of the world's absolute deepest races, to the United Airlines NYC Half .  The program has had a big impact on the runners who have qualified, Yuta Shitara and Kenta Murayama both making the Beijing World Championships last year and Murayama turning some heads with his marathon debut in Tokyo this year, two-time NYC runner Takashi Ichida winning the 2016 Japanese XC national title and Ikuto Yufu , the highest placer in New York to date at 9th, winning the prestigious Karatsu 10-Miler last month.  This year Komazawa University third-year Yusuke Nishiyama and 19-year-old Tokai University first-year Haruki Minatoya made the trip, both running in the U.S.A. for the first time and Nishiyama accompanied by Komazawa coach and former marathon national record holder Atsushi Fujita . Both chugged along in the main pa...

by Brett Larner coach Atsushi Fujita, Yusuke Nishiyama and Haruki Minatoya in New York For the fifth year in a row the NYRR have invited the top two Japanese university finishers at November's Ageo City Half Marathon to make their U.S. debuts at the United Airlines NYC Half .  Last year in Ageo Kenya Sonota and Yusuke Nishiyama from four-time National University Ekiden champion Komazawa University went 1-2 in 1:02:48 and 1:02:52 to seal up their invites to New York, just outkicking Japan's best first-year Haruki Minatoya of Tokai University .  Three weeks ago Sonota sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw.  19-year-old Minatoya, already entered for the National University Half Marathon, was ready to take over. In New York with support from JRN and Komazawa coach Atsushi Fujita , the former Japanese marathon national record holder at 2:06:51, Nishiyama was a star runner at Iga Hakuho H.S. with a win on the First Stage at the 2012 National High Scho...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20141215-1409335.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20141215-1409308.html translated and edited by Brett Larner click here for complete results Eri Suzuki ran a PB 2:47:00 for 9th as the top woman among the 13,000 Japanese finishers at the 42nd JAL Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 14, her second year in a row taking top Japanese honors in Honolulu.  Exhausted just after finishing, she managed to say, "The crowd support along the course was wonderful and kept me going."  Having run well again in Honolulu she was satisfied with her results, saying, "I met both of my goals of being the first Japanese woman and breaking my PB." Joyce Chepkirui (Kenya) won the women's race in 2:30:23.  In the men's race, Wilson Chebet (Kenya) took the top spot in 2:15:35, with Taku Harada the fastest Japanese man at 7th overall in 2:27:26.  In the wheelchair race, Wakako Tsuchida wo...