japan running news

Stephen Mayaka was the first Kenyan high school runner in Japan and the first to go the complete route from high school to university and on into the corporate running world. Now a Japanese citizen, married to a former World Championships-level Japanese marathoner and head coach of Obirin University’s ekiden team, Mayaka is a mentor to Kenyan athletes both across Japan and back in Kenya. JRN interviewed Mayaka just before New Year, 2010 for an article for Running Times magazine. This is part two of his interview.  Click here for part one . Part Two: The Corporate Life, Pros and Cons At the professional level, in your day-to-day life in the corporate teams how is it for Kenyan runners or other foreign athletes? I think every company has its own schedule. I support some companies, and I don’t support some other companies, the way they are using us. There are different understandings. I think there are companies that need a Kenyan just to run in the ekiden championships and...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100408-00000003-maip-soci translated by Brett Larner Wysela Wylim, 18, a member of Toyokawa High School's 2008 National High School Girls Ekiden-winning ekiden team who disappeared from the school soon afterwards, was deported back to her native Kenya on April 8. Wylem's student visa expired in September last year. In February this year she appeared at the Nagoya Immigration Office to apply for a special extension for her visa. She was immediately arrested and put in the Immigration Office's accompanying prison. Her dream, "I want to run for a Japanese corporate team someday," was left unrealized. As a 2nd-year at Toyokawa H.S. Wylem went home to Kenya for winter holidays in January 2009. While there her house was robbed and her passport was stolen. Waiting for a new passport, she was unable to return to Japan until April 20. In her absence, when she did not arrive for the start of the new academic year in early April Toyokawa H...

by Brett Larner Click photo for video highlights courtesy of NHK. The All-Japan High School Ekiden Championships took place Dec. 21 in Kyoto, broadcast nationwide and commercial-free on government-sponsored NHK Television. A widespread heatwave brought warm, sunny conditions for the first race of the day, the five-stage, 21.0975 km High School Girls Ekiden . In only its third appearance in the championship ekiden, Toyokawa High School of Aichi Prefecture overcame a new rule intended partly to limit the effectiveness of its Kenyan ace Wysela Wylim to take its first national title. Defending champion Ritsumeikan Uji High School finished 3rd, a fantastic performance by anchor Ikumi Natsuhara not quite enough for her to catch rival Ai Kuboki of Kojokan High School, who finished in 2nd just 4 seconds back from Toyokawa's Wylim. 1st Stage - 6.0 km A new rule this year in both the girls' and boys' races followed a nationwide trend in championship ekidens by banning non-Japanese ru...