japan running news

Running on the same course where Japan's Takahiro Sunada set the road 100 km world record of 6:13:33 twenty years ago, 2:17:23 marathoner Nao Kazami   bested a deep and competitive field to win the Lake Saroma 100 km Ultramarathon in a world record 6:09:14. Part of a front group of at least five that went through the marathon split in 2:33:36, on pace for 6:04:01, Kazami lost touch with the lead as rivals Koji Hayasaka and Takehiko Gyoba surged just before halfway to open a roughly 30 second lead that lasted until nearly 75 km. But in the last quarter of the race Kazami, a graduate of Hakone Ekiden powerhouse Komazawa University , was the only one who could sustain anything close to the early pace, overtaking Hayasaka and Gyoba before pulling away to open a lead of over 11 minutes. Kazami's mark took more than 4 minutes off the world record, and he also bettered the 100 km track world record of 6:10:20 set in 1978 well before he was born by the late Don Ritchie . ...

For the third year in a row, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) won the Kawauchi no Sato Kaeru Half Marathon in Kawauchi, Fukushima, running 1:05:54 in hot and sunny conditions. His mother Mika and younger brothers Yoshiki and Koki also ran, Yoshiki fresh back from running last weekend's PZU Krakow Marathon and Koki newly elected to the local city council in the family's hometown of Kuki, Saitama. 川内選手ゲストランナー(*^^*) pic.twitter.com/YdyXo1nO1d — かずのこ (@flyingkazuchan) April 28, 2018 Over the stage where the brothers appeared before and after the race hung a banner that read, "The town of Kawauchi supports Yuki Kawauchi with all our hearts! Congratulations on winning the Boston Marathon!!" A long line of fans lined up for autographs and selfies with Kawauchi, who wore his Boston winners' medal after the race. He next runs half marathons in Saitama and Hokkaido on back-to-back days this coming Friday and Saturday. 福島県の川内村に川内優輝選手の取材に行ってきました（※川内の...

Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi 's youngest brother Koki Kawauchi , 25, was elected to the Kuki city council in an election held April 22, winning 6309 votes. Kawauchi was delighted, commenting, "My older brother's Boston Marathon win was like the winds of a typhoon filling my sails. I couldn't be more grateful." When the results of the election were announced just after midnight, Kawauchi made an appearance to celebrate his win, wearing a running uniform and a crown of laurels. Smiling broadly he raised his arms and shouted in victory as he broke a finish line tape that said, "Koki Kawauchi Elected." 朝から朗報💥🌟✨ 埼玉久喜市市会議員選に 川内鴻輝議員（＾◇＾）誕生 スポーツ振興に力を… 川内三兄弟よくやるなあ この行動力に感心🎉💞🎉 pic.twitter.com/9dphJ1CFZT — 生駒のえりざべーと (@fukkatuERZABEAT) April 22, 2018 As a government employee Yuki Kawauchi was prohibited from campaigning on his younger brother's behalf, but his Boston Marathon victory and subsequent declaration that he would go profe...

Known as the Civil Servant Runner, Saitama Prefectural Government employee Yuki Kawauchi 's career record of 78 sub-2:20 marathons was officially recognized as the Guinness World Record at a ceremony in his hometown of Kuki, Saitama on Mar. 25.  Raised in Kuki, Kawauchi began working for the Saitama Prefectural Government after graduating from university. Running while working full-time as a civil servant, he has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trial race. Earlier this month on the 18th Kawauchi ran Taiwan's Wan Jin Shi Marathon , winning in 2:14:12. His 78th time running faster than 2 hours and 20 minutes, his achievement was certified as the official Guinness World Record. He actually broke the previous record on Jan. 1 at the Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon in the U.S.A. with his 76th sub-2:20 but followed up with two performances, one in February and the other last week, before Guinness could ratify the record. The official recognition ceremony took p...

The Kobe Marathon held its 7th running on Nov. 19.  19,709 runners took part in this year's race, with 600,000 people cheering them on along the course between the start at Kobe City Hall and the finish in the Kobe Harbor area which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary. American Maegan Krifchin , 29, won the women's race in a course record time of 2:33:14. Khalil Lemciyeh of Morocco also broke the men's course record, winning in 2:12:49. The Kobe Marathon is organized by the Hyogo Prefectural Government and the City of Kobe. 7,500 volunteers helped runners over the course of the three days of race weekend. This year the turnaround point moved 1.25 km to the west, taking runners under Akashi Kaikyo Bridge for the first time. The final section of the course on Port Island was shortened to make up the distance. At noon at the finish area temperatures were 12 degrees with 65% humidity. 18,949 people finished the race. At the starting ceremony in front of City Ha...

The 23rd edition of the Shimantogawa Ultramarathon took place Oct. 15 in Shimanto, Kochi. 1822 runners started the 100 km division, where Yoshiki Kawauchi (26, Saitama T&F Assoc.) and Aiko Kanematsu (37, Team RxL) took the men's and women's titles for the first time. The 100 km division started under a heavy downpour at 5:30 a.m. in front of Warabioka J.H.S. The 576 participants in the 60 km division got off 4 1/2 hours later from Koinobori Park, with both races finishing at Nakamura H.S. Kawauchi, the younger brother of "civil servant runner" Yuki Kawauchi , ran Shimantogawa for the second time, improving dramatically on last year's run to win in 6:42:06. "Last time I was 21st, a total disaster," Kawauchi said afterward. "My brother told me, 'Don't overdo it on the uphills,' and his advie helped me get through it. The scenery around Iwama Chinkabashi was really beautiful." Kanematsu began running with her husband ar...

For the second year in a row brothers Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) and Yoshiki Kawauchi (unattached) returned to their late father's home island of Okinoshima to dominate the Father's Day Okinoshima Ultramarathon 50 km and 100 km. Yoshiki, the younger of the two, ran the 100 km for the third time. In his 2015 debut he suffered mightily on the way in to an 11:21:52 finish. Returning with a year's more experience in 2016, he won in a course record 7:20:31. This time he was out fast in search of his first sub-7 clocking, averaging 4:00/km at 40 km through the hilliest part of the course before starting to slow. At 60 km he was still on track for a sub-7, splitting 4:07:10, but when he hit the series of three >100 m elevation gain climbs just after 60 km sub-7 slipped out of reach. Still well under course pace with a 7:12:27 projection at 80 km Yoshiki struggled on the last 100 m climb just over 5 km from the finish, coming in for the win in 7:29:06 . Yo...

by Brett Larner Continuing a season that seems to show him returning to his best form, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) took over three minutes off his own national record as he won the hilly Okinoshima Ultramarathon 's 50 km division in 2:44:07.  Run on the island where Kawauchi's late father was born, the Okinoshima Ultra is a Father's Day fixture on Kawauchi's calendar.  The course features a relatively flat first 10 km, three 100 m+ tall ups and downs between 10 and 30 km, and an undulating last 20 km capped by one more major hill with 5 km to go. "The weather conditions were better than usual, so I decided to go for the course record," Kawauchi told JRN post-race.  Where he has typically opened the first 10 km in 33-34 minutes in past years, this year he went out red-hot, splitting 31:07, 2:11 marathon pace, before hitting the hills.  Over the next 20 km he was slightly slower than in the last two years, but even so with a 1:38:21 split at ...

by Brett Larner 川内優輝選手、スーツで快走🏃🏃 #久喜 #マラソン大会 #川内優輝 pic.twitter.com/6ZgpHYi7xw — ぴの (@pinobubu) March 13, 2016 A week after his Olympic dreams ended with a 2:11:53 finish at the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov't) took to the streets of his hometown of Kuki, Saitama to run the Kuki Half Marathon.  A special guest of race organizers, Kawauchi treated local fans by portraying his role as the Civil Servant Runner in a literal way, running the race wearing a full suit including tie, vest, belt and dress socks. というわけで、久喜マラソン大会（撮りに）行ってきました～Σp[【◎】]ω｀*) スポーツなんて滅多に撮らないので不安でしたが、川内優輝選手のスタートと間近でとゴールのところは撮れたので満足満足～(*´ω`*) #川内優輝 #マラソン pic.twitter.com/ZOLcInHWbo — えるる＠鷲宮 (@erukuma) March 13, 2016 The official Guinness World Record for a half marathon in a suit is 1:24:41 by American Gihan Amarasiriwardena last December.  Dueling with his longtime friend and rival Saeki Makino (DNPL), runners from Heisei Kokusai University and his younger b...

by Brett Larner photos by Ekiden News , Reiko.K and STITCHrunner click here for more photos by Ekiden News For the third year in a row, the staff of the Ekiden News website brought the experience of the elite time trial meet to the average runner, putting on the Otona no Time Trial meet, Time Trials for Grown-Ups, at Kinuta Park Field in Tokyo's western-central suburb of Setagaya on July 26.  Despite extreme heat over 500 amateur runners from back-of-the-packers to sub-15 seekers, kids to adults, took part in 1000 m, 1500 m and finely-graded 5000 m races, mirroring the experience of elite time trial meets like the Nittai University Time Trials and Golden Games in Nobeoka.  London Paralympics 5000 m bronze medalist Shinya Wada Each heat featured pacing from top-tier Japanese elite athletes, including sub-62 half marathoners Takuya Fukatsu , Tomoya Onishi and Yuki Yagi from the Asahi Kasei corporate team, London Paralympics men's 5000 m bronze medalist Shin...

by Brett Larner 隠岐の島で川内三兄弟と子供たちのマラソン大会 pic.twitter.com/39PuIqenMo — IZUMI TAM 6/21 隠岐の島 (@izuizuu) June 20, 2015 For the last four years the Okinoshima Ultramarathon has been a staple on Yuki Kawauchi 's schedule, a tough and hilly race held every year on Father's Day on the west coast island where his father Ashio Kawauchi was born.  This year to mark the 10th anniversary of both Ashio's passing and the race, Kawauchi was joined by both of his younger brothers, Yoshiki and Koki .  Yoshiki, a 2:22 marathoner, made his ultra debut in the 100 km division, while Koki, the youngest of the three, joined course record holder Yuki in the 50 km. Yoshiki's day began early, the 100 km race getting going at 5;00 a.m.  6 1/2 hours later, Yuki missed his pre-race introduction to the crowds at the 50 km start and arrived at the starting line with just 4 minutes to go, Koki giving him a perplexed, "What's up?"  Last year Yuki ran 2:47:27 in Okinoshima, insi...

http://www.hochi.co.jp/dosports/running/20150617-OHT1T50097.html translated and edited by Brett Larner In thin air between 1500 m and 1700 m, the Kawauchi brothers ran together over tough challenging hills of Nagano.  With their mother Mika Kawauchi , 51, watching, her oldest son Yuki , 28, won the June 14 Venus Half Marathon in 1:10:39.  A day earlier on the 13th, Yuki and the older of his two younger brothers, Yoshiki , 24, ran the neighboring Megamiko Cup Ekiden, a warmup for the Venus Half, together with friends as part of the four-member "Team Kawamoto," raising the excitement level at the race with a come-from-behind win. The Kawauchi brothers ran the ekiden together with two friends, brothers Ryusuke and Yuta Sakamoto , 35 and 28, respectively, combining their family names to create the Team Kawamoto name.  With each member running the same 2.3 km loop, Yoshiki started the second stage in 5th, running 6:58 and passing four people to take the lead befo...

by Brett Larner Japan is unique in having one of the most highly-developed elite running systems in the world, an enormous and growing population of amateur runners, and mass popularity among the general public in elite racing as a spectator sport.  But like anywhere else there is separation between those elite and amateur worlds, the university and corporate teams, out of sight except for their televised races and rarely interacting with the public. A university-aged pacer in a blue and white Otona no Time Trial singlet leads amateur runners in an early heat. One feature of the elite circuit is the time trial meet.  Time trial meets are day- or weekend-long series of long-distance track races finely graded by target time.  The largest of the them, Yokohama's Nittai University Time Trials series, had 45 heats of 5000 m in 14 hours in one edition last year, each heat with 30-40 runners ranging from serious amateurs in the early heats to Olympians and national ...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243077.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243078.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243079.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20140113-OHT1T00039.htm translated and edited with additional background information by Brett Larner At the 15th Tanigawa Mari Half Marathon , Jan. 12 along the Arakawa River in northern Tokyo, unknown university runner Hideyuki Ikegami  (20, 2nd-yr., Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) ran 1:03:09, opening a massive lead over defending champion  Yuki Kawauchi  (26, Saitama Pref. Gov't) and 2012 winner Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Monteroza) to take the win. Around 10 km he attacked with a series of surges before pulling away to run the final 10 km alone. Thinking, "What do you know, Kawauchi's mortal after all," Ikegami broke the finish line tape with a lead of 1:08, his time a PB by more t...

http://www.47news.jp/topics/entertainment/oricon/culture/131790.html translated by Brett Larner Saitama Prefectural Government civil servant runner Yuki Kawauchi  professional impersonator athlete  Takashi M.  (28), has announced that he intends hold a special "Mt. Fuji Prayer Marathon" on Aug. 15 to pray at the peak of Mt. Fuji for a Kawauchi victory in Saturday's Moscow World Championships Marathon.  He intends to run up the World Heritage Site mountain to Fuji Sengen Shrine at its sacred summit to offer his prayers, saying that since he cannot cheer Kawauchi on in person he wants to send his voice westward from the peak of the mountain that is the envy of the rest of the world. Takashi M. regularly appears as Kawauchi at marathons and ekidens across Japan, gaining a reputation as the country's leading "comedian runner."  A graduate of Hakone Ekiden powerhouse Komazawa University , where he was the team's manager while a student, he has long kn...