japan running news

Primarily known for his work in women's long distance, coach Manabu Kawagoe passed away suddenly on Aug. 22 after suffering a stroke. He was 63. A native of Kagoshima, in his days as an athlete Kawagoe ran at Kagoshima Minami H.S. and Waseda University . He was a member of 2 Hakone Ekiden champion teams at Waseda and won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the National University Championships. After graduating from Waseda Kawagoe joined Shiseido , going on to serve as assistant coach and then head coach. He coached top female athletes like 2008 Chicago Marathon 3rd-placer Kiyoko Shimahara , 10000 m national champion Yoshiko Fujinaga and marathoners Yuri Kano and Akemi Ozaki , and in 2006 led Shiseido to its first National Corporate Women's Ekiden victory. In 2007 he left. Shiseido to form the Second Wind pro team, a new model that brought together his top pro women together with amateurs and junior athletes. In 2011 he became head coach of the Edion corporate team, and in 201...

http://www.nagasaki-np.co.jp/news/kennaitopix/2014/12/17090524015995.shtml translated by Brett Larner With a student body of 833 led by Principal Kenji Tamashima , Nagasaki's Isahaya H.S. held a pep rally at the school Dec. 16 for its boys' and girls' ekiden teams who will be competing in Sunday's National High School Ekiden Championships in Kyoto.  The entire student body turned out to show its support for the school's athletes. The pep rally was held in the school gymnasium.  Special guest Mayor Akio Miyamoto told the teams, "There are a lot of returning members from last year's [National Championships] team, so our hopes for you are high.  Please give it your best." Boys' captain Hiroyuki Sakaguchi , 17, told the assembled students, "We will run with the feeling that you are all sharing here today within our hearts."  Girls' captain Sakura Kawakami , 18, added, "With our running we want to show our thanks for the s...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/news/20120411-OYT1T00950.htm translated by Brett Larner Team Shiseido announced on April 11 that marathoner Yoshiko Fujinaga , 30, has retired.  Fujinaga left the team on March 30 and plans to pursue a career as a teacher. As a student at Isahaya H.S. in Nagasaki Fujinaga ran the 5000 m at the 1999 World Championships, going on to run the marathon at the 2009 World Championships.  Aiming for the London Olympics, she finished only 38th at March's Nagoya Women's Marathon. Translator's note: Fujinaga and London Olympics men's marathon team member Arata Fujiwara  (Tokyo T&F Assoc.) were teammates at Isahaya H.S.

by Brett Larner The Japanese selection races for the country's marathon teams for the London Olympics wrap up this Sunday with the new-and-improved Nagoya Women's Marathon .  Modernizing from a small, elite-only race to the world's largest women-only mass participation field of 15000 and an accompanying co-ed half-marathon, Nagoya retains its elite history with what may be the closest thing the country has seen to a straight-up single-race Olympic trial.  Fifteen elite Japanese women will be going for what are generally believed to be the two remaining Olympic team places, at least eight of them with a realistic chance of making the team.  Fuji TV will be broadcasting the race live nationwide starting at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 11, and overseas viewers should be able to watch online for free via the lo-res splendor of Keyhole TV .  Twitter coverage via @JRNLive will unfortunately not be available for this race. Races need an international field of at least fiv...

by Brett Larner Coming in just ahead of the wave of Tokyo Marathon hype, the organizers of the reformatted Nagoya Women's Marathon have announced the elite field for the final Japanese women's Olympic selection race to be held Mar. 11.  Switching gears from a small, elite event to a mass-participation women-only race with an accompanying mixed half-marathon, Nagoya will host a tiny overseas field and the biggest domestic invited field in memory. The all-but-negligible international field features veteran medalists Catherine Ndereba  (Kenya) and Lidia Simon  (Romania) returning for their perpetual Japanese invites along with Eastern Europeans Albina Mayorova  (Russia), Olena Shurkhno  (Ukraine) and Rasa Drazdauskaite  (Lithuania).  Of more interest is the domestic field, the closest thing Japan has seen to a straight-up Olympic trials race. Fifteen Japanese women are on the invited list to contend for the Olympic team spot or spots still availabl...

http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2012011600713 http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/120116/oth12011619010032-n1.htm http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/01/16/kiji/K20120116002445470.html http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/news/120117/kgw12011702170000-n1.htm http://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/sports/local/20120117000111 translated and edited by Brett Larner On Jan. 16 the organizers of the 66th Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon , scheduled for Feb. 5, announced the 36 men and 17 women making up this year's elite field.  Headlining the overseas men's field are 58:46 all-time #3 half marathoner  Matthew Kisorio  (Kenya) and course record holder Mekubo Mogusu  (Kenya).  The top domestic draws in the men's race are national record holder Atsushi Sato  (Team Chugoku Denryoku) and Olympic hopeful Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.) in his final tuneup for the Tokyo Marathon.  Two-time World Championships marathoner Satoshi Irifune ...

by Brett Larner 2010 Nagoya International Women's Marathon winner Yuri Kano  (Team Shiseido) ran her first race since leaving Second Wind AC  and career-long coach Manabu Kawagoe  at the end of the summer to return to her previous sponsor, Shiseido .  Wearing the new Shiseido uniform for the first time, Kano placed 4th in the women's 5000 m A-heat, at 15:57.80 the fastest Shiseido runner of the night ahead of marathoner Yoshiko Fujinaga  who won the B-heat in 15:59.63.  Kano hopes to make Japan's marathon squad for next summer's London Olympics. National champion Bukkyo University 's Mai Ishibashi  won the A-heat in a solid 15:37.56, with Bukkyo first-year Risa Shibuya  likewise strong as she finished 3rd in 15:46.53.  The team's chances for defending its title at the upcoming National University Women's Ekiden Championships continue to look better and better. In the men's and women's 10000 m A-heats both Tomomi Itakura  (Team Otsu...

by Brett Larner A few months ago JRN had dinner with an executive member of an IAAF gold label overseas marathon.  "The World Championships marathon doesn't matter," this colleague told us.  "Nobody cares about it."  That may be true many places, but in Japan, where most athletes receive regular salaries and do not have agents pushing them into overseas big money races, patriotism still counts for more than the shot at a big payday and the country's best marathoners regularly line up for the chance to represent their country at the World Championships.  Even more so in years like this which precede an Olympics because if a Japanese athlete scores an individual marathon medal at Worlds their place on the Olympic team is secure.  The results speak for themselves.  In the last 20 years Japanese women have scored nine individual marathon medals at eight out of ten World Championships and the men at three along with team medals from both sides virtually every ...

http://www.asahi.com/business/pressrelease/PRT201104190036.html translated by Brett Larner TBS, the official broadcaster of this summer's Daegu World Track and Field Championships, will broadcast Rikuren's announcement of the Japanese women's marathon team lineup live on the internet. On April 21 it's your chance to share the ecstasy of those who have emerged triumphant from the heat of the selection races to make the national team! When: Thursday, April 21, 1:00 p.m. Japan time Where: Go to the TBS homepage ( http://www.tbs.co.jp/ ) and click on the [Ustream] link to go to TBS' online channel. Translator's note: The men's team lineup has already been announced. Looking at the contenders for the women's team, thus far only defending World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) has secured a guaranteed spot on the Daegu team on the strength of her 2:23:56 win at February's Yokohama International Women's Marathon...

by Brett Larner Yoshiko Fujinaga (l) and Azusa Nojiri (r). Click here to enlarge photo. In spite of the stress of living through both the Christchurch and Tohoku disasters and the difficulties caused by trying to maintain a peak for a month after their target race, the Nagoya International Women's Marathon, was cancelled, the majority of the Japanese women at the Apr. 17 London Marathon ran well. The first three across the line recorded PBs, the next a strong debut, and the first five broke 2:30. Former pro XC skier Azusa Nojiri (Team Daiichi Seimei) cleared the federation's World Championships qualifying standard and, pending formal confirmation, will join her teammate Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) on the women's team for this summer's championships. 2009 Nagoya winner Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) also cleared the 2:26 standard but must wait for the official decision following tomorrow's Boston Marathon on whether she will be picked over Osaka runn...

by Brett Larner L-R: Ogi, Matsuoka, Nojiri, Shigetomo, Nasukawa and Nakamura. Eight top Japanese women will race this Sunday's London Marathon, an unusual sight in a race outside Japan. Following last month's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, the Nagoya International Women's Marathon scheduled just two days later was cancelled. The last of the three domestic selection races for the Japanese women's marathon team for this summer's World Championships team, Nagoya's cancellation meant that the entire domestic elite field would have to race somewhere else. The likely domestic replacement, the Apr. 17 Nagano Marathon, was cancelled along with dozens of other races across the country. The Japanese federation was quick to name overseas options: the Apr. 10 Daegu International Marathon, London, and the Boston Marathon a day later. Any woman who broke 2:26 at any of the races would stand an excellent chance of making the team. The stress and uncer...

by Brett Larner Sunday's Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon is always one of the biggest and fastest Japanese half marathons of the year, the site of the women's national record and a sub-60 men's course record. Last year's race saw a quick 1:08:37 from unexpected women's winner Nikki Chapple (Australia) and the only sub-70 half of the year by a Japanese woman along with two university men breaking 62 minutes. Start lists have not yet been published but Chapple is scheduled to defend her win again this year. It won't be easy, as the top woman of 2010, Elvan Abeleygesse (Turkey), and national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) are also on the entry list. Should all three start it would be very surprising if someone else factored into the win. Likely contenders for the second pack include Silviia Skvortsova (Russia), Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) and Megumi Seike (Team Sysmex). In the men's race, the withdrawal of 27:38 10000 m runne...

by Brett Larner Today the 2011 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon announced the elite field for this year's 65th running on Feb. 6. Organizers have set up an excellent women's race, with defending champion Nikki Chapple (Australia) facing the top half marathoner of 2010, Olympic track medalist Elvan Abeylegesse (Turkey) and national half marathon record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal). Abeylegesse is the obvious favorite, but it will be very interesting to see what Fukushi, who set the national record of 1:07:26 in her half marathon debut at Marugame in 2005 and made a quiet return to the distance after over three years with a win at July's Shibetsu Half Marathon, has planned. Chapple's winning time of 1:08:37 from last year puts her in reach of either woman. The men's race is headed by course record holder Mekubo Mogusu (Kenya/Team Aidem) and features the likes of 2:06 marathoner Rachid Kisri (Morocco) and 2010 Asian Games marathon gold medalist ...

by Brett Larner All but invisible to the eyes of the world, the penultimate meet in the 2010 Hokuren Distance Challenge, a six-meet series designed to provide racing and sharpening opporunities for the hundreds of corporate, university and high school student athletes who spend the summer training in Hokkaido to escape the heat of Japan's mainland, took place July 14 in Kitami, Hokkaido. At the Kitami meet a host of familiar faces took the top spots at distances from 800 m to 10000 m. 5000 m and 30 km national record holder Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) took another step in his comeback from two years of setbacks with a 10000 m win in 28:08.16. 5000 m national champion Yuki Matsuoka (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) ran a slim PB to finish a safe 2nd ahead of Matsumiya's Kenyan teammate Samuel Kariuki (Team Konica Minolta). 2010 Tokyo Marathon winner Masakazu Fujiwara (Team Honda) continued his gradual post-Tokyo rebuild with a solid 28:40.06. Fujiwara plans to target a 2:06...

by Brett Larner It's a big weekend in Japan with three major events across the country. The biggest is no doubt the Osaka Grand Prix Meet on May 8. Most events feature the standing Japanese national champion or national record holder along with international competition including Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica, 100 m), Andrew Hinds (Barbados, 100 m), Monzavous Edwards (U.S.A., 200 m), Mounir Yemmouni (France, 1500 m), Doricah Obare (Kenya, 5000 m), Perdita Felicien (Canada, 100 mH), Bershawn Jackson (U.S.A., 400 mH), Christian Cantwell (U.S.A., SP), and Becky Breisch (U.S.A., DT). A complete entry list is available here . One notable withdrawal is the meet's biggest star, Chinese hurdler Xiang Liu . Also on May 8 is the first of the regional spring corporate track meets, the Central Japan Corporate Track and Field Championships . This weekend's events include the men's and women's 5000 m, with the 10000 m scheduled for next weekend. Atsushi Sato (Team C...

by Brett Larner The Sendai International Half Marathon has announced the lineup for this year's 20th anniversary edition on May 9. The top end of the men's field promises a great duel as sub-27 10000 m man and 10 mile junior world record holder Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) makes his half marathon debut against three-time sub-hour half marathoner Mekubo Mogusu (Kenya/Team Aidem). Their goal will no doubt be not just the win but Samuel Wanjiru 's course and Japanese all-comers record of 59:43, a target that has so far eluded Mogusu by as little as 5 seconds. With a mixed field of Japanese elites, Japan-resident Africans and Japanese university men there are too many noteworthy runners to mention, but other names on the entry list include 2010 Asian Games marathon team member Yukihiro Kitaoka (Team NTN), multiple World Half Marathon national team member Kazuo Ietani (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko), Tokyo Marathon 4th placer Yuki Kawauchi (unatt.), Kenyans James...

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/144738 http://www.asahi.com/sports/spo/SEB201001070003.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The 30th and final edition of the Miyazaki Women's Road Race took place Jan. 6 in Miyazaki city. Running the event's half marathon for the first time, Misaki Katsumata (Team Daiichi Seimei) won in a time of 1:10:27. 27 seconds behind in 2nd place was Yoko Miyauchi (Team Kyocera), with Mika Okunaga (Team Kyudenko) another 30 second back in 3rd. 2009 Berlin World Championships marathoner Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) was 4th in 1:11:33. Women's 1500 m national champion Mika Yoshikawa (Team Panasonic) won the 5 km in 16:15. The Miyazaki Road Race began in 1981 and has seen world records set on its fast course. Past winners of the race have included many famous runners such as Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex), Sydney Olympics silver medalist Lidia Simon (Romania), Elana Meyer (RSA), Akemi Masuda, Masako Ch...

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/091223/oth0912231444004-n1.htm http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2009122300218 translated and edited by Brett Larner complete results will be added when available Yumi Hirata (Team Shiseido) took the win in the Sanyo Women's Road Race Half Marathon on Dec. 23 in Okayama. Hirata, who finished 6th in last spring's Nagoya International Women's Marathon and will run January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, clocked 1:11:13. In 2nd place in 1:12:02 was Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya), who took the stage best on the 6th leg of the National Jitsugyodan Women's Ekiden Championships on Dec. 13. Kaori Akagawa (Team Suzuki) was 3rd. In the 10 km race, Nanae Kuwashiro (Team Sysmex) won in 32:27 over November's Yokohama International Women's Marathon 9th placer Hiromi Ominami, who was 7 seconds back in 32:34. World Championships marathoners Yuri Kano (Second Wind AC) and Yoshiko Fujinaga (Team Shiseido) were 7th a...

http://svr.sanyo.oni.co.jp/feature/sports/other/2009/12/01/20091201101648.html translated by Brett Larner The 28th Sanyo Women's Road Race is scheduled to take place Dec. 23. 65 women are entered in the elite half marathon, while the 10 km division has a field of 199. A number of athletes who competed in August's World Championships in Berlin will take their next step on the roads of Okayama. At the top of the field in the half marathon is Berlin WC 10000 m 7th place finisher and Beijing Olympics marathoner Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya). Her toughest challenge will come from Kenyan Danielle Filomena Cheyech (Team Uniqlo), who defeated Nakamura in March's National Jitsugyodan Women's Half Marathon, and last year's runner-up Megumi Seike (Team Sysmex). Marathoner Yumi Hirata (Team Shiseido) and Nakamura's teammate Kaori Urata (Team Tenmaya) are also expected to challenge for the lead. In the 10 km, Berlin World Championships marathoners Yuri Kano (Second Wi...

by Brett Larner Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) scored the silver medal in the women's marathon at the 2009 World Championships in a thrilling three-way battle against eventual winner Xue Bai (China) and bronze medalist Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia), Japan's first silver medal at the World Championships since Mizuki Noguchi finished second to Catherine Ndereba in the 2003 Paris World Championships. Holding the fastest qualifying time on the Japanese team, 2:23:30 at last year's Tokyo International Women's Marathon, Ozaki was a question mark coming into Worlds after a spring of injury and an absence from media coverage, but her powerful, efficient form was clearly operating at 100% right from the start. When Russian Nailiya Yulamanova attacked after a moderately-paced first 30 km Ozaki was one of only three athletes to follow. Men's steeplechase national record holder Yoshitaka Iwamizu came to the rescue when Ozaki missed her special drink shortly afterwards. In th...