japan running news

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20081206ddm035040061000c.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2008/12/06/06.html translated and edited by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner The Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association announced its decision following a closed meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 5 that Toyo University will still be allowed to compete in the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden in the wake of a sexual assault scandal involving a member of the university's track and field team. Sophomore Kazuki Kobayashi, 20, a steeplechase runner on Toyo's track team who was not a member of the school's elite ekiden team, was arrested on Dec. 1 for allegedly molesting a female high school student on a Tokyo commuter train the same morning. Toyo head coach Shinji Kawashima and track and field team administrator Yuji Kawano resigned in the wake of the incident , with Kawashima apologizing for the failure of his leadership. Kawashima and three other representatives from Toyo met wit...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/p-sp-tp0-20081204-436496.html http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/ekiden/2009/news/20081203-OYT1T00535.htm?from=main4 http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sports/news/CK2008120402000170.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2008/12/04/03.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20081203-OHT1T00064.htm translated and edited by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner Less than one month before the Hakone Ekiden at which Toyo University was expected to be a contender for the overall win, Sydney Olympics marathoner and Toyo track and field team head coach Shinji Kawashima, 42, along with Toyo's track and field administrative head Yuji Kawano, 32, resigned after the Dec. 1 arrest of 2nd-year team member Kazuki Kobayashi, 20, for the alleged fondling of a female high school student on a commuter train. Assistant coaches Hisashi Sato and Kazuhiro Uemura have taken over the team's leadership for the time being. The incident in question occure...