japan running news

by Brett Larner 2012 National University Ekiden Champion Komazawa University 's ace sophomore Kenta Murayama , the first man since the great Toshihiko Seko to win the National University Championships 5000 m title as a first-year, added another laurel to his collection with a PB 1:02:46 win at the world's deepest half marathon, the 25th anniversary Ageo City Half Marathon . On a severely windy and cloudless day Murayama and runner-up Kento Otsu of 2012 Hakone Ekiden course record-setters Toyo University were the only men to break 63 minutes.  In his final tuneup for the Dec. 2 Fukuoka International Marathon fan favorite Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.) tied his best-ever placing in Ageo as he took 3rd in 1:03:02, his best time on the Ageo course and one of the best of his career. In a new relationship inaugurated in honor of Ageo's 25th anniversary and facilitated by JRN, both Murayama and Otsu along with their coaches Hiroaki Oyagi  and Toshiyuki Sakai received in...

by Brett Larner For the second year in a row #1-ranked Komazawa University  returned from a shambolic performance at October's Izumo Ekiden to take the win at the National University Men's Ekiden Championships , anchor Shinobu Kubota  running down Toyo University  first-year Yuma Hattori  to bring Komazawa home in a course-record 5:12:43 for the eight-stage, 106.8 km race between Nagoya and Ise.  It was Komazawa's tenth national ekiden title under head coach Hiroaki Oyagi , an achievement which puts him solidly in the record books among Japan's all-time greats.  Toyo, #3 on paper leading into Nationals, just missed the course record, running 5:13:32 for 2nd, while #2-ranked Waseda University was hit-and-miss as it took 3rd in 5:15:08. Nittai University , Meiji University and Nihon University  rounded out the top six to make the seeded places for 2013's National Championships, but times were fast all around as the top eight all beat Waseda...

by Brett Larner click here for complete results The 2012 edition of the early-summer staple of the Japanese track circuit, the Hokuren Distance Challenge, wrapped up July 7 with a big night in Abashiri, Hokkaido.  Having missed out on the London Olympics team, women's 1500 m national record holder Yuriko Kobayashi  (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) made her formal 10000 m debut in 32:21.03, finishing 2nd in the A-heat behind one of the year's leading Japanese women, Ai Igarashi (Team Sysmex), who took the win in 32:17.58.  Eight women altogether broke 32:30, most for the first time.  6th place finisher Akiko Matsuyama  (Team Panasonic) recorded an enormous PB of 32:27.23 ahead of her international road debut at the Great North 10 km.  Marathoners Yukiko Akaba  (Team Hokuren) and Yoko Shibui  (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) were far down the field, 20th and 24th in 33:08.59 and 33:27.03 respectively. The men's 10000 m A-heat was a showdown between newly...

by Brett Larner Near typhoon conditions throughout Japan on Friday and Saturday brought a nationwide heat wave and strong winds on Sunday, less than ideal for a handful of major races across the country. The biggest of them, the Olympic selection-edition Yokohama International Women's Marathon, turned into a race of attrition decided by a final kick to the new waterfront finish, Yokohama's third course in three runnings.  With all three female pacemakers running into trouble and dropping out suddenly at 8, 12 and 19 km rather than the planned 25 km, the race proceeded slower than the planned 2:22 pace, but favorites nevertheless dropped behind one by one.  After a conservative first half far behind the lead pack, 2008 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Mara Yamauchi  (Great Britain) took the lead just before 25 km.  After a big move from Kaoru Nagao  (Team Univ. Ent.) at 31 km the race came down to three, defending champion Yoshimi Ozaki  (Team...