japan running news

by Brett Larner Tokai University graduate Kazuya Ishida (Team Nishitetsu) won the 50th running of the Nobeoka Nishi Nihon Marathon in outstanding style, taking more than 30 minutes off his PB to set the second-fastest winning time in Nobeoka history, 2:11:57, over a close-knit pack of four that stayed together until late in the race.  The lead pack went out on track for a 2:10 CR, with the numbers up front remaining substantial until after 25 km.  By 30 km the lead pack was down to Ishida, 2:10 runner  Kazuki Ikenaga  (Team Konica Minolta), Kota Noguchi  (Team Toyota) and first-timer Koji Kobayashi  (Team Subaru).  The lead changed hands frequently, but by 40 km Ishida was on his own, keeping things on track well enough to dip under 2:12. Ikenaga outlasted the less-experienced Noguchi and Kobayashi to take 2nd in 2:12:09, another excellent time for Nobeoka, with Noguchi reaching his goal of a sub-2:13 PB and Kobayashi also managing to stay sub-2:1...

by Brett Larner Two of Japan's big spring 10-milers took place this weekend, the Himejijo Road Race on Saturday and the Karatsu Road Race on Sunday.  In Himeji, two-time 5000 m national champion Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) won his second road race of the year, outkicking Takuji Morimoto  (Team Chugoku Denryoku) to win the men's 10 mile race in 47:34.  It was also his second time winning Himejijo, having taken top honors at the 2006 race.  Tokumoto plans to run next month's Biwako Mainichi Marathon before leaving Nissin to take a university coaching position.  In the women's 5 km, Yoko Aizu  (Team Shikoku Denryoku) had an easy win in 16:17, 11 seconds ahead of teammate Yuka Tagahara . Sunday's Karatsu Road Race proved to be the bigger of the two.  In the men's 10 mile race, Komazawa University graduate Sota Hoshi  (Team Fujitsu) had the first big result of his pro career, outkicking double 1500 m and 5000 m national champion...

http://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/sports/61827-ndambiri-tops-meru-race-list Both Ndambiri and Karoki are based in Japan, Ndambiri with the Komori Corporation team and Karoki with S&B.  Ndambiri was just announced as a member of the 2012 Boston Marathon elite field.

http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/CROS12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=63532

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/120209/oth12020921070020-n1.htm translated by Brett Larner Having pulled out of last month's Osaka International Women's Marathon Olympic selection race with inflammation of the back of her left thigh, Mizuki Noguchi  (33, Team Sysmex) left Kansai Airport Feb. 9 for altitude training in Kunming, China ahead of her new target, the Mar. 11 Nagoya Women's Marathon.  Noguchi has resumed interval workouts and is on the way to be ready again for a single, focused attack.  "I want to concentrate completely on pulling everything together," she said. The last chance for Japanese women to qualify for the London Olympics, Nagoya will include last summer's World Championships 5th-place finisher Yukiko Akaba  (Team Hokuren), 2009 World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki  (Team Daiichi Seimei) and other tough competition.  "It's a great field," said Noguchi, "and it'll take everything I have to beat...

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20120205-OHT1T00234.htm translated by Brett Larner Taking time at her intensive training camp on the island of Miyako in Okinawa to talk about her target of making the London Olympics women's marathon team when she runs next month's Nagoya Women's Marathon, former national record holder Yoko Shibui  (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) said, "I'm rounding into shape to be ready to be on the start line.  I want to keep things low-pressure and run a good race." Shibui has been on Miyako island since Jan. 25 and is nearing the end of the two-week camp.  Her training, which has included runs up to 60 km, has gone smoothly.  "It's warm here, so [my body]  feels light and agile," she said. Translator's note: Athletes contending for an Olympic spot in Nagoya besides Shibui are expected to include national record holder Mizuki Noguchi  (Team Sysmex), four of the five members of the Daegu World Championships m...

http://www.47news.jp/CN/201202/CN2012020401002077.html translated by Brett Larner Having broken the Third Stage record at last month's Hakone Ekiden, Yamanashi Gakuin University Kenyan senior Cosmas Ondiba  is set to take a job at Nanyo City Hall in Yamagata prefecture following his graduation this spring.  According to Yamanashi Gakuin University head coach Masahito Ueda , Ondiba will be a part-time worker, training with the City Hall's track and field team and running ekidens and other races.  Saitama prefectural government runner Yuki Kawauchi  is a big topic these days, but, said Ueda, "Ondiba will be the first Kenyan public servant runner in Japan." Translator's note: Ondiba had an outstanding fall season as a senior, winning the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km qualifier, the Ageo City Half Marathon, and the Hakone Ekiden Third Stage, but had difficulty securing a contract from a corporate team because his PB marks are not significantly better than thos...

by Brett Larner 2011 New Year Ekiden national champion Team Toyota  added another win to its resume, running 2:30:45 to set the course record at the 66th running of the six-stage, 52.6 km  Meigi Ekiden , Feb. 5 in Nagoya.  Runner-up Team Toyota Boshoku  also went under the old course record, recording a time of 2:31:58.   Suzuki Hamamatsu AC , featuring the superb Martin Mathathi  and Toyota Boshoku's former ace Yusei Nakao , had an improvement over last year's performance thanks to the addition of Nakao, finishing 3rd in 2:32:34.  Defending champion Team Aichi Seiko  was only 4th in 2:33:55. Nakao led off strongly for Suzuki, winning the first stage with a few seconds to spare.   Nicholas Makau  (Kenya) put the small Team Yachiyo Kogyo  into the lead with a course record 20:51 for the 7.3 km Second Stage, but Toyota's Yuya Ito  responded with a course record of his own on the 6.0 km Third Stage, clocking 16.58 to put Toyot...