japan running news

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/10/national/year-good-fortune-line-lucky-man-run-draws-thousands/#.WHVO9LFpOqC

JRN's 2017 Japanese track and road distance running rankings. Overall rankings are calculated using runners' times and placings in races over 5000 m, 10000 m, half-marathon and marathon and the strength of these performances relative to others in the top ten in each category. Click any image to enlarge. Past years: 　 2016 　・ 　 2015 　・　 2014 　・　 2013 　・　 2012 　・　 2011 © 2017 Brett Larner,  all rights reserved

by Brett Larner Following the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden and Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden , the year's first full weekend of road racing included at least four major half marathons across the country. きょう、げんきあっぷはーふまらそんはしりました! たいむべすとでました! pic.twitter.com/2fcLzcZCB1 — Stanley (@stanleysiteki) January 8, 2017 At Tochigi's Takanezawa Genki Up Half Marathon , Kenyan Stanley Siteki , a Tokyo Kokusai University teammate of Hakone anchor stage "phantom winner" Akito Terui , outran Hakone champion Aoyama Gakuin University 's alternates and B-team memeber to win in 1:03:20.   Last year's Takanezawa winner Aritaka Kajiwara was 4th in 1:03:45, exactly a minute slower than his 2016 course record. In Tokyo, the High-Tech Half Marathon , a rebranded version of the popular Mari Tanigawa Half Marathon, saw former JR Higashi Nihon runner Shusei Ohashi win the men's race in 1:05:29.   Eri Suzuki , at 5th the top Japanese woman in last month's Honolulu Marathon , ...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170104-00000029-sph-spo translated and edited by Brett Larner Having run the inaugural Hakone Ekiden in 1920, Keio University announced this week that it is promoting assistant coach Kosaku Hoshina , 32, to the position of head coach.  A graduate of Nittai University and former Nissin Shokuhin corporate runner, Hoshina will lead the team in a bid to make a fully-fledged return to Hakone for the first time since the 70th running in 1994. Although its team is currently weak with just a 28th-place finish at October's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race, Keio's prominent brand-name value may help it become a rival to three-time Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University . The Keio University track and field team was founded in 1917.  Along with Waseda University, Meiji University and Tokyo Koto Shihan College, in 1920 it was one of the four universities that ran the Hakone Ekiden's first edition. Known as one of the "Original H...

https://news.biglobe.ne.jp/sports/0104/blnews_170104_9095272654.html translated by Brett Larner 箱根駅伝 神大１０区、まさかのトラブル これ、警察の不手際？ 大事にならなくて良かったけど、やばいよね pic.twitter.com/hvk0bLbsoN — でめさん (@demesan) January 3, 2017 On Jan. 4 news spread that a runner in the 93rd Hakone Ekiden had nearly been hit by a truck.  Video showing the incident was posted on Twitter, raising a public outcry about the police's handling of road closure and course safety. The Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto  (KGRR), organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, were contacted for comment. The incident occurred on Jan. 3 during the five-stage, 109.6 km Day Two of the Hakone Ekiden from Ashinoko in Kanagawa to the Yomiuri Newspaper Building in central Tokyo.  At Hibiya Crossing late in the Tenth Stage, Kanagawa University anchor Koya Nakagami , running in 5th place, was almost struck by a vehicle on the course.  A major intersection with heavy traffic volume, at the time of the incident pol...

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20170105/ath17010505000003-n1.html translated by Brett Larner Video Research Ltd. has reported that NTV's live broadcast of the 93rd Hakone Ekiden received average viewership ratings of 27.2% for Day One of the race on Jan. 2 and 28.4% for Day Two on Jan. 3.  Peak ratings on each day were 32.7% for Day One and 33.5% for Day Two.  The highest ratings recorded since TV broadcasting of Hakone began at the 63rd running in 1987 came at 2003's 79th running, with average viewership ratings of 29.3% for Day One and 31.5% for Day Two.

http://www.germanroadraces.de/24-0-48442-93-hakone-ekiden-japan-am-23-januar.html German-language coverage of the Hakone Ekiden by Dr. Helmut Winter .

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2017/01/03/kiji/20170103s00056000092000c.html http://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20170103-OHT1T50070.html translated and edited by Brett Larner photos by Brett Larner Having finished 3rd in 2:09:11 as the top Japanese man in the Dec. 4 Fukuoka International Marathon to establish himself as the leading contender for the Japanese national team at August's London World Championships marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (29, Saitama Pref. Gov't) returned to Narita Airport on Jan. 3 after test running the actual London World Championships course. From Dec. 30 through Jan. 1 Kawauchi did test runs on the World Championships course three days in a row. Describing his impressions of it he said, "I thought it was going to be flat, but there were more slopes and sharp curves than I expected.  There are both a flat section along the River Thames that looks like it will be fast and a more technical section." With an eye toward the World Champio...