japan running news

A roundup of some coverage of Samuel Wanjiru since Sunday`s Fukuoka International Marathon . -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wanjiru Wins Debut Marathon in Fukuoka Course Record http://www.asahi.com/sports/spo/TKY200712030126.html translated by Brett Larner Half marathon world record holder Samuel Wanjiru`s strength is such that there was never any possibility of his finishing second in his debut marathon. Saving his racing until the pacemakers dropped off after 30 km, he had no problem applying a sustained last spurt over the final 1.5 km. Runner-up Deriba Merga was utterly unable to follow. Setting a new course record, Wanjiru stated in Japanese, "I achieved my goal of a 2:06. It was tougher than when I set the half marathon world record but I`ve gained the confidence I needed." Waniru trained for this marathon for only one and a half months, less than half the time that most runners spend in preparation. Training at what is for Japanese...

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/top/sp200712/sp2007120304.html translated by Brett Larner Barcelona and Atlanta Olympic women`s marathon medallist Yuko Arimori unveiled her new NPO Heart of Gold on Dec. 2 at the 12th Angkor Wat International Half-Marathon in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a race which Arimori helped to found. Running Angkor Wat for the first time since retiring, this time she appeared in the guise of a `running missionary` with the aim of giving back to the world through the gift of her running. Together with a walking event the previous day, the 12th edition of the race attracted 2,327 participants from 37 countries. For 2 and 1/2 hours from the start all the way to the finish tape, Arimori ran and talked with the wheelchair racers. In beginning her `second running life,` Arimori finds that her perceptions have changed. "Since I`m not racing, I`m able to appreciate more of the running environment. I can take in other aspects of the event and want to do all I can to make...

by Brett Larner World half-marathon record holder Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya) won his debut marathon at today`s Fukuoka International Marathon, smashing the course record by 12 seconds to finish in 2:06:39. Second place finisher Deriba Merga (Ethiopia) also went under the old course record to finish in a major PB of 2:06:50. Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) had the breakthrough he had been hoping for, running an excellent 2:07:13 PB to seal a place on the Japanese men`s marathon team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The day was sunny and cool with steady breezes, a day made for excellent performances. Wanjiru and Merga`s times were the second and third-fastest ever run in Japan and the first time two 2:06 performances have taken place in the same race in Japan. Sato`s result ranks him as the fourth-fastest Japanese runner of all time. Together, the three runners` marks rank Fukuoka second only to Amsterdam in the world this year. Other pre-race favorites did not fare as well. Sato`s teamm...

Video interviews with Samuel Wanjiru, Toshinari Takaoka, Atsushi Fujita, Shigeru Aburaya and Atsushi Fujita are available at: http://www.kbc.co.jp/sports/f-marathon2007/ Click on each line of text in the central box to the right of the five pictures to see the videos. Japanese language only. A separate text article: http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2007113000760 translated by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner The invited elite runners for Sunday`s Olympic qualifying Fukuoka International Marathon gathered on Nov. 30 for the event`s pre-race press conference. Some quotes from the conference: "I am going for a 2:06. I am quite confident about it." -Samuel Wanjiru, 1/2 marathon world record holder and marathon debutant "When I lost four years ago at the selection race for Athens I thought I wouldn`t have another one. I am happy to be here to have a chance to compete." -Toshinari Takaoka, Japanese national marathon record holder "I have good karma in Fukuoka ...

http://www.sanspo.com/tohoku/top/th200711/th2007112805.html translated by Brett Larner A major talent looks set to finally bloom. Having set a new Japanese national half-marathon record of 1:00:25 in October, Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, says, "Doing something like that gives me a lot of confidence, but at the same time it puts a lot of expectation on me. If I don`t do well [in Fukuoka] a lot of people are going to criticize me. I have to do well." With this delicate balance of confidence and pressure, Sato heads into the Fukuoka International Marathon on Dec. 2. During his days at Waseda University Sato set the then Japanese student marathon record of 2:09:50 in his debut marathon. Since that time he has made a name as a star corporate ekiden runner but has not lived up to the same potential in the marathon, finishing only 10th in the 2003 Paris World Championships. Sato trained for last year`s Biwako Marathon at a high-altitu...

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp200711280135.html translated by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner The first of the selection races for the Japanese men`s Beijing Olympics marathon team takes place Dec. 2 at the Fukuoka International Marathon . The elite field includes two runners from Team Chugoku Denryoku, Shigeru Aburaya and Atsushi Sato. The team`s coach Yasushi Sakaguchi says, "Whoever wins Fukuoka will probably be going on to the Olympics. Only one person can win, so I don`t want the two of them to have any bad blood." This will be a rare occasion to see two runners from Team Chugoku Denryoku facing each other in a world-class event. Aburaya`s High-Mileage Preparation Going Well To make the Olympic team, Aburaya has been training to win. "There is only one chance, if I lose that`s it. Whoever I find myself running against, I won`t lose." Aburaya decided to race Fukuoka after hearing that not only Sato but also national record holder Toshinari Takaoka (Team K...

http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/1128/SEB200711280012.html translated by Brett Larner One by one, invited athletes from overseas are arriving in Fukuoka for the Dec. 2nd running of the 61st Fukuoka International Marathon sponsored by Rikuren, The Asahi Newspaper Group and others. On Nov. 28th, Athens Olympics eighth place finisher Alberto Chaica (Portugal) arrived. He is the third of the four invited overseas elite runners to arrive in Fukuoka`s Athlete Village. Chaica arrived at Fukuoka Airport today at approximately 4:25 p.m. It is his second time in Japan and his first time to run the Fukuoka International Marathon. He told reporters, "I`m well-rested, injury-free and feeling good. I want to win." The field in the all-male race includes Japanese national record holder Toshinari Takaoka (Team Kanebo), course record holder Atsushi Fujita (Team Fujitsu) and four other domestic elites. All invited runners are scheduled to arrive in the Athlete Village by Nov. 29th.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/7117025.stm A couple of Japanese articles saying essentially the same thing: http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/p-sp-tp0-20071127-288305.html http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/sports/news/CK2007112602067442.html