japan running news

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/feature/niwm/CK2008022802191336.html The organizing committee of the 2008 Nagoya International Women's Marathon , sponsored in part by Rikuren and the Chunichi Newspapers Group, announced the names of the 20 invited elite runners for this year's Olympic selection edition of the race. The field of 325, including 305 individual entrants, will start the 42.195 course at 12:15 p.m. The domestic elite field includes 2000 Sydney Olympics marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi (Team Phiten), 2006 Nagoya winner Harumi Hiroyama (Team Shiseido), 2004 Athens Olympics marathon team member Naoko Sakamoto (Team Tenmaya), and 8-time Nagoya competitor Takami Ominami (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) along with 11 others. The foreign elite field of 5 is led by Kenya's Joice Kirui. Invited Domestic Elites Naoko Takahashi (Team Phiten), 35, PB: 2:19:46 Naoko Sakamoto (Team Tenmaya), 27, PB: 2:21:51 Harumi Hiroyama (Team Shiseido), 39, PB: 2:22:56 Takami Ominami (Team ...

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/feature/niwm/CK2008022802091213.html In the leadup to the final selection race for the Beijing Olympics Japanese women's marathon team, the Mar. 9 Nagoya International Women's Marathon , Sydney Olympics marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi (Team Phiten) returned to Japan on Feb. 27 after 2 months at her high-altitude training camp in Kunming, China. Takahashi, 35, failed to qualify for the Athens Olympics 4 years ago. This last chance to make the Beijing Olympics will be everything for her. Speaking to reporters at Tokyo's Narita Airport, Takahashi said of her training in Kunming, "Everyday, I did exactly what I needed to do. I feel ready now. My goal is to run my own race." While at the training camp Takahashi might have gotten discouraged when she ran into problems, but, she explained, "I try to live by my motto, 'Your dreams will come true if you don't give up.' The only thing I am thinking about is winn...

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/local/20080225/20080225_001.shtml translated by Brett Larner Cutting through the strong headwind without struggle to run away to the goal line, Masaya Shimizu 's 4th marathon was his 1st perfect race. "I ran 120% today. Knowing I won by running perfectly is the best feeling I've ever had," the laurel-crowned king of the Nobeoka Nishi Nihon Marathon said with a shaky voice. Shimizu, 27, took a potential disaster and reshaped it into a tool with which to forge his dream race. At the drink station just after the pace makers dropped out at 30 km, he was unable to grab his special drink. "Some dumbass put my bottle too far back on the table to reach. I missed it and didn't have any choice except to just go without it." Instead, he put on a spurt which caught most of the other leaders off guard, breaking up the pack and reducing it from 10 runners to 4. Shimizu led the pack into the biting headwind. "I didn't want to ...

http://kumanichi.com/fsports/30km/index.cfm http://kumanichi.com/fsports/30km/30km52/20080225.1.cfm http://kumanichi.com/fsports/30km/30km52/20080225.2.cfm http://kumanichi.com/fsports/30km/30km52/20080225.3.cfm translated and edited by Brett Larner On Feb. 24 individual entrant Masaki Shimojo (Team Konica Minolta) won the 52nd Kumanichi 30 km Road Race in Kumamoto in 1:30:33. He became only the 3rd individual entrant to ever win the event, the last being Tomoya Shimizu (Team Sagawa Express) 2 years ago. Only 2 women were entered in the race, but winner Miho Notagashira (Team Wacoal) set a new course record by 13 seconds, running 1:44:00. Although windy conditions prevented a predicted 1:29 finish time, the men's race yielded the first dead heat finish in years. It started with a slow pace. At the 10 km point, Kodai Tanabe (Team Mazda) broke from the lead pack and opened a gap, but at the halfway point it looked likely that the finish time would be in the 1:33 range. The chase...

http://www.iaaf.org/WXC08/news/kind=100/newsid=43631.html

http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Athletics/10193629.html http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Athletics/10193631.html Wanjiru's time was apparently 1:00:33. Although this article doesn't mention it, Wanjiru has elsewhere been reported to be slated to run another half marathon in The Hague, where he set the world record last year, prior to running London.

Sorry, I've been really busy this week with planning my trip over to run Around the Bay and Boston. I have a stack of articles I've been working on which I hope to put up tomorrow. Topics include: -Kumanichi 30k report -Biwako Mainichi Marathon and Olympic selection scenarios -Q-chan back from Kunming -Noguchi goes to Kunming -Mekubo Mogusu -Kensuke Takezawa I'll also have up reports on the 3/1 Fukuoka International Cross Country meet and 3/2 Biwako as soon as I can, although Ken Nakamura will probably beat me to it. Next week I'll be making my debut as one of the participants on the Runnerville Weekly podcast, apparently alongside the likes of Amby Burfoot, Mary Wittenberg, the Letsrun Johnson brothers, etc. Yoroshiku. Also, if you read this blog semi-regularly then please take a minute to answer the polls I'm putting up. Thanks. Prices listed are for one year's worth of monthly interviews.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20080224-OHT1T00205.htm http://www.umk.co.jp/news/headline/20080224.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Masaya Shimizu of Team Asahi Kasei won the Nobeoka Nishi Nihon Marathon on a windy Feb. 24 in a time of 2:13:06. It was his 4th full marathon and first time winning at the distance. 18 seconds behind Shimizu was Team Kyudenko's Tomonori Onitsuka , with Kentaro Nakamoto of Team Yasukawa Denki 3rd in his marathon debut. Team Asahi Kasei's Muneyuki Ojima , running his final marathon, was 9th. Shimizu launched a spurt at 30 km, breaking up the lead pack and turning the event into a match race against Onitsuka. Attacking at 41 km, he managed to break contact with Onitsuka and run away to his first victory. Both runners were slightly off their PB times. Conditions at the start were 6.4 degrees with 35% humidity and NNW winds at 6.1 m/s. Translator's note: Team Asahi Kasei continues its strong showing in the marathon this ...