japan running news

by Brett Larner Entry lists are up for one of Japan's biggest spring meets, the Apr. 23-24 Hyogo Relay Carnival. With the cancellation of many of the spring's half marathons after last month's disasters, this year's meet features an exceptionally deep level of talent, particularly at the university level where the men's and women's 10000 m will serve as selection races for the half marathon team for this year's World University Games. The men's Grand Prix 10000 m has an all-star lineup led by two sub-27 men, Japanese all-comers record holder Josephat Ndambiri (Kenya/Team Komori Corp.) and '07 World Championships 10000 m bronze medalist and 10 mile junior world record holder Martin Mathathi (Kenya/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC). Lining up against them are '08 World XC Jr. champion Ibrahim Jeilan (Ethiopia/Team Honda), '11 World XC runner-up Paul Tanui (Kenya/Team Kyudenko), sub-28 men Masato Kihara (Team Kanebo), Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko), ...

http://running.competitor.com/2011/04/news/miyachi-running-to-make-a-difference-in-japan_24547

by Brett Larner #316 Tatsuro Okazaki leads half marathon Asian jr. area record holder Suguru Osako, #315, in the 1500 m on Apr. 2 at Tokyo's National Stadium. Click here for more pictures courtesy of WESC. Even as road races continue to be cancelled in the wake of last month's earthquake and tsunami, track season got underway this weekend with a handful of competitive meets across the country. Among highlights of the distance events: At the Mar. 30 Kokushikan University Time Trials in Tama, Tokyo, women's 10000 m junior national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (Team Mizuno) returned from a long layoff due to injury to run 15:46.58 , the lone woman in a men's 5000 m. 2011 Hakone Ekiden winners Waseda University dominated the distance events at the Tokyo Six University Meet at the National Stadium on Apr. 2. Seniors Yo Yazawa and Yuki Yagi went 1-2 in the 5000 m, clocking 14:03.04 and 14:15.73. Sophomores Kohei Kudo and Noriki Tazawa likewise went 1-2 in the 300...

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/track/news/20110401k0000m050067000c.html translated by Brett Larner The Tokyo-based Natureal company announced Mar. 31 that it is disbanding its women's track and field team, home to 400 m national record holder Asami Chiba (25, formerly Asami Tanno). Beginning April 1, head coach Kazuhisa Kawamoto and all six members of the team will relocate to the Fukushima-based Toho Ginko where they will launch a new women's team.

A couple of days ago the Japanese national soccer team played a charity match against a select team of players from J-League pro teams to raise funds for relief efforts for the disasters in the northeastern part of the country. The national team scored two goals and looked as though they would have a clean sweep. Then, in the second half, 44 year old veteran Kazu Miura , revered for hanging on to a pro career for the love of the sport, came on for the J-League team amidst players his children's age. As the overlayed text says, "Absolutely never give up. All our strength together as one."

by Brett Larner On Mar. 31 after a delay following the Mar. 11 disasters, Rikuren, the Japanese athletics federation, announced the lineup for the men's marathon team for August's World Championships in Daegu, Korea. The team is a strong one, inexperienced but fresh, with 2010 Asian Games silver medalist Yukihiro Kitaoka (Team NTN) and the 3rd and 4th place finishers from both the 2011 Tokyo Marathon and 2011 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama T&F Assoc.), Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota), Hiroyuki Horibata (Team Asahi Kasei) and Kentaro Nakamoto (Team Yasukawa Denki). All but Kitaoka hold PBs under 2:10 set this year. No alternate was officially named. Also formally confirmed for the women's team was defending World Championships silver medalist Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei) who secured a place by winning the 2011 Yokohama International Women's Marathon in a course record 2:23:56. The remaining four women will be named following next mont...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2011/03/31/kiji/K20110331000537600.html translated by Brett Larner Rikuren announced its list of athletes receiving special financial support in the 2011-2012 season on Mar. 31. Joining the ranks of the country's federation-supported athletes for the first time, Tokyo Marathon 3rd place finisher and amateur runner Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama T&F Assoc.) was officially granted B-class support.* Female marathoners Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) and Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) and male sprinters Shinji Takahira (Team Fujitsu) and Naoki Tsukahara (Team Fujitsu) were downgraded from A-class to B-class. Only three athletes were categorized at the highest level, S-class; field athletes Koji Murofushi (Team Mizuno) and Yukifumi Murakami (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) and marathoner Yoshimi Ozaki (Team Daiichi Seimei). *Translator's note: B-class athletes receive an annual stipend of 1,500,000 yen, roughly $18,000 USD at current exchange ...

by Brett Larner Ill or injured for almost the entire three years since her graduation from Sendai Ikuei High School, 10000 m junior national record holder Megumi Kinukawa (21, Team Mizuno), got her latest attempt at a comeback to the level that as a high school student made her the next big hope of Japanese women's distance running off the ground on Mar. 30 at the Kokushikan University Time Trials . In a tuneup for next week's Kanaguri Memorial Track and Field Meet Kinukawa ran in a men's 5000 m heat, clocking a solid 15:46.58 . Her best performance since running 31:23.21 to break her own 10000 m junior national record in 2008, the result suggests that Kinukawa may reemerge this season in time to make the World Championships team on the track if she can stay in one piece. (c) 2011 Brett Larner all rights reserved