japan running news

Stanford University, California, 4/29/12 click here for complete results Men's 10000 m Kim McDonald 1. Cam Levins (Southern Utah) - 27:27.96 2. Sam Chelanga (OTC) - 27:29.82 3. Chris Derrick (Stanford) - 27:31.38 ----- 10. Akinobu Murasawa (Tokai Univ.) - 27:50.59 13. Tsuyoshi Ugachi (Konica Minolta) - 27:52.79 16. Yuki Sato (Nissin Shokuhin) - 27:57.07 24. Kensuke Takezawa (S&B) - 28:15.79 28. Yuki Matsuoka (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 28:55.90 29. Yusuke Takabayashi (Toyota) - 29:12.69 30. Ikuto Yufu (Komazawa Univ.) - 29:21.29 31. Tomoyuki Morita (Kanebo) - 29:25.55 Men's 10000 m Heat 2 1. Josphat Boit (Mammoth TC) - 28:11.75 2. Liam Adams (Unatt.) - 28:11.76 3. James Strang (Unatt.) - 28:12.03 ----- 31. Atsushi Ikawa (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 29:05.32 Women's 5000 m Heat 1 1. Sally Kipyego (OTC) - 14:43.11 2. Julia Lucas (OTC) - 15:08.52 3. Julie Culley (Asics) - 15:13.87 ----- 12. Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal) - 15:33.11 17. Risa Takenaka (Shiseido) - 15:44....

http://world-track.org/2012/04/course-records-for-tola-jeruto-in-duesseldorf/ The lead pack at 9 km.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/120429/oth12042920580028-n1.htm translated by Brett Larner photos (c) 2012 Brett Larner Having lost in his bid to make the London Olympics team, civil servant runner Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.) finished 8th in 2:12:58 at the Apr. 29 Dusseldorf Marathon , his first European race. Kawachi commented afterward, "Having only Kenyans and Ethiopians and no other Japanese around me was a new experience," taking something positive from the experience.  Losing touch with the lead pack following a surge just before 23 km, he missed his goal of a sub-2:10 clocking.  "I wanted to beat my Tokyo Marathon time (2:12:51)  no matter what.  I can only blame my own weakness for this result, and I have to figure out how to do better." A full-time employee at Kasukabe H.S. in Saitama, Kawauchi is an oddity among Japan's top-class athletes.  Following his European debut, he says, "I'm going straight from the airport to work....

2012 Oda Memorial Track & Field Meet Big Arch Stadium, Hiroshima, Apr. 28-29, 2012 click here for complete results Women's Grand Prix 5000 m 1. Sally Chepyego (Kenya/Team Kyudenko) - 15:19.27 2. Beatrice Wainaina Murugi (Kenya/Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:38.71 3. Toshika Tamura (Matsuyama Univ.) - 15:49.11 4. Ayame Takagi (Meijo Univ.) - 15:54.80 5. Yoko Aizu (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 15:57.38 6. Azusa Kurusu (Juntendo Univ.) - 16:07.19 7. Yuka Ando (Team Mizuno) - 16:10.19 8. Sayuri Sendo (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 16:10.85 9. Michi Numata (Team Toyota Jidoshokki) - 16:18.85 10. Mika Tanimizu (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 16:22.46 Men's Grand Prix 5000 m 1. Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/Team JFE Steel) - 13:36.29 2. Jeremiah Karemi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 13:40.64 3. Takayuki Matsumiya (Team Konica Minolta) - 13:42.27 4. Ryo Matsumoto (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 13:46.02 5. Yasuhito Ikeda (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) - 13:46.58 6. Yasuhiro Tago (Team Chugoku Denryoku)...

Yuki Kawauchi and 2006 European 10000 m champion Jan Fitschen at the Dusseldorf Marathon press conference, Apr. 27. by Brett Larner Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.) is set to make his European debut this Sunday at the 10th Metro Group Dusseldorf Marathon , an IAAF Bronze Label event.  Kawauchi contacted JRN in late December last year to ask for assistance in finding a late-April race in Europe to do as a practice run for the London Olympics.  Following his failed bid to make the Japanese team at February's Tokyo Marathon he elected to commit himself to running Dusseldorf as a serious race.  Joining him is the best field assembled yet in Dusseldorf's short history, with one 2:06 runner and five 2:08 men plus defending champion Nahashon Kimaiyo (Kenya), two debutants with sub-62 half marathon credentials and a sizeable second pack of runners looking to break their home countries' Olympic qualifying standards.  Weather permitting, the out-of-nowhere 2:08:32 co...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20120427-941257.html translated by Brett Larner Hiroshima University of Economics announced April 27 that 2008 Beijing Olympics marathoner Tsuyoshi Ogata  (38) has been named head coach of its track and field team following his retirement from Team Chugoku Denryoku after December's Fukuoka International Marathon.  At a Hiroshima-area press conferece Ogata told members of the media, "I want to pass on the knowledge and experience that I've been able to develop in my career, and to bring my athletes up to be people who will keep looking upwards to the next level."  Ogata left Team Chugoku Denryoku at the end of January and began focusing on his new work in February.  "It was hard to leave," he said of the decision, "but you only live once.  More than feeling like I've left something behind I view this as the chance to take on something I've always wanted to do."  Ogata has not fo...

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/sports/Sp201204270091.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On April 26 it was announced that Beijing Olympics men's marathoner Atsushi Sato  (33, Team Chugoku Denryoku) will take an indefinite leave of absence from the Chugoku Denryoku team to relocate his training base to his native Fukushima.  Sato will remain affiliated with Chugoku Denryoku but will enter Fukushima University in October as a research student. Born in Aizu, Fukushima, last year's disasters were a major turning point for Sato.  Becoming a driving force in helping to alleviate the region's misery in the wake of the nuclear accidents has given him new motivation.  With the understanding of his company, he chose to return to his hometown.  At Fukushima University he will be researching the physiological effects of low-oxygen training while training in his hometown of Aizu as he targets next year's World Championships.  Among the many others who have b...

http://www.irunfar.com/2012/04/2012-iau-100k-world-championship-results.html Not sure what happened in the men's race as Japan, a perennial medal contender, apparently had no men in the top 25 . Update: A reader in Finland sent a link to this discussion about the Seregno World Championships.  Apparently the Russian, Finnish and Japanese teams were housed over 50 km from the race site with the drive to the race taking four hours due to the drivers getting lost.  A Finnish team member commented: "It is a total let down that arrangements can be like this at a World Championship-level event.  I feel most sorry for the Japanese, who went to the World Championships in tragedy." 2012 IAU 100k World Championships Seregno, Italy, 4/22/12 click here for complete results Women 1. Amy Sproston (U.S.A.) - 7:34:08 2. Kajsa Berg (Sweden) - 7:35:23 3. Irina Vishnevskaja (Russia) - 7:36:01 4. Meghan Arbogast (U.S.A.) - 7:41:52 5. Pam Smith (U.S.A.) - 7:43:04 6. Judit Fol...