japan running news

by Brett Larner The Nagano Marathon has released the names of its elite field lineup for its 15th running, to be held Apr. 21.  It's a field heavy on veterans, including 40+ runners William Kiplagat (Kenya), Chihiro Tanaka  (Athlec RC) and Yoshimi Hoshino  (eAthletes Shizuoka), imminently retiring former national record holder Atsushi Fujita  (Team Fujitsu) and, freshly departed from the Kyudenko corporate team, top-ranked woman Mika Okunaga (Yufuin Hammock AC). Two of last year's top four men return in the form of Silas Sang  (Kenya) and Alexey Sokolov  (Russia), joined from overseas by silver label Eritrean Isaias Beyn .  The domestic favorite in his fourth marathon of 2013 is Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref. Gov't), but the interest level in the Japanese field extends further to include silver label men Chiharu Takada  (Team JR Higashi Nihon) and Kazuya Ishida  (Team Nishitetsu) and three men with promising runs at February's Nobe...

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2013/03/30/kiji/K20130330005505240.html translated and edited by Brett Larner Like his running, Saitama's civil servant runner is set to take his moniker to the next level. Having renewed his assignment as an office worker at Kasukabe High School for the fiscal year beginning Apr. 1, at a press conference on Mar. 29 Yuki Kawauchi , 26, announced that he will run for governor of Saitama in the upcoming prefectural elections. "I want to do my best for all the people of Saitama," Kawauchi told reporters. Although he has been courted by leaders of various political parties throughout his rise to fame as Saitama's leading citizen over the last two years, Kawauchi will run as an independent. "Political parties serve a role for people who can't think for themselves or like to follow others, but that's not who I am," Kawauchi said.  "I think there are a lot of other people like me and I want to show them tha...

http://www.nissinfoods-holdings.co.jp/rikujo/weblog/2013/03/2012-6.html translated by Brett Larner The Nissin Shokuhin Group men's distance running team wishes to announce that longtime member Gideon Ngatuny  will leave the team Mar. 31.  Thank you all for supporting him and cheering for him over the years.  Ngatuny played an instrumental role in winning Nissin Shokuhin's 2010 and 2012 New Year Ekiden national titles.  "Handing off the tasuki to my teammates in ekidens will be my longest-lasting memory of Japan," says Ngatuny.  "Thank you for the last seven years."

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201303/2013032900798&g=spo translated by Brett Larner The Fujitsu track and field team announced on Mar. 29 that men's 3000 m steeplechase national record holder Yoshitaka Iwamizu , 33, will leave the team at the end of March and retire from competition. Beginning April 1 he will take a position as an assistant coach with the Shiseido women's team. Iwamizu ran in both the Athens and Beijing Olympics. Beginning in 2001 he competed in five-straight World Championships, setting the Japanese national record of 8:18.93 at the 2003 Paris World Championships.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/feature/sports/hakone/news/20130328-OHT1T00091.htm translated and edited by Brett Larner click here for a photo of the new running-dedicated Toyo University Kawagoe Training Center Hakone Ekiden course record holder Toyo University  is celebrating the opening of its new running program building at the school's Kawagoe campus.  The four-story reinforced concrete building takes up a spacious 2540 square meters and features dorm rooms for 100 team members, a weight room, training facilities and study rooms.  Until now the running team shared quarters with Toyo's rugby team, but with a 400 m track right outside their new building the school's runners are now in a perfect environment. This year rival Nittai University  made off with the Hakone title, but from its state-of-the-art new home Toyo is poised to reclaim its position as Japan's #1 running university. The new building contains 28 dorm rooms for either 2 or 4 students each. ...

http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/sports/453005.html translated by Brett Larner At a Mar. 27 press conference in Sapporo the Hokuren women's distance team announced changes to its lineup for the 2013-14 season.   Tsuyoshi Takita , 49, head coach since 2010, will resign from his position to be replaced by current assistant coach Takashi Ota , 36.  Ota spoke to reporters of his ambitions for the team, saying, "I want to cultivate athletes who will make the national team." Ota is a Hokkaido native from Shiraoi, Iburi.  After graduating from Tomakomai Minami H.S. he attended Sapporo Gakuin University before going on to a pro career with the NEC team.  In 2003 he transferred to the Konica Minolta team where he had great success at the half marathon and on the ekiden circuit.  He became assistant coach at Hokuren in 2011 following his retirement from competition. Of his immediate goals for the team Ota said, "We will aim to clear the 2:20:10 qualifying standar...

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0326/TKY201303260439.html translated by Brett Larner City officials in Odawara, Kanagawa announced on Mar. 26 that the 22-year-old male winner of a local road race held in Odawara on Mar. 10 has been stripped of his title after it was discovered that his friend, a 23-year-old Odawara city employee and former high school track teammate, had run in his place.  The officials said that the 23-year-old city worker will face penalties for running as a "double." According to municipal officials, the actions in question took place at the city-organized 2000-runner Sontoku Road Race in the men's under-29 10 km division.  Just before the start of the race the 22-year-old experienced pain in one of his thighs and decided not to run.  His 23-year-old friend said, "I'll run instead," and ran wearing the 22-year-old's bib number.  The 22-year-old, who won the race last year, told him, "OK, but only as long as you don...

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20130326/ath13032620340001-n1.html translated by Brett Larner On Mar. 26 the Route Inn Group , operators of a nationwide chain of business hotels, announced the Apr. 1 launch of its new Route Inn Hotels Women's Running Team.  The team is in the process of scouting for athletes, with interviews and entry examinations scheduled for May in Tokyo.  Former Yamada Denki women's team coach Tsutomu Takahashi  will serve as head coach.