japan running news

The 39th Yaizu Minato Half Marathon happened Sunday, starting and finishing in the fishing port area of Yaizu, Shizuoka. In Yaizu Minato's unique Pair Marathon team competition that combines the two fastest times from competing universities to determine the winner, 2024 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University took the team title thanks to 4th-year Masaya Tsurukawa 's overall win in 1:02:49 and 3rd-year Daichi Kanda 's 1:03:04 for 3rd for a combined time of 2:05:53. Non-scoring member Sena Minawatari was 4th in 1:03:07, showing Aoyama Gakuin's depth of strength in Yaizu too. Toyo University was 2nd in 2:06:041, with Taiga Usune running 1:03:10 and Hiroto Baba 1:03:31. Koku Gakuin University took 3rd in 2:06:51, Toma Tanaka at 1:03:18 and Shoma Kamada 1:03:33. Tokai University 's Yuki Kani ran an excellent 1:02:59 for 2nd. But although the Yaizu Minato Half Marathon is a JAAF-certified course, a mistake by the organizers in placing a cone at the turnaro...

Women's marathon NR holder and Paris Olympic team member Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) ran Friday's Paris Festival of Running , one of six Japanese athletes across the four main distances at the event. Maeda was 19th of 24 finishers in the elite women's 5 km, running 16:13 to winner Caroline Nyaga 's 14:40. Haruka Ogawa (Rikkyo Univ.) was next in 16:24 for 20th. Tomo Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan Univ.) was the top Japanese woman in the elite 10 km, 13th of 14 in 35:04 over 5 minutes behind winner Likina Amebaw . The men had a little more success, with Naoki Ota (Yakult) 7th of 11 in the elite 5 km in 14:03 and Shunpei Yamaguchi (Waseda Univ.) 9th in 14:10. Hagos Gebrhiwet won in 13:24. Jemal Mekonnen won the elite 10 km in 27:43 by 1 seconds over Hillary Kipkoech , with Haruto Ishizuka (Waseda Univ.) 22nd in 30:06. Two days later at the Paris Marathon , men's Olympic marathon team alternate Yuki Kawauchi (ANDS) continued the downward trajectory of his performances this ...

On April 4 the JAAF announced its medal targets and other plans for this summer's Paris Olympics. At a press conference in Tokyo, development committee chair Kazuhiko Yamazaki told reporters, "Last summer at the Budapest World Championships we had two medals and eleven top 8 placings. We'd like to equal or do better than that." The Japanese Olympic team will be based in Cergy, France outside Paris for its pre-Olympics base. Athletes will begin arriving at the base in late July, and a Japanese chef will prepare their meals at the local hotel. source article: https://www.sanspo.com/article/20240404-U34EFTADRZPB3ATP7TUYR3LCEU/?outputType=theme_paris2024 translated by Brett Larner

The Kanto Student Athletics Federation (KGRR), organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, announced this week that as of April 1 they have changed their legal status from a volunteer organization to an incorporated foundation. Having served as the KGRR's chairperson for eight years since his appointment in 2016, Masahiro Ariyoshi , 76, has stepped down to be replaced by Yasushi Ueda , 68, a 1984 Olympian in the men's triple jump. Former Yamanashi Gakuin University  head coach  Masahito Ueda , 65, stepped down as chair of the KGRR ekiden committee after serving for ten years. Susumu Hara , 57, head coach of course record-breaking 2024 Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University , was named KGRR executive director and will succeed Ueda as ekiden committee chair. Tokai University  head coach Hayashi Morozumi , 57, will serve as ekiden committee vice-chair. Other committee members include Seiji Kushibe  (Josai University, 52), Toshiyuki Sakai  (Toyo University, 47), Tomoo ...

Tokyo Olympics and Oregon World Championships women's 5000 m team member Kaede Hagitani placed 3rd in the Mar. 31 Hasetsune 30K Trail Race , finishing in 4:06:01. Starting and finishing at the Akigawa Keikoku Rivertio campground and hotel, Hasetsune covers 30 km across the three Tokura peaks in western Tokyo's Okutama mountain range. Yuri Yoshizumi won the women's race in 3:40:49. Hagitani graduated from Nagano Higashi H.S. where she was teammates with Narumi Kobayashi and others on the roads and track. In her 3rd year at Nagano Higashi she took 5th in the 1500 m at the National High School Championships and 7th in the National Sports Festival 3000 m. Along with Kobayashi she helped Nagano Higashi take the runner-up spot at the National High School Ekiden. Entering the Edion corporate team after graduating, Hagitani ran 15:05.78 for 5000 m in 2020, at the time the 7th-best ever by a Japanese woman. In 2021 she was 4th at the National Championships, earning a spot on th...

A key part of Josai University 's school record 3rd-place finish at the Hakone Ekiden in January, 2nd-year Victor Kimutai did a quality double at Saturday's Tokorozawa Games at Waseda University . Running in the 3000 m fast heat at 10:20 a.m., Kimutai led a quartet most of the way on sub-8 minute pace before pulling away over the last two laps to win in a PB of 7:53.75. Teammate Itsuki Hirabayashi looked set for 2nd but was run down in the last 50 m by Waseda's Taishi Ito , who set a PB of 7:58.64 just two weeks after running the United Airlines NYC Half. Hirabayashi held on for 3rd in 7:59.18, his first time under 8 minutes. 95 minutes later Kimutai lined up again in the 1500 m fast heat, and again he scored the win with a 3:45.78 PB. Another one of his Josai teammates Tatsuki Yamanaka was right with him with a 3:46.02 PB for 2nd, with high schooler Yanab Naoki Yoshikura of Waseda Jitsugyo H.S. 3rd in 3:49.08. Tokorozawa Games Waseda University Field, Tokorozawa, 30 M...

Translator's note: Over his 2nd year at four-time national champion Komazawa University , 1500 m, 3000 m, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m U20 NR holder Keita Sato spent a total of three months training with OAC with support from JRN, one week in Boulder last spring, three weeks in St. Moritz during the summer, and the last two months back in Boulder. During that time he ran the equivalent of a 27:57 road 10 km and 59:22 half marathon in ekidens and U20 Asian area best 27:28.50 for 10000 m, all at age 19, and since turning 20 in January an indoor 5000 m NR of 13:09.45, an indoor 3000 m NR of 7:42.56, and an Asian area best 8:14.71 for 2 miles indoor. This interview by journalist Tatsuo Terada took place in late February before The TEN, where Sato ran 27:34.66. Komazawa University 2nd-year Keita Sato had a great indoor track season. On January 26 in Boston just after his 20th birthday he ran a 13:09.45 indoor 5000 m national record, the 2nd-fastest time ever by a Japanese man behind o...

The Japanese U20 men had a near-miss on team bronze at the Belgrade World Cross Country Championships Saturday, taking 4th behind Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. Tomoya Inoue had the best individual performance of the day by a Japanese runner at 16th, with other scoring members Kaito Matsui , Sota Orita and Yamato Hamaguchi all placing in the top 22. Both the U20 and senior women's teams took 6th, Miyu Murakami leading the junior women at 19th and Miku Sakai the senior women at 22nd. The mixed relay team also make single digits, placing 7th, but the senior men were a disappointing 12th. 2:08:20 marathoner Hiroto Fujimagari led the senior men at 48th overall. More video highlights on the World Athletics Youtube channel. Detailed stories and complete results: U20 Women : Alemayo Dominates to Lead Ethiopia to Team U20 Gold in Belgrade Results : individual ・ team U20 Men : Kibathi Outsprints Sime to Secure U20 Title in Belgrade Results :  individual ・ team Mixed Relay : Kenya Runs ...