japan running news

In a quest to make its first Hakone Ekiden, Shibaura Kogyo University announced this week that former Surugadai University head coach Kazuyoshi Tokumoto , 45, and former Reitaku University head coach Tatsuya Yamakawa , 40, will take over as head and assistant coach starting in April. In a statement issued by the university Tokumoto commented, "I'm pleased to have been named head coach of Shibaura Kogyo University's track and field team. When they came to feel me I could feel their passion about achieving their dream of becoming the first science and technology university to compete in the Hakone Ekiden. I was happy to accept because I felt that this was an environment in which I could grow too. It's my responsibility to help them become the 45th university ever to compete in Hakone. I hope that you'll enjoy Act II of the Tokumoto Show and cheer us on as Shibaura Kogyo heads down the road to Hakone." Yamakawa's comments read, "I arrived early in Feb...

After having led Surugadai University to its first-ever Hakone Ekiden appearances in 2022 and 2024, Kazuyoshi Tokumoto , 45, announced on Jan. 12 that he is stepping down as head coach. A star Hakone runner during his days at Hosei University , Tokumoto took over as head coach at Surugadai in 2012. In his 10th season in 2021-22 Surugadai made the qualifying bracket at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race, earning the right to make its debut at Hakone 2022. That was followed up with a second appearance in 2024. Assistant coach Nobuhiro Goto , 42, will take over from Tokumoto in the head coach's role. According to a source, Tokumoto had already informed the athletes, their parents and other involved parties of his decision to leave the program prior to making the public announcement. The announcement makes Surugadai the 4th Hakone contender school to replace its head coach for the 2025-26 season, following Asia University , Reitaku University and Meiji University . Others are...

On Jan. 11 Asahi Kuroda , winner of the highly competitive Second Stage for overall champion Aoyama Gakuin University at the 100th Hakone Ekiden on Jan. 2, announced that his next race will be the Jan. 21 National Men's Ekiden in Hiroshima. At the seven-stage, 48.0 km race he said he hopes to be on a stage adjacent to the one his younger brother Zen Kuroda of Tamano Mitsunan H.S. runs so that they can hand off the tasuki together. Two stages at the National Men's Ekiden are for collegiate and corporate league runners, three are reserved for high schoolers, and two for junior high school athletes. Representing Okayama prefecture, the older Kuroda brother is scheduled to run the 8.5 km Third Stage, with the younger brother, who will enter the Aoyama Gakuin team in April, is set to run the 5.0 km Fourth Stage. "This will be the first time we've run an ekiden together since I was in my third year of high school and he was in his first," said Asahi. "I'm ...

On May 30 the KGRR announced the 20 teams that will compete June 19 at Kanagawa's Sagami Gion Stadium at the Kanto Region qualifier for November's 53rd National University Men's Ekiden Championships . Excluding schools already qualified based on their finishing position at last year's Nationals, eligible schools in the Kanto Region were ranked by the combined times of their eight fastest runners over 10000 m in official track races between July 1, 2020 and May 29, 2021. The 20 schools with the fastest combined times were chosen for the Nationals qualifier.  The qualifying event consists of four separate track 10000 m races, each race featuring two runners from each school. Schools will be ranked by the combined times of all eight of their runners at the qualifier, with the seven fastest teams going on to Nationals. Chuo University  occupies the top position in the pre-qualifier rankings. Koku Gakuin University  is 2nd, with Chuo Gakuin University  3rd. Kazuyoshi Tok...

by Brett Larner top Fukushi photo by Victah Sailer, c/o Horst Milde other photos by Werner Philipp and Hannes Uhtoffs, c/o Dr. Helmut Winter 2013 Tokyo Marathon winner Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) shook the world with his incredible 2:02:57 world record at today's Berlin Marathon, running a 1:01:12 second half that brought the concept of a low-2:02 marathon into the realm of possibility.  2014 Tokyo Marathon women's winner Tirfi Tsegaye (Ethiopia) added another World Marathon Majors title to her resume, outrunning three compatriots, the U.S.A.'s Shalane Flanagan and Moscow World Championships bronze medalist Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) for the win in 2:20:18.  Less well-noticed was Fukuoka Marathon course record holder Tsegaye Kebede 's 2:10:27 for 9th, his 18th career sub-2:11 and tying Korean great Lee Bong Ju 's world record for most times sub-2:11. Fukushi, quietly coming to Berlin in search of a time closer to the three Japanese women who have run 2:19...

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243077.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243078.html http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/f-sp-tp0-20140112-1243079.html http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20140113-OHT1T00039.htm translated and edited with additional background information by Brett Larner At the 15th Tanigawa Mari Half Marathon , Jan. 12 along the Arakawa River in northern Tokyo, unknown university runner Hideyuki Ikegami  (20, 2nd-yr., Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) ran 1:03:09, opening a massive lead over defending champion  Yuki Kawauchi  (26, Saitama Pref. Gov't) and 2012 winner Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Monteroza) to take the win. Around 10 km he attacked with a series of surges before pulling away to run the final 10 km alone. Thinking, "What do you know, Kawauchi's mortal after all," Ikegami broke the finish line tape with a lead of 1:08, his time a PB by more t...

by Brett Larner Photo via komagusan . Click for more from Hofu. What is there to say about Yuki Kawauchi ? Nobody understands why he did the two-week 2:09:57 / 2:12:33 double at the Fukuoka International Marathon and Hofu Yomiuri Marathon last year, but for reasons known only to himself, two weeks after a failed bid for a sub-2:08 in Fukuoka this year resulted in a disappointing 2:10:29 Kawauchi was back for a negative-split 2:10:46 win in Hofu, an apparent world record for the shortest-ever time between sub-2:11 performances,  the 4th-fastest winning time in Hofu's 43-year history and the 4th-best of his own career. Fukuoka was his 3rd-best. Pacers Yuichiro Ueno  (Team S&B) and James Mwangi  (Kenya/Team NTN), both of whom were in Fukuoka, took things out just sub-2:12 pace through 5 km and then proceeded to gradually ratchet things down ever so slightly.  By Ueno's departure at 20 km the lead group of eight was down to 2:11:33 pace, Kawauchi never ...

by Brett Larner The organizers of the Dec. 16 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon released their 2012 elite field on Nov. 28.  While Hofu has evidently cut its small international field, for the second year in a row it will star the great Yuki Kawauchi  (Saitama Pref.) in an inexplicably suicidal double just two weeks after the Fukuoka International Marathon.  Last year Kawauchi ran 2:09:57 for 3rd in Fukuoka in an inspirational performance, then followed up in Hofu with a head-to-head battle with Mongolian defending champion  Serod Batochir  where he placed 2nd in 2:12:33.  This year Kawauchi is shooting for 2:07 in Fukuoka, and with no Batochir to push him the best you could probably say is that a slower time seems likely in Hofu. Kawauchi's strongest competition should come from Taiga Ito  (Suzuki Hamamatsu AC).  Ito holds a 2:13:16 best from last year's Gold Coast Marathon but has struggled with frequent injury problems since then.  A 2:18:55 at t...

by Brett Larner Two of Japan's big spring 10-milers took place this weekend, the Himejijo Road Race on Saturday and the Karatsu Road Race on Sunday.  In Himeji, two-time 5000 m national champion Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) won his second road race of the year, outkicking Takuji Morimoto  (Team Chugoku Denryoku) to win the men's 10 mile race in 47:34.  It was also his second time winning Himejijo, having taken top honors at the 2006 race.  Tokumoto plans to run next month's Biwako Mainichi Marathon before leaving Nissin to take a university coaching position.  In the women's 5 km, Yoko Aizu  (Team Shikoku Denryoku) had an easy win in 16:17, 11 seconds ahead of teammate Yuka Tagahara . Sunday's Karatsu Road Race proved to be the bigger of the two.  In the men's 10 mile race, Komazawa University graduate Sota Hoshi  (Team Fujitsu) had the first big result of his pro career, outkicking double 1500 m and 5000 m national champion...

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/event/sports/news/20120109-OHT1T00005.htm http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/120108/spg1201081654000-n1.htm http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/2012/01/08/0004729613.shtml translated and edited by Brett Larner In his first race of the year, Olympic marathon hopeful Yuki Kawauchi  (24, Saitama Pref.) finished 2nd in 1:06:19 at the 13th Mari Tanigawa Half Marathon behind winner Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (32, Team Nissin Shokuhin) who ran 1:05:36.  Kawauchi declared the performance a good shakeout in the buildup to his bid for the London Olympic team at the Feb. 26 Tokyo Marathon. Two years ago Kawauchi won the Mari Tanigawa Half Marathon in 1:06:49, and last year he was 3rd in 1:06:40.  This time, running into a strong headwind in the second half of the race Kawauchi slowed, but he still held on to make the podium in his best time on this course.  "Now I've got all three kinds of medals from this race," he laughed.  "My dream is t...

by Brett Larner photo (c) 2011 Dr. Helmut Winter Just three weeks after running a PB of 2:28:49 at the Berlin Marathon, Eri Okubo  (Second Wind AC) continued her outstanding year by lopping 3 minutes off her half marathon best with a 1:11:22 course record win at the 30th Ichinoseki International Half Marathon in Ichinoseki, Iwate.  Rain until shortly before the start of the race had little impact on the otherwise good conditions as Okubo clocked the fourth-fastest half of the year by a Japanese woman, admittedly in a year which saw the cancellation of the spring half marathon season following the March disasters.  Okubo's rapid progress this year ranks her as the top member of the Second Wind club following the departure of ace Yuri Kano . In the men's race, Komazawa University's Takahiro Gunji  had a narrow win in 1:06:01 over Koku Gakuin University's Nozomu Hashisaka  and pro Kazuyoshi Tokumoto  (Team Nissin Shokuhin) who went 1:06:04, and Hashi...

by Brett Larner The Tokyo Marathon office reported on Mar. 20 that last year's 3rd place finisher Julius Gitahi (Team Nissin Shokuhin/Kenya) has withdrawn from tomorrow's race with an unspecified injury. Women's invited elite Rong Chen (China) has also withdrawn after sustaining an injury while training on Mar. 18. The following general elite division runners have also withdrawn: Men James Mwangi (Team NTN/Kenya) Toshiya Katayama (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) Naoki Mishiro (Team Fujitsu) Manabu Nishida (Team NTT Nishi Nihon) Masatoshi Ibata (Team Aisan Kogyo) Tsuyoshi Igarashi (Team JR Higashi Nihon) Kazuyoshi Tokumoto (Team Nissin Shokuhin) Women Yuka Aikawa (Team Acom) Rei Miura (Team Otsuka Seiyaku) Atsuko Higo (eAthletes Tochigi AC) (c) 2009 Brett Larner all rights reserved

by Brett Larner Half marathon Asian record holder Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) headlines the field at the 49th Himejijo 10 Mile Road Race on the national holiday of Feb. 11, just 10 days after finishing 3rd overall and as the top domestic runner at the Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon. As he prepares for the London Marathon Sato will face a wide range of challengers including the runner who finished just behind him in Marugame, Team Nissin Shokuhin's Satoru Kitamura, and 2:07:52 marathoner Tomoaki Kunichika (Team S&B), but his biggest competition is likely to be the only other sub-28 minute 10000 m runner in the race, Terukazu Omori (Team Shikoku Denryoku). The field also includes American Steven Crane, the lone foreigner among the elite runners. 2009 Himejijo 10 Mile Road Race Elite Field times listed are PB marks for 10000 m and half marathon Terukazu Omori (Team Shikoku Denryoku) - 27:43.94 / 1:02:14 Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) - 27:56.86 / 1:00:...

by Brett Larner Two weeks after running a course record 1:00:11 to win the Nagoya Half Marathon in his debut at the distance, Team Nissin Shokuhin's Masai Kenyan ringer Gideon Ngatuny won Kyushu's elite Kumamoto Kosa 10 Mile Road Race, clocking 45:15 and beating runner-up Hailu Mekonnen of Team Honda by 44 seconds. Teammates Samuel Ndungu and Jacob Wajuki of Team Aichi Steel came in together in 46:32 to round out the top positions. Curiously, Kumamoto Kosa organizers scored the four African runners, all of whom are based in Japan and run professionally for Japanese teams, in a separate 'International Division' with a one-minute head start over the 'General Division,' which was made up exclusively of professional Japanese runners including many of the African runners' nominal teammates. Although the International Division ran first and the 'winner' of the General Division, Ngatuny's fellow Nissin runner Kosaku Hoshina, clocked only 46:40, slower t...

http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/sports/120400.html http://www.nissinfoods.co.jp/culture/sports/athlete/result/ translated and edited by Brett Larner Joseph Mwaniki (Team Konica Minolta) defended his title at the 2008 Hakodate Half Marathon in Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture on Sept. 28, covering the Rikuren-certified course in 1:02:08. Mwaniki took the lead at the seaside 11 km turnaround, finishing over a minute ahead of 2nd place finisher Kenta Oshima (Team Nissin Shokuhin), who ran 1:03:29. Nissin runners Bene Zama and Kazuyoshi Tokumoto took 3rd and 4th, both clocking PBs. Azusa Nojiri (Team Daiichi Seimei) won the women's race in 1:14:12, her first victory in the Hakodate Half. Nojiri attacked over a hilly section of the course near the 5 km point, breaking apart rival Mizuho Kishi (Team Yamada Denki) to win by a wide margin. 1545 entrants including 218 women took part in the 18th edition of the race. Temperatures at the start were 15.5 degrees.

http://iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=44638.html

by Brett Larner Click here for a photo of four of the Tokyo Marathon's main contenders. The 2nd of the three selection races for the Japanese men's marathon team at the Beijing Olympics takes place this Sunday, Feb. 17 at the 2008 Tokyo Marathon. With none of the three places on the team sealed for certain the situation is wide open, but a seasoned veteran looks poised to take one of the spots. The Standings Japanese runners first had a chance to secure a slot on the Beijing team at last summer's World Championships in Osaka. Any Japanese runner who earned a medal in the marathon would be guaranteed a Beijing spot. Helsinki World Championships bronze medalist Tsuyoshi Ogata ran a brilliant race, running conservatively in the heat then attacking in the final kilometers to catch the pack of bronze medal contenders. Unfortunately for Ogata, Swiss runner Viktor Rothlin and Eritrean marathoner Yared Asmerom had something left and were able to kick away, consigning Ogata to 5th ...

by Brett Larner Christmas came early this year. For this morning`s Harriers practice we went over to Oda Field to do 4 x 5000 m with 5 min. recovery rather than training in Yoyogi Park as usual. Oda is the main public track in central Tokyo and there are usually some interesting people there working out. Today Keio University and Gakushuin University were both there along with a few high schools, clubs and individuals. One serious-looking woman I didn`t recognize was doing easy laps in a national team warmup uniform. About halfway through our workout one of the best professional teams in Japan, Nissin Shokuhin , showed up for some hard training. Team Nissin includes some stellar talent on its roster. Toshinari Suwa is a 2:07 marathoner, was 6th in the Athens Olympics marathon and 7th in the Osaka World Championships marathon, and is a favorite to make the Beijing Olympics marathon team . Kazuyoshi Tokumoto was a legendary university runner and is considered one of the future stars o...