japan running news

The Hokkaido University Ekiden took place Aug. 14 in Sapporo's Moerenuma Park, with women covering 35.86 km in six stages and men 101.06 km in eight stages. In the women's race, Sapporo Gakuin University  scored a fifth-straight prefectural title, all six of its athletes winning their stages and covering the total distance in 2:11:31. The team's win secured its place at the Oct. 31 National University Women's Ekiden in Sendai. The Sapporo Gakuin men won in 5:19:31, their fourth-straight and 28th overall prefectural win. They likewise qualified for the National University Ekiden, taking place Nov. 7 in Nagoya for men. The women's decisive win came under new head coach Hiroyuki Kudo , 71, who previously led the Otani Muroran H.S.  boys and girls and the Sapporo Nichidai H.S.  girls to a combined 21 National High School Ekiden appearances. 2nd-year Sena Onishi  generated the team's momentum on the opening leg. Last year Onishi was unwell and lost more than 10 kg, p...

Things have been in a bit of a lull the last week or two with the Tokyo Olympics test event, university and corporate regional championship meets and more out of the way and everyone getting ready for the National Track and Field Championships in Osaka near the end of the month. But there is a lot going on this weekend, even if the leading edge of rainy season means conditions will not exactly be ideal. Friday through Sunday the National University Individual Track and Field Championships happen in Kanagawa, the lesser cousin of September's National University Track and Field Championships without the team scoring. National record holder Ryuji Miura  (Juntendo Univ.) is entered in the 3000 mSC, but with a place at the Olympics already guaranteed there doesn't look to be much reason for him to run except as a training run. 13:40 is the new sub-14, with the entire men's 5000 m A-heat field of 31 having bests under 14 minutes, 15 of them plus another 3 in the B-heat from Aoya...