Fukushi, Noguchi and Shibui Set for Showdown in Osaka

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20121218/ath12121816390000-n1.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On Dec. 18 the organizing committee of the Jan. 27 Osaka International Women's Marathon announced the domestic and international elite fields for next year's Moscow World Championships selection race edition. Osaka will be an historic showdown between Japan's #1 long distance woman Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal), marathon national record holder and Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex), and 10000 m national record and former marathon national record holder Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo). Others in the field include three-time World Championships team member Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz), Beijing Olympian Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya), 2011 Tokyo Marathon winner Noriko Higuchi (Team Wacoal) and London Olympics marathon 5th-place finisher Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko (Ukraine).

Noguchi was scheduled to run the 2012 Osaka International Women's Marathon but withdrew at the last minute with an injury. Speaking at the press conference announcing the 2013 field lineup she said, "I'm back to settle a score with myself." Now 34, she is targeting her first Osaka win since 2003. "I've been doing some good 30 and 40 km runs in training, and except for catching a cold I'm in the best shape possible," she spoke with confidence.

2013 Osaka International Women's Marathon Elite Field
Osaka, 1/27/13
click here for detailed field listing

31. Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) - 2:19:12 (Berlin 2005)
32. Yoko Shibui (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:19:41 (Berlin 2004)
38. Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) - 2:23:30 (Osaka Women's 2003)
1. Maria Konovalova (Russia) - 2:23:50 (Chicago 2010)
2. Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko (Ukraine) - 2:24:32 (London Olympics 2012)
33. Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) - 2:24:38 (Chicago 2011)
3. Mihaela Botezan (Romania) - 2:25:32 (London 2003)
34. Yurika Nakamura (Team Tenmaya) - 2:25:51 (Nagoya Women's 2008)
35. Madoka Ogi (Team Juhachi Ginko) - 2:26:55 (Osaka Women's 2008)
4. Karolina Jarzynska (Poland) - 2:27:16 (Yokohama Women's 2011)
5. Lisa Weightman (Australia) - 2:27:32 (London Olympics 2012)
36. Noriko Higuchi (Team Wacoal) - 2:28:49 (Tokyo 2011)
37. Yuko Watanabe (Team Edion) - 2:29:20 (Nagoya Women's 2012)

Pacers
61. Philes Ongori (Kenya)
62. Alevtina Ivanona (Russia)
63. Azusa Nojiri (Toyama T&F Assoc.)
64. Tomomi Higuchi (Team Daihatsu)

Morii Surprises With Second-Ever Japanese Sub-2:10 at Boston

With three sub-2:09 Japanese men in the race and good weather conditions by Boston standards the chances were decent that somebody was going to follow 1981 winner Toshihiko Seko 's 2:09:26 and score a sub-2:10 at the Boston Marathon . But nobody thought it was going to be by a 2:14 amateur. Paris Olympic team member Suguru Osako had taken 3rd in Boston in 2:10:28 in his debut seven years ago, and both he and 2:08 runners Kento Otsu and Ryoma Takeuchi were aiming for spots in the top 10, Otsu after having run a 1:01:43 half marathon PB in February and Takeuchi of a 2:08:40 marathon PB at Hofu last December. A high-level amateur with a 2:14:15 PB who scored a trip to Boston after winning a local race in Japan, Yuma Morii told JRN minutes before the start of the race, "I'm not thinking about time at all. I'm going to make top 10, whatever time it takes." Running Boston for the first time Morii took off with a 4:32 on the downhill opening mile, but after that Sis

Saturday at Kanaguri and Nittai

Two big meets happened Saturday, one in Kumamoto and the other in Yokohama. At Kumamoto's Kanaguri Memorial Meet , Benard Koech (Kyudenko) turned in the performance of the day with a 13:13.52 meet record to win the men's 5000 m A-heat by just 0.11 seconds over Emmanuel Kipchirchir (SGH). The top four were all under 13:20, with 10000 m national record holder Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) bouncing back from a DNF at last month's The TEN to take the top Japanese spot at 7th overall in 13:24.57. The B-heat was also decently quick, Shadrack Rono (Subaru) winning in 13:21.55 and Shoya Yonei (JR Higashi Nihon) running a 10-second PB to get under 13:30 for the first time in 13:29.29 for 6th. Paris Olympics marathoner Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) was 9th in 13:30.62. South Sudan's Abraham Guem (Ami AC) also set a meet record in the men's 1500 m A-heat in 3:38.94. 3000 mSC national record holder Ryuji Miura made his debut with the Subaru corporate team, running 3:39.78 for 2n

Three Japanese Men Running 128th Boston Marathon

Back in Japan's golden years Boston was a big draw for its top talent in the marathon, but for a long time it was off the list of first-choice marathons as the preoccupation shifted to times. That started changing again in 2017 when 5000 m NR holder Suguru Osako made his debut there with a 2:10:28 for 3rd, following in the footsteps of other Waseda University alum who ran well in Boston including two-time winner Toshihiko Seko and the late Tomoyuki Taniguchi . Osako was 3rd at October's Paris Olympic marathon trials, putting him in position to be on the Paris team unless someone runs 2:05:50 or better at February's Osaka Marathon or March's Tokyo Marathon. Having run 2:06:13 in Tokyo last year but beaten by two Japanese men who both went under 2:06, there wasn't really any upside to Osako doing Tokyo this time. Osaka seemed like the logical choice, but like he has for most of his life Osako is following his own motivations and opting to return to the 128th Boston

japan running news

Search This Blog