Skip to main content

Fukuoka Upgraded to IAAF Gold Label Status

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/110117/oth11011717030054-n1.htm
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2011011700699

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Rikuren announced on Jan. 17 that the IAAF has granted the Fukuoka International Marathon its highest ranking, a gold label. Having been upgraded from silver label status, along with March's Biwako Mainichi Marathon and February's Tokyo Marathon, Fukuoka, scheduled for Dec. 4, is now the third race within Japan to receive the gold label distinction. Among the factors considered in the rankings were the number and quality of elite athletes, the prize purse, the scale of television broadcast including an international broadcast, the presence of anti-doping measures, and the organizational strength of the event. Fukuoka cleared all criteria, joining the ranks of other major races in important cities around the world including the London and New York City marathons.

Translator's note: One of the two major criteria cited in the Tokyo Marathon initially receiving a silver label several years ago was that it did not have both elite men's and women's fields, an original requirement for a gold label. Biwako (Lake Biwa) received a gold label without a women's field in an apparent bid to save it from going under after the loss of main sponsor Rohm. Fukuoka now joins Biwako in receiving a gold label without a women's field. Japan's elite women-only marathons Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama have yet to receive the same preferential treatment and remain silver label events.

The lack of an international broadcast was also cited in Tokyo not initially receiving a gold label. Although Biwako, Tokyo and Fukuoka now hold gold labels and the articles above cite the international broadcast requirement the actual existence of an internationally-available broadcast of any of the three races remains unclear. Perhaps another criterion in the awarding of a gold label is the extent of international financial transactions. Anyone with additional information on the awarding of gold labels to these three Japanese races please feel free to contact us.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Ninja Runner Yuka Ando Leads Japanese Women's Marathon Team in London: "I Want to Go For It"

Her form has been dubbed "ninja running." Both arms held straight down with almost no movement. That idiosyncratic style carried Yuka Ando , 23, to the fastest-ever marathon debut by a Japanese woman, 2:21:36, at March's Nagoya Women's Marathon to land at #4 on the all-time Japanese lists. All at once Ando found herself catapulted to the top level of women's marathoning, a candidate for Japan's next great marathoner. When she was younger Ando ran moving her arms like other runners, but she had a bad habit of moving robotically, her upper body and lower body not working in sync. The turning point came in 2014 when she joined Suzuki Hamamatsu AC . Working there with coach Masayuki Satouchi to eliminate the faults in her form, the pair arrived at the ninja running style that let her run relaxed. "Other people keep asking me, "Isn't it hard to run like that?" but for me it's comfortable," she said. The efficient form helped her mai

Yamaguchi 10th at United Airlines NYC Half - Weekend Overseas Results

2024 national cross-country champion Tomonori Yamaguchi was the top Japanese finisher in the men's race at the United Airlines NYC Half , taking 10th in 1:04:36. A 2nd-year at Waseda University , Yamaguchi was one of three collegiate runners running New York in the 11th year of JRN's development program collaboration between the Ageo City Half Marathon and the New York Road Runners, a program that has seen people like future half marathon and marathon NR breaker Yuta Shitara and Paris Olympic team member Akira Akasaki make their international debuts. Yamaguchi's Waseda teammate Taishi Ito started fast, going with the leaders through 5 km in 14:29 before losing touch. Hosei University senior Rei Matsunaga went through in 14:42 in his last race before joining the JR Higashi Nihon corporate team in April. Yamaguchi, who caught COVID after winning last month's National Cross-Country Championships, started more conservatively with a 15:11 first 5km. But where both Ito

Rui Aoki Wins National University Men's Half Marathon - Weekend Results

Yuka Ando 's win at the Nagoya Women's Marathon was the big news of the weekend, but there were other high-level races happening, even in Nagoya. Held in parallel with the marathon, the Nagoya City Half Marathon saw Australians Natalie Rule and Ed Goddard take easy wins by about 2.5 minutes each, Rule in 1:13:57 and Goddard in 1:04:01. The new Biwako Marathon also had a non-Japanese winner, China's Yousheng Guan scoring 1st in 2:14:58 with Japan's Hirohito Sugai next in 2:16:40. Mikiko Ota won the women's race in 2:50:44. The Shizuoka Marathon returned for its first running in five years, with club runner Shumpei Oda leading the top 7 men under 2:20 in 2:15:36. Women's winner Remi Tanaka ran 2:41:23, beating runner-up Ayumi Sano by exactly 7 minutes. And in Tokyo, Rui Aoki continued what has been a great season so far for Koku Gakuin University with a win at the National University Men's Half Marathon . Aoki and Hiro Konda of Chuo Gakuin Unive