Hitomi Niiya
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in cross country running
and marathon
races. She represents Team Toyota Industries
in national competition.
She formed part of the Japanese junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
from 2004 to 2006, helping them to team medals each time. She also won a bronze medal
over 5000 metres
at the 2005 World Youth Championships
. Niiya won the 2007 Tokyo Marathon
at the age of eighteen in her debut over the marathon
distance. Her best for the event is 2:30:58 hours. She has also had success in ekiden
relay running, having represented Japan at the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
and helped Toyota Industries to their first team title domestically.
and cross country running
while there. After winning the junior selection race at the Chiba Cross Country, Niiya made her international debut at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and her nineteenth place finish helped the Japanese junior women to the team bronze medal
. She took a consecutive victory in Chiba in February 2005, thus returning to the world event the following year. She improved to thirteenth place and helped the Japanese team to another bronze alongside Akane Wakita and Yurika Nakamura
. The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
in Marrakesh provided her the venue for her first international individual medal, as she claimed the bronze in the 3000 metres
. That October, she won the 3000 m at the 2005 National Sports Festival of Japan
in Okayama, being the only local athlete to win at the festival. At the end of that year she won at the inter-high school championships and ran the second fastest time ever for a Japanese high school student in the 5000 metres
, taking her title with a time of 15:28.70 minutes.
Niiya repeated both her thirteenth placing and team bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
junior race, but began to move towards ekiden
road running
competitions that year. She represented Japan in the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
and just edged past Ethiopia's Ameba Denboba on the final leg to lift Japan into the top three. After graduating from high school she chose to focus on running
full-time, working under coach Yoshio Koide, who trained Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi
. The rebooted Tokyo Marathon
in 2007 did not invite any elite level women and Niiya filled the void, entering the race among the thousands of public runners, and won the women's race, recording a time of 2:31:01 hours for her debut over the distance.
In March 2008, she debuted in the half marathon
, finishing with a time of 1:11:41 hours to take third place behind Mara Yamauchi
and Rie Takayoshi at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon. She competed in her second marathon that August but found herself behind Yukari Sahaku (also coached by Koide) and finished in second place at the Hokkaido Marathon
. Her year ended on a high note as she helped Toyota Industries to their first title at the All Japan Corporate Team Women's Ekiden Championships.
Her third marathon came in March 2009 at the Nagoya Marathon
– she was leading at 30 km and although she achieved a personal best time of 2:30:58, she slowed in the latter stages and finished eighth. At the Oda Memorial
in April she won the 5000 m with a personal best time of 15:23.27 minutes. The following year, a third place finish in Fukuoka gained her a place on the senior team for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, where she finished in 31st place.
Her 2011 season began with two domestic victories at the Chiba and Fukuoka Cross Country races, winning by large margins in both. At the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
she finished in 26th place, helping Japan to seventh in the women's team rankings. On the track, she ran a 5000 m best of 15:13.12 minutes in June then claimed the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships
silver medal in the event a month later, finishing behind Ethiopian-born Bahraini Tejitu Daba. She was selected for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
and reached the 5000 m final, coming 13th overall. At the Chiba International Ekiden in November she ran a stage record on the final leg to help Japan to second place behind Kenya.
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
races. She represents Team Toyota Industries
Toyota Industries
Toyota Industries Corporation is a Japanese machine maker. Originally a manufacturer of automatic looms, it is the company from which Toyota Motor Corporation developed.-History:...
in national competition.
She formed part of the Japanese junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
from 2004 to 2006, helping them to team medals each time. She also won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
over 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
at the 2005 World Youth Championships
2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
. Niiya won the 2007 Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1980 until 2006.It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd...
at the age of eighteen in her debut over the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
distance. Her best for the event is 2:30:58 hours. She has also had success in ekiden
Ekiden
is a term referring to a long-distance relay running race, typically on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages.-History:...
relay running, having represented Japan at the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
The Yokohama International Women's Ekiden held in Yokohama, Japan, was one of the prominent ekiden races of the year. It was held annually from 1983 to 2009, and was discontinued because of the replacement of the Tokyo Women's Marathon by the Yokohama Women's Marathon.-Winners:-References:...
and helped Toyota Industries to their first team title domestically.
Career
Niiya attended Kōjōkan Senior High School and began competing in track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
while there. After winning the junior selection race at the Chiba Cross Country, Niiya made her international debut at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
and her nineteenth place finish helped the Japanese junior women to the team bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. She took a consecutive victory in Chiba in February 2005, thus returning to the world event the following year. She improved to thirteenth place and helped the Japanese team to another bronze alongside Akane Wakita and Yurika Nakamura
Yurika Nakamura
is a Japanese long-distance runner. Nakamura grew up in the Hyōgo Prefecture.She finished seventh at the 2006 World Road Running Championships, helping the Japanese team win the bronze medal in the team competition. In 2008, she won the Nagoya Marathon in her marathon debut. In the 2008 Summer...
. The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
in Marrakesh provided her the venue for her first international individual medal, as she claimed the bronze in the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
. That October, she won the 3000 m at the 2005 National Sports Festival of Japan
National Sports Festival of Japan
is the national premier sports event of Japan. The abbreviated name is Kokutai . The 65th National Sports Festival of Japan was held in October 2010 in Chiba Prefecture.- Emperor's Cup and Empress Cup Champions :...
in Okayama, being the only local athlete to win at the festival. At the end of that year she won at the inter-high school championships and ran the second fastest time ever for a Japanese high school student in the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
, taking her title with a time of 15:28.70 minutes.
Niiya repeated both her thirteenth placing and team bronze at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
junior race, but began to move towards ekiden
Ekiden
is a term referring to a long-distance relay running race, typically on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages.-History:...
road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competitions that year. She represented Japan in the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
The Yokohama International Women's Ekiden held in Yokohama, Japan, was one of the prominent ekiden races of the year. It was held annually from 1983 to 2009, and was discontinued because of the replacement of the Tokyo Women's Marathon by the Yokohama Women's Marathon.-Winners:-References:...
and just edged past Ethiopia's Ameba Denboba on the final leg to lift Japan into the top three. After graduating from high school she chose to focus on running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
full-time, working under coach Yoshio Koide, who trained Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi
Naoko Takahashi
is a Japanese long-distance runner competing mainly in the marathon. She is widely known for her victory in the women's marathon at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, a performance that stands as the current Olympic record. At the 2001 Berlin Marathon, Takahashi became the first woman to break the 2...
. The rebooted Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1980 until 2006.It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd...
in 2007 did not invite any elite level women and Niiya filled the void, entering the race among the thousands of public runners, and won the women's race, recording a time of 2:31:01 hours for her debut over the distance.
In March 2008, she debuted in the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
, finishing with a time of 1:11:41 hours to take third place behind Mara Yamauchi
Mara Yamauchi
Mara Rosalind Yamauchi is a British long distance track, and road running athlete. She currently holds the second fastest time by a British woman over the marathon, behind the world-record holder, Paula Radcliffe....
and Rie Takayoshi at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon. She competed in her second marathon that August but found herself behind Yukari Sahaku (also coached by Koide) and finished in second place at the Hokkaido Marathon
Hokkaido Marathon
The Hokkaido Marathon held in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, is one of the prominent marathon races of the year.The starting point for the race is on the east side of Nakajima Park and the race finishes at Nishi 8-chome of Odori Park...
. Her year ended on a high note as she helped Toyota Industries to their first title at the All Japan Corporate Team Women's Ekiden Championships.
Her third marathon came in March 2009 at the Nagoya Marathon
Nagoya Marathon
The is an annual marathon race for female runners over the classic distance of 42 km and 195 metres, held in Nagoya, Japan in early March every year. It holds IAAF Silver Label road race status....
– she was leading at 30 km and although she achieved a personal best time of 2:30:58, she slowed in the latter stages and finished eighth. At the Oda Memorial
Mikio ODA Memorial International Amateur Athletic Game
is one of the International athletic games, which takes place every April at Hiroshima Big Arch stadium in Hiroshima, Japan.In 1967, this game began to commemorate the feat of Mikio Oda, a native of Hiroshima and the first Japanese Olympic gold medalist...
in April she won the 5000 m with a personal best time of 15:23.27 minutes. The following year, a third place finish in Fukuoka gained her a place on the senior team for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
, where she finished in 31st place.
Her 2011 season began with two domestic victories at the Chiba and Fukuoka Cross Country races, winning by large margins in both. At the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009...
she finished in 26th place, helping Japan to seventh in the women's team rankings. On the track, she ran a 5000 m best of 15:13.12 minutes in June then claimed the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships
2011 Asian Athletics Championships
The 19th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Kobe, Japan between July 7–10, 2011 at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium. The tournament had 507 athletes from forty Asian nations competing in the 42 track and field events over the four-day competition....
silver medal in the event a month later, finishing behind Ethiopian-born Bahraini Tejitu Daba. She was selected for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
and reached the 5000 m final, coming 13th overall. At the Chiba International Ekiden in November she ran a stage record on the final leg to help Japan to second place behind Kenya.