Skip to main content

Ritsumeikan's Nishino Wins Kansai Div. I Half-Marathon

http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/article.php?mid=P2009043000234&genre=L1&area=K00

translated by Brett Larner

On the first day of western Japan's Kansai University Track and Field Championships in Osaka on Apr. 30, Division I runner Tomoya Nishino (Ritsumeikan Univ.) scored his first win in the half marathon. Nishino covered the loop course around Osaka's Nagai Park in 1:06:47 to take the win, with 2nd place finisher Yoshiki Sekitani (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) 19 seconds back in 1:07:06. The 3rd and 4th place finishers were also from Ritsumeikan University, with six of the top eight runners hailing from Kyoto-based schools.

Division II Tanzanian exchange student Jackson Kwarai (Nara Sangyo Univ.) was the first finisher overall in 1:06:26. Kwarai was the pivotal figure in the race, with a lead group of five or six taking shape around him. When he sped up at 15 km the other runners dropped off one by one, but Nishino tried to hang on with all his might.

Many of the same athletes will run again in the remaining four days of the Kansai University Championships. The competitions on May 8th and 9th will take place in Nishikogyo Stadium, while those on the 16th and 17th will be at Nagai Stadium's secondary track.

Translator's note: Despite the wording of the article and headline, it sounds as though Kwarai actually won the race. Nishino was the top Div. I runner and most likely the top Japanese finisher.

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Chien Breaks TPE NR, Iwata Betters ID-Class WR - Weekend Track Roundup

The last weekend of the academic and fiscal year saw at least 5 meets with good results domestically and abroad. Kicking things off Friday was the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, where Tomohiro Shinno and Naoto Hasegawa took 1st and 3rd in the men's high jump, both of them only clearing 2.18 m along with 2nd-placer Roman Anastasios . 12 other Japanese athletes were in action on the second day of the meet on Saturday, where 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura ran 3:42.84 for 6th in the men's 1500 m. Nagiya Mori had a better one in the men's 3000 m with a 7:45.40 for 4th. Both Yota Mashiko and Rui Suzuki cleared 8:00 too, Mashiko's 7:53.84 the 2nd-fastest ever by a Japanese-born high schooler. Abigail Fuka Ido and Nagisa Takahashi both placed 3rd in their events, Ido going 23.85 (-0.9) in the women's 200 m and Takahashi clearing 1.82 m in the women's high jump. 8 Japanese men were at The TEN in California to run 10000 m. In the B-heat won by Edward Marks in ...

JAAF Announces World Road Running Championships Half Marathon Team

The JAAF announced the men's and women's half marathon teams today for this fall's World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen: Women Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon) - 1:09:14 (1st, 2026 Osaka Half) Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:09:20 (1st, 2026 Nat'l Corp. Half) Rina Shimizu (Noritz) - 1:09:22 (2nd, 2026 Osaka Half) Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) - 1:09:23 (3rd, 2026 Osaka Half) Men Tomoya Ogikubo (Hiramatsu Byoin) - 1:00:22 (4th, 2026 Marugame Half) Yuma Nishizawa (Toyota Boshoku) - 1:00:26 (5th, 2026 Marugame Half) Neo Namiki (Subaru) - 1:00:29 (6th, 2026 Marugame Half) Daisuke Sato (Chuo Univ.) - 1:00:40 (7th, 2026 Marugame Half) Mile and 5 km teams, if any, will be decided after June's National Track and Field Championships. © 2026 Brett Larner , all rights reserved

Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday: 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete. Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team. Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week. Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden w...