Skip to main content

Yachiyo Kogyo Leads Start to Finish to Win 70th Towada Hachimantai Ekiden

25 teams from 11 prefectures took part in the 70th anniversary running of the 5-stage, 73.7 km Towada Hachimantai Ekiden on Aug. 7. Saitama's Yachiyo Kogyo corporate team scored its first-ever victory in 3:50:00. ND Software took 2nd and Subaru 3rd, with two-time defending champion Yakult falling to 4th. Kazuno T&F Assoc. was the top local team at 10th overall.

The race began at 8:00 a.m. on the shores of Lake Towada in Aomori. Mid-race temperatures around 30 degrees were recorded in Kazuno, but despite the heat and strong sunlight the athletes on each team gave it their best to ensure their tasuki would make it to the next runner.

On the tough and hilly 13.6 km First Stage Yachiyo Kogyo's Abiyot Abinet took an early lead. Yakult rookie Yuji Asaishi was only 7th. On the downhill 13.4 km Second Stage Yakult's Bernard Kimani ran the fastest time on the stage to move into 3rd, but Yachiyo Kogyo's Takahiro Yagihara ran a strong stage 3rd-best time to maintain the lead.

On the 16.2 km Third Stage through central Kazuno, Yakult's Yusuke Ogura, a two-time stage winner at the Hakone Ekiden, ran the stage's second-best time to close to within 51 seconds of Yachiyo Kogyo. The race's longest stage, the 16.4 km Fourth Stage, saw ND Software move into 2nd thanks to a stage best by Akito Terui. Yakult rookie Rintaro Takeda struggled, losing ground as he finished only 10th on the stage on time.

Subaru anchor Tsukasa Koyama ran the second-fastest time on the 14.1 km, 575 m climb Fifth Stage to go from 6th to 3rd overall, but Yachiyo Kogyo's Kazuyoshi Chiba was out of range. Yachiyo Kogyo led the entire race from start to finish. Head coach Yoshiki Koichi commented, "Every one of our athletes had the will to win. We were able to take our first title thanks to the growth produced through serious training, and I am very happy."

Of the five local teams to take part, the Kazuno T&F Assoc. team had the best placing at 10th. Akita T&F Assoc. was 13th, Daisen-Senboku T&F Assoc. 22nd, Akita University 23rd and Odate Hokushu  T&F Assoc. 25th. Kazuno Fourth Stage runner Takaaki Abe, a graduate of Hanawa H.S., commented, "Everyone on our team ran their best. Personally speaking, I had lost some time in training due to injury so my result wasn't what I was hoping for, but it was a lot of fun to be able to run on home ground being cheered on by local friends."

70th Towada Hachimantai Ekiden

Aomori, Akita, 8/7/17
25 teams, 5 stages, 73.7 km
click here for complete results

Top Team Results
1. Yachiyo Kogyo - 3:50:00
2. ND Software - 3:52:13
3. Subaru - 3:53:16
4. Yakult - 3:53:35
5. Komori Corp. - 3:54:03

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (13.6 km) - Abiyot Abinet (Yachiyo Kogyo) - 39:06
Second Stage (13.4 km) - Bernard Kimani (Yakult) - 36:14
Third Stage (16.2 km) - Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) - 46:23
Fourth Stage (16.4 km) - Akito Terui (ND Software) - 51:20
Fifth Stage (14.1 km, 575 m climb) - Yuya Yamashita (Sunbelx A) - 51:18

source article:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/akita/news/20170808-OYTNT50195.html
translated by Brett Larner
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Japan Post Holds Off Sekisui Kagaku to Win Queens Ekiden National Title

  Japan Post  was back on top at the Queens Ekiden corporate women's national championships Sunday in Sendai, holding off last year's winner Sekisui Kagaku  over the second half of a race that came as close as 1 second to take 1st with a final margin of victory of 27 seconds. Sekisui Kagaku was out fast with a win on the 7.0 km opening leg by Erika Tanoura  and a new CR for the 12:56 second leg by Yuma Yamamoto , 17 seconds better than her own CR from last year. Last year's 4th-placer Shiseido  briefly led on the 10.6 km third leg with an excellent 33:17 stage win from Rino Goshima , but behind her Japan Post's Ririka Hironaka  returned from her latest injury problems to pass Sekisui Kagaku's Sayaka Sato  and hand off 6 seconds ahead. New recruit Caroline Kariba  ran Shiseido down on the 3.6 km fourth leg and put Japan Post 22 seconds ahead of Sekisui Kagaku, but a duel of marathoners between JP's  Ayuko Suzuki  and Sekisui's Hitomi Niiy...
Post a Comment
Read more

2023 Champion Kamimura Gakuen Girls Ready for Sunday's National High School Ekiden

Ahead of the Dec. 22 National High School Ekiden in Kyoto, the 2023 national champion Kamimura Gakuen H.S. girls held an open practice session for the media. 2023 was Kamimura Gakuen's only 2nd national title ever. Can it make it two in a row? The Kamimura Gakuen girls won the Nov. 2 Kagoshima Prefecture High School Ekiden, its 9th-straight win and 31st victory overall in the prefectural qualifying race for Nationals. 3rd on her stage at Nationals last year as part of the winning team, Hina Ogura summed up this year's lineup. "There's no really dominant star runner this year, but each person is aware of their position on the team and working together to share in everyone playing leading roles." Sakine Noguchi ran the Second Stage at Nationals last year. "I think we've improved our stamina," she said, "so I hope that we can get the best possible results and all finish with a smile." Handling the First Stage last year, Rin Setoguchi said,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kyoyama Girls and Fuji Boys Win National Junior High School Ekiden Titles

The 32nd National Junior High School Ekiden took place Sunday at Kibogaoka Bunka Koen in Shiga. In the girls' race, Okayama's Kyoyama J.H.S. scored back-to-back titles with a 41:18 for the 5-leg, 12.0 km course. After a slow start from lead runner Wakana Minami , the Kyoyama girls moved up steadily, third runner Mei Iwasaki taking the lead with a stage win and fourth runner Chisato Shimoda setting a new stage record of 6:41 for her 2.0 km leg. It was only the sixth successful title defense in Nationals history, with Kyoyama joining past two-time champions Gotemba J.H.S. (Shizuoka), Nakanojo J.H.S. (Gunma), Fujimi J.H.S. (Gunma), Katsura J.H.S. (Kyoto), and Inami J.H.S. (Hyogo). 47 seconds back in 2nd was Osawano J.H.S. (Toyama), whose fifth runner Shiho Kurokawa , winner of last year's third leg, had the fastest time on her leg again. Kamimura Gakuen J.H.S. (Kagoshima) was 3rd, whose anchor Kirari Takeda , fastest on the second leg win last year, passed 3 people ...
Post a Comment
Read more