Meijo University Wins Second-Straight Mount Fuji Women's Ekiden National Title

The Mount Fuji Women's Ekiden, the National University Women's Ekiden Championships Invitational, took place Dec. 30 in Shizuoka. 22 universities from across the country and two select teams competed for the national title in the midst of cold rain, with Nagoya's Meijo University covering the seven-stage, 43.4 km course in 2:23:09 to win for the second year in a row.

After a slow start that saw it sitting 3rd halfway through the race, Meijo's fourth runner Yuma Yamamoto ran a course record 13:55 for her 4.4 km stage to cut the defending champs' deficit way down. Meijo's next runner, 2019 World University Championships half marathon silver medalist Rika Kaseda, ran the fastest time for the race's longest stage to move the team up from 3rd to 1st. Sixth runner Narumi Kobayashi likewise won her stage on time to give Meijo a lead it kept all the way through the uphill anchor stage.

Meijo's win was both its second-straight and second ever and followed its win at October's Morinomiyako Ekiden. Morinomiyako runner-up Daito Bunka University was 2nd again, with the National Select Team starting fast to lead the first two stages and hold off Morinomiyako 3rd-placer Ritsumeikan University for the 3rd spot overall.

Mount Fuji Women's Ekiden

National University Women's Ekiden Championships Invitational
24 teams, 43.4 km, 7 stages
complete results

Top Team Results
1. Meijo University - 2:23:09
2. Daito Bunka University - 2:24:25
3. National Select Team - 2:25:22
4. Ritsumeikan University - 2:25:45
5. Josai University - 2:26:16
6. Kyoto Sangyo University - 2:27:27
7. Nittai University - 2:27:38
8. Osaka Gakuin University - 2:27:59
9. Juntendo University - 2:28:48
10. Toyo University - 2:29:02

Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (4.1 km) - Yuki Kanemitsu (National Select Team) - 12:50
Second Stage (6.8 km) - Rino Goshima (National Select Team) - 20:40 - CR
Third Stage (3.3 km) - Mai Misaki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 10:07 - CR
Fourth Stage (4.4 km) - Yuma Yamamoto (Meijo Univ.) - 13:55 - CR
Fifth Stage (10.5 km) - Rika Kaseda (Meijo Univ.) - 34:51
Sixth Stage (6.0 km) - Narumi Kobayashi (Meijo Univ.) - 19:40
Seventh Stage (8.3 km, ~200 m uphill) - Erika Tanoura (Toyo Univ.) - 29:17

source article:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20191230/k10012232281000.html
translated by Brett Larner

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