Skip to main content

Former Hakone Ekiden Director Yoshiyuki Aoba Named Head Coach at Nihon University



Nihon University, 18th at this year's Hakone Ekiden, has named former Daito Bunka University head coach and former Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto (KGRR) director Yoshiyuki Aoba, 77, as its new head coach. It is almost unheard-of for someone who has risen to the top position of the KGRR, organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, to return to coaching. Previous head coach Yoshiyuki Musha, 36, has retired from coaching and will remain at Nihon University in another capacity.

With 12 Hakone Ekiden titles to its name, ranking it #3 in the event's history, and 89 Hakone appearances, the second-most in history, the change is a surprising move from the powerhouse Nihon University. The young Musha stepped down following this year's 18th-place finish, the sixth year in a row that Nihon has missed a prestigious top ten finish, leaving the door open for the 77-year-old veteran Aoba to come in.

Aoba graduated from Nihon University, becoming head coach at Daito Bunka University at just age 25. He quickly transformed the new team into one of the strongest in Kanto, winning Hakone four times and producing standout athletes like four-time Hakone Fifth Stage winner Hatsuo Okubo and 1996 Atlanta Olympic marathoner Kenjiro Jitsui.

After retiring from Daito Bunka in 2020, Aoba took the powerful position of KGRR director. He now serves as honorary director. The move to Nihon represents his first time coaching in 20 years. Aoba's home is close by the Daito Bunka athlete dormitory in Higashi Matsuyama, Saitama, but he will now live in the Nihon team dormitory in Inagi, Tokyo alongside athletes almost 60 years younger than him. "All I can say is that he's still got the hands-on competitive spirit, even at that age," a person close to Aoba said in admiration.

Like other universities, Nihon University has currently suspended official team activities due to the coronavirus crisis. In the midst of this difficult situation, the return of a legend is sure to draw attention.

Yoshiyuki Aoba - Born June 16, 1942 in Otamura, Saitama. 77 years old. He began running when he entered Chichibu Nokokagaku H.S. As a 3rd-year he was a member of Chichibu Nokokagaku's first-ever National High School Ekiden-qualifying team. After graduating in 1961 he started working for Chichibu Railways, but a year later he entered Nihon University. As a 4th-year he finished 3rd on the 1966 Hakone Ekiden's First Stage. After graduating he began working at the Saitama Prefectural Government, but after two years he became head coach at Daito Bunka University, where he remained until 2000. Under his leadership Daito Bunka won Hakone four times, in 1975, 1976, 1990 and 1991. In the 1990-1991 season Daito Bunka became the first school to ever achieve the triple crown, winning the Izumo Ekiden, National University Ekiden, and Hakone Ekiden. He served as KGRR director from 2007 to 2016.

source article:
https://hochi.news/articles/20200523-OHT1T50203.html
translated by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee

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