National University Ekiden Qualification System Left Up to Each Region

The method of determining team qualification for the 52nd National University Men's Ekiden Champiionships on Nov. 1 has been left up to each regional university athletics association. For the first time since 1997, the ultra-competitive Kanto Region will choose its allotment of non-seeded teams by combining team members' official 10000 m PBs rather than by a qualification race. The Kansai Region is also considering the same approach of qualification based on athletes' official 10000 m bests.

According to the Inter-University Athletics Union of Kansai, three of the four slots awarded to Kansai based on last year's results at Nationals will be determined by the combined official 10000 m bests of each team's eight fastest athletes. The fourth team will be selected by Kansai officials based on discussions around the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon each school's ability to conduct team training and other limiting circumstances this year. In the Kanto Region the period of eligible marks for qualification runs from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019. In Kansai it will be Apr. 1, 2019 to Feb. 29, 2020.

Other regions currently intend to go ahead with holding qualifying races, with Hokkaido set for Aug. 15 and Tohoku for Sept. 28. Kyushu is aiming for an as-yet undecided date between Sept. 18 and 20, with Hokushinetsu, Tokai and Chugoku-Shikoku all planning to hold their events on September dates still to be determined. The Tokai Region may opt to follow the same method as Kanto and Kansai. Eight teams from the Kanto Region took the top eight spots at last year's Nationals and are already qualified.

source article:
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e47739641579cee5f0c3eb5692cbfa0a1e763416
translated by Brett Larner

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