Yegon Leads Tokyo Kokusai to Win at National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier

2021 Hakone Ekiden MVP Vincent Yegon led Tokyo Kokusai University to the win at the Kanto Region qualifier for November's National University Men's Ekiden Championships. Twenty schools competed Saturday at Kanagawa's Sagamihara Gion Stadium for the seven spots available at Nationals, every school fielding two runners in each of four heats of 10000 m and scored on the total time of its eight runners.

TKU got off to a slow start, outside the top ten after the first race, up to 7th after the second heat with a 9-second margin over Surugadai University, and hanging on to 7th after the third race but seeing its margin drop to just over 2 seconds ahead of Nittai University. Nittai's Tamaki Fujimoto took the fourth heat out, but after just 800 m Yegon took over, leading almost the entire rest of the way on sub-28 pace.

That burned off most of the competition up front, and with 1500 m to go it was down to Yegon, Hakone rival Philip Mulwa (Soka Univ.) and Joseph Razini Lemeteki (Takushoku Univ.). Mulwa made a move to the front just before three laps to go, Yegon taking a short break before reasserting himself at 600 m to go. Razini responded by kicking past both on the back curve, but neither he nor Mulwa could match Yegon's closing speed, his massive stride quickly opening a gap as he built up momentum over a 59-second closing lap.

Between Yegon's 27:50.65 winning time and Ken Tansho's 28:39.60 for 8th it was enough to overtake the entire field and land TKU in 1st with a total team time of 3:56:39.39. Mulwa took 2nd in 27:53.39 and Razini 3rd in 27:54.39, Soka a disappointing 14th but Razini playing a big role in Takushoku placing 4th and making the Nationals cut.

Nittai moved into 7th in the final scoring thanks to Fujimoto, the top Japanese finisher at 7th in 28:35.73, while Surugadai missed qualifying for Nationals for the first time by less than 30 seconds. Daito Bunka University and Senshu University joined the ranks of schools with Kenyan recruits, but neither DBU 1st-year Peter Wanjiru nor Senshu 1st-year Duncan Kisaisa could carry their teams into the qualifying bracket, DBU finishing 12th and Senshu just 18th in the field of twenty.

National University Men's Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier

Sagamihara Gion Stadium, Kanagawa, 19 June, 2021

20 teams, 8 runners each, top 7 qualify for Nationals

complete team results

complete individual results

Top Team Results

1. Tokyo Kokusai University - 3:56:39.39

2. Koku Gakuin University - 3:56:47.04

3. Hosei University - 3:57:14.64

4. Takushoku University - 3:57:17.26

5. Chuo University - 3:57:17.61

6. Chuo Gakuin University - 3:57:23.16

7. Nittai University - 3:57:47.90

-----

8. Surugadai University - 3:58:16.34

9. Kokushikan University - 3:58:51.31

10. Yamanashi Gakuin University - 3:59:07.98

Individual Results

Race 4

1. Vincent Yegon (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 27:50.65

2. Philip Mulwa (Soka Univ.) - 27:53.39

3. Joseph Razimi Lemeteki (Takushoku Univ.) - 27:54.39

4. Vincent Raimoi (Kokushikan Univ.) - 28:04.93

5. James Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) - 28:11.53

6. Paul Onyiego (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:28.67

7. Tamaki Fujimoto (Nittai Univ.) - 28:35.73

8. Ken Tansho (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 28:39.60

9. Keigo Kurihara (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 28:40.57

10. Reishi Yoshida (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 28:41.60

Race 3

1. Shinya Kojima (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 29:13.91

2. Ruina Bukawa (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 29:14.05

3. Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 29:14.55

Race 2

1. Kazuya Mishiro (Kokushikan Univ.) - 30:01.98

2. Haruki Abe (Chuo Univ.) - 30:02.73

3. Itsuki Koizumi (Hosei Univ.) - 30:02.75

Race 1

1. Taiga Nakanishi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 29:21.70

2. Yuki Takei (Asia Univ.) - 29:35.95

3. Masaki Hamano (Soka Univ.) - 29:38.02

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges. Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

My Training for 1:00:44

Hi, I'm Ayumu Kobayashi . Today I'm going to write about this year's National Corporate Half Marathon and the training I did for it. I hope other runners will find it even a little bit helpful. At the Corporate Half on Feb. 13 I was 10th in 1:00:44. My goal had been to run 61 minutes, so I hit that target. My Training Menu In January I ran a total of 681 km. Key workouts: Jan. 11: 1000 m x 5 at 2:50/km Jan. 12: 22.5 km Jan. 15: 9 km variable pace Jan. 17: 25 km Jan. 24: 1000 m x 8 at 2:52/km Jan. 27: 1 km + 4 km + 2 km Jan. 30: 16 km at 3:18/km avg. In January I was tired from the New Year Ekiden and had some knee pain after it, so I just jogged for 10 days until I started doing workouts again on the 11th. That's why I only ran 681 km for the month. But even on the jog days I was aware that I had the Corporate Half coming up, so I was doing around 30 km. It's pretty meat and potatoes, but I think it was really important. February (training for the 10 days before...

japan running news

Search This Blog