Komazawa Defends National University Ekiden Title by 8 Seconds Over Aoyama Gakuin

Despite missing star 2nd-year Mebuki Suzuki, last year's national champion Komazawa University pulled-off a late stage reversal to win a second-straight National University Men's Ekiden title by one of the tightest margins in the race's history.

First-year Shoji Sato broke the course record on the opening leg by 2 seconds to put Komazawa out front, but a string of weak runs on the middle stages knocked it off the eight-deep podium. It took until the Sixth Stage for Komazawa's luck to turn around with 2nd-year Taiyo Yasuhara taking them from 9th to 4th. That put #1 man Ren Tazawa in position to take the lead by 18 seconds over the perpetually strong Aoyama Gakuin University with the fastest-ever time by a Japanese man on the stage, 50:36 for 17.6 km.

AGU anchor Takayuki Iida reeled in Komazawa's Yuki Hanao midway through the 19.7 km stage, but instead of going by he tucked in. Hanao responded by gradually slowing down, saving his energy for a last move that came with 2 km to go. His kick was too much for Iida, and Hanao easily pulled away to open an 8-second lead by the end of the stage. Komazawa covered the 8-stage, 106.8 km course in 5:12:58.

En route there was a lot of turnover, with Juntendo University, Izumo Ekiden winner Tokyo Kokusai University and Waseda University all taking turns up front before Komazawa took over. Juntendo's Ryuji Miura, a finalist in the steeplechase at this summer's Olympics, had an especially good run to put Juntendo in the lead, and TKU had new stage records from both 2021 Hakone Ekiken MVP Vincent Yegon and 3rd-year Ken Tansho.

The race for the last place on the 8-deep podium and a guaranteed return trip to next year's Nationals was very tight at the final exchange, with three teams within a minute of 8th-place Chuo University and more just further back. But Chuo succeeded in holding on, knocking longtime podium resident Toyo University off for the first time in over a decade. The National University Select Team overtook Nittai University for 15th, but with fifteen Kanto Region schools in the field the top non-Kanto program was Kansei Gakuin University in 16th.

53rd National University Men's Ekiken

Aichi-Mie, 7 Nov. 2021

27 teams, 8 stages, 106.8 km

complete results

Top Individual Stage Results

First Stage - 9.5 km

1. Shoji Sato (Komazawa Univ.) - 27:05 - CR

2. Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) - 27:05

3. Yoshinori Shimazaki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 27:06

Second Stage - 11.1 km

1. Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.) - 31:30

2. Ryuto Igawa (Waseda Univ.) - 31:48

2. Masaki Kodama (Meiji Univ.) - 31:48

Third Stage - 11.9 km

1. Vincent Yegon (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 32:46 - CR

2. Joseph Lemeteki Razini (Takushoku Univ.) - 33:21

3. Hironori Kishimoto (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 33:55

Fourth Stage - 11.8 km

1. Yuki Takahashi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 34:08

1. Kosuke Ishida (Toyo Univ.) - 34:08

3. Daiki Ozawa (Meiji Univ.) - 34:11

Fifth Stage - 12.4 km

1. Issei Sato (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 35:57

2. Yusaku Nomura (Juntendo Univ.) - 36:05

3. Takuro Miura (Chuo Univ.) - 36:19

Sixth Stage - 12.8 km

1. Ken Tansho (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 37:12 - CR

2. Taiyo Yasuhara (Komazawa Univ.) - 37:30

2. Fuma Nakamura (Teikyo Univ.) - 37:30

Seventh Stage - 17.6 km

1. Ren Tazawa (Komazawa) - 50:36

2. Kotaro Kondo (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 50:54

3. Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 52:22

Eighth Stage - 19.7 km

1. Kenzo Ijichi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 58:33

2. Shunsuke Shikama (Juntendo Univ.) - 58:54

3. Takayuki Iida (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 59:02

Top Team Results

top 8 qualify for 2022 Nationals

1. Komazawa University - 5:12:58

2. Aoyama Gakuin University - 5:13:06

3. Juntendo University - 5:14:20

4. Koku Gakuin University - 5:14:53

5. Tokyo Kokusai University - 5:15:13

6. Waseda University - 5:16:29

7. Meiji University - 5:16:46

8. Chuo University - 5:17:06

-----

9. Hosei University - 5:17:39

10. Toyo University - 5:17:58

11. Chuo Gakuin University - 5:19:09

12. Tokai University - 5:19:10

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyo Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,

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