Meijo Wins Record-Breaking 6th-Straight National University Women's Ekiden Title, Fuwa Takes Another Step Forward
There was never really any doubt that five-time defending champion Meijo University was going to become the first team in National University Women's Ekiden history to win a sixth-straight title. Star 1st-year Nanaka Yonezawa took the lead in the first 200 m and from there Meijo never looked back. Its first four runners Yonezawa, Asuka Ishimatsu, Yuma Yamamoto and Nanase Tanimoto all won their stages, Yamamoto tying the 21:37 CR held by teammate Narumi Kobayashi on the 6.9 km Third Stage and Tanimoto turning in the most impressive run of the day with a 15:14 CR on the 4.8 km Fourth Stage, 23 seconds under the CR she set last year and 50 seconds faster than the next-best runner on the stage.
Captain Kobayashi was the only weak link in the lineup, 30:48 for 6th on the 9.2 km Fifth Stage, but anchor Yuka Masubuchi still had a 1:55 lead to work with on the 6.7 km Sixth Stage. Like Tanimoto, Masubuchi broke her own CR with a 22:04 that put Meijo's final lead up to 2:31. With Kobayashi's underperformance Meijo came up 14 seconds short of its own overall CR from two years ago, but with a record-setting sixth-straight title nobody seemed to care. Enigmatically, Meijo's achievement of wins on 5 of the 6 stages, 3 in CR time, repeated its performance from last year.
4th last year, Ritsumeikan University was in 2nd almost the entire way, ending up there at the finish in 2:05:42 to make it 21 years in a row finishing in the top 4. Osaka Gakuin University, alma mater of former marathon world record holder and Olympic marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi, worked its way up into 3rd with a trio of excellent mid-race runs to take 3rd in 2:06:55, tying its best-ever finish. Perpetual runner-up Daito Bunka University was 4th in 2:07:23, performing better than expecting following heavy losses to graduation at the end of last season.
Takushoku University had the most-anticipated individual run of the day, with the return from a long-lasting injury of collegiate 10000 m NR holder Seira Fuwa. Last year Fuwa exploded Japanese women's long distance with a 28:00 CR on the 9.2 km Fifth Stage. This year, in her first road race since January, she started conservatively with a 3:11 opening km before gradually getting into her stride. Over the course of the stage she moved up from 7th to 4th as she sped up, making it to the end without any obvious problems. Her time of 29:39 was enough to win the stage, but while it was a couple of leagues away from where she was last year it's important to remember that the CR before that was 29:14. This wasn't bad. And at this point, that's good enough.
Nittai University and Josai University swapped places on the last two stages to take 6th and 7th, Nittai a solid top 3 contender but dropping when fifth runner Momoko Shimada had problems. The podium at Nationals is 8-deep and guarantees placers a spot at the next year's Nationals without having to go through the qualifying round. Over the last three stages Kansai University and Fukuoka University went back and forth at the 8th/9th line at least four times, including twice in the last 400 m. In the end Kansai anchor Rana Kondo edged Fukuoka's Haruka Yamaguchi (no relation to the marathoner), Kondo taking 8th in 2:10:00 and Yamaguchi 5 seconds back. That gave Kansai its third podium finish in the last four years and stopped Fukuoka from scoring its first since 2014. 7th after three stages, Osaka Geijutsu University was only another 12 seconds back to round out the top 10.
With the disappearance of Kenyans from Japanese collegiate women's long distance, 2020 Taiwanese 5000 m national champion Yu-Zhen Chang was the only non-Japanese woman in the race. Now a 3rd-year at Sapporo Kokusai University, Chang finished 25th of 26 runners on the Fifth Stage, clocking 35:57 for 9.2 km. Sapporo Kokusai was last overall.
© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Morinomiyako Ekiden
40th National University Women's Ekiden Championships
Sendai, Miyagi, 30 Oct. 2022
26 teams, 6 stages, 38.1 km
Top Team Results
top 8 teams auto-qualify for 2023
1. Meijo University - 2:03:11
2. Ritsumeikan University - 2:05:42
3. Osaka Gakuin University - 2:06:55
4. Daito Bunka University - 2:07:23
5. Takushoku University - 2:07:40
6. Nittai University - 2:08:05
7. Josai University - 2:08:31
8. Kansai University - 2:10:00
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9. Fukuoka University - 2:10:05
10. Osaka Geijutsu University - 2:10:17
11. Tokyo Nogyo University - 2:10:27
12. Kansai Gaikokugo University - 2:10:41
13. Tohoku Fukushi University - 2:10:45
14. Chuo University - 2:11:02
15. Bukkyo University - 2:12:06
Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (6.6 km)
1. Nanaka Yonezawa (Meijo Univ.) - 21:09
2. Yu Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 21:28
3. Risa Yamazaki (Nittai Univ.) - 21:29
Second Stage (3.9 km)
1. Asuka Ishimatsu (Meijo Univ.) - 12:19
2. Koharu Kaneko (Josai Univ.) - 12:28
3. Miu Saito (Nittai Univ.) - 12:36
Third Stage (6.9 km)
1. Yuma Yamamoto (Meijo Univ.) - 21:37 - CR (tie)
2. Tomo Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 22:19
3. Chihiro Sato (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 22:37
3. Momona Yotsumoto (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 22:37
Fourth Stage (4.8 km)
1. Nanase Tanimoto (Meijo Univ.) - 15:14 - CR
2. Hikaru Nozaki (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 16:04
3. Mio Kuroda (Nittai Univ.) - 16:16
Fifth Stage (9.2 km)
1. Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) - 29:39
2. Rinka Hida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 30:05
3. Rio Einaga (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 30:11
Sixth Stage (6.7 km)
1. Yuka Masubuchi (Meijo Univ.) - 22:04 - CR
2. Miho Hiraoka (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 22:40
3. Karin Akahori (Nittai Univ.) - 22:42
Comments
Meijo Univ. were superb. It was impressive running from all members. Kobayashi's run, even though well below her best, was not that bad relative to her competitors. Though I have to say, her pained expression during the leg reminded me of Kaede Hagitani's expression in last week's Princess Exiden where she also struggled. Strange to see these two struggling so badly at the same time.
As for Seira Fuwa, she had a good solid run. Provided she did not injure herself it is a step in the right direction. I noticed she has changed her running shoes from last year... from Nike Vaporfly 2 (8mm drop) to New Balance SC Elite v3 (4mm drop)? Interesting as I would have thought a lower drop shoe would put more pressure on the achilles. I'll be curious to how she performs for the rest of the year and if she can get back to her top form.
Congrats to Meijo and all the other teams. It was a great event to watch and enjoy. Credit to the race organizers, the tv coverage (even though I don't understand the commentary I can hear the passion from the commentators) and everyone involved who allow someone like myself, living in Australia, the chance to view it.