National University Men's Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier Preview and Streaming

November's National University Men's Ekiden is the second of the Big Three University Ekidens that make up the peak of the year for Japanese collegiate men. The top eight teams auto-qualify for the following year, and every year it's a given that they're all going to be from the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region. Another 17 schools have to run regional qualifiers to make it back, and of those another seven come from Kanto. The Kanto Region Qualifier happens Saturday at 17:15 Japan time, four heats of 10000 m on the track with two runners from each of the twenty schools in each heat. Teams are scored on the combined times of all eight runners, with the seven fastest total teams going on to Nationals in November.

On paper Chuo Gakuin University and Kanagawa University are the favorites with seven entrants each with bests under 29 minutes, in CGU's case led by sub-28 3rd-year Reishi Yoshida. Tokai University, Daito Bunka University and Josai University are next with six sub-29 men apiece, and with five each Meiji University and Rikkyo University make up the rest of the top tier. But Teikyo University and Nittai University are close behind at four each, and Tokyo Kokusai University's sub-13:20 1st-year Amos Bett adds enough to its lineup of three runners sub-29 to put it into contention too.

Top individual entrants this year include:

Amos Bett (1st yr., Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 13:16.85 (5000 m)

David Shun'qeya (2nd yr., Reitaku Univ.) - 27:46.08

James Mutok (2nd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 27:50.54

Reishi Yoshida (3rd yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 27:58.60

Shotaro Ishihara (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:05.91

Duncan Kisaisa (2nd yr., Senshu Univ.) - 28:11.79

Yoshiteru Takatsuki (4th yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 28:11.99

Johnson Mogeni (1st yr., Asia Univ.) - 28:12.55

Shadrack Kipkemoi (1st yr., Nihon Univ.) - 28:13.10

Hisaya Hanaoka (2nd yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:15.65

Neo Namiki (4th yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 28:16.30

Atsuki Kobayashi (4th yr., Kanagawa Univ.) - 28:21.10

Peter Kamau (3rd yr., Kokushikan Univ.) - 28:21.49

Masaki Kodama (4th yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:22.27

Tasuku Yamazaki (2nd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 28:23.69

Victor Kimutai (2nd yr., Josai Univ.) - 28:24.57

Shota Morishita (2nd yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:24.84

Peter Wanjiru (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:25.20

Yuito Yamamoto (4th yr., Josai Univ.) - 28:25.21

Yusuke Shirai (3rd yr., Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 28:27.45

Yudai Katakawa (3rd yr., Asia Univ.) - 28:27.51

Koki Matsuo (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:27.77

Godfrey Musanga (2nd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 28:28.36

Safumi Sugi (4th yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:28.94

Kenta Sekiguchi (4th yr., Rikkyo Univ.) - 28:29.24

Toru Kubota (4th yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:29.75

Complete entry lists are here. Heat One starts at 17:15 Saturday local time, with the other heats starting every 40 minutes.

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 Tokyu 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,

Kanto Regionals Day Two Highlights

Day two of the 103rd Kanto Regionals meet took place Friday at Tokyo's National Stadium and other facilities. The 1500 m was the only mid or long-distance final on the program, and in the D1 women's final 4th-yr Yuiri Ogata (Nittai Univ.) scored a dominant win with a 4:19.08 PB that put her 2 1/2 seconds up on 2nd-placer Yui Yoshii (Daito Bunka Univ.). 4th-yr Hiroto Takamura (Nittai Univ.) won the D1 men's title in 3:45.65, with 2nd-yr Ryoto Aoki (Rikkyo Univ.) taking the top spot in a strategic D2 men's final in 3:52.93. D2 men also had a round of 5000 m qualifiers on the program. Kenyans took the top four spots in Heat 1 led by newcomer Brian Kiptoo (Reitaku Univ.) in 13:50.47, with Hakone Ekiden runner-up Komazawa University 4th-yr Kota Nakaya outrunning Hakone champ Aoyama Gakuin University 1st-yr Sota Orita for 1st in the slower Heat 2, 14:04.47 to 14:04.95. The final happens Sunday alongside the D1 men's and women's races. In other noteworthy per

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