Wanjiru and Etir Win 10000 m Titles on First Day of National University Championships

No real surprises on the opening day of the 2023 National University Track and Field Championships. A new wave of humidity that swept into the Kanto region Tuesday meant tough conditions for the 10000 m races, but heavy favorites Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka University) and Richard Etir (Tokyo Kokusai University) had no trouble taking the national titles in their debut seasons.

Wanjiru, winner of both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the spring's Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, soloed a 33:18.93 to win by almost 45 seconds. Nanaka Miyahara (Fukuoka Univ.) won a last-lap battle against Hikaru Kitagawa (Osaka Geijutsu Univ.) and Fuka Fukunaga (Ritsumeikan Univ.) for 2nd in 34:01.46, Kitagawa 3rd in 34:02.34. National champion Meijo University had three of its best runners in the field, Saki Harada going 5th in 34:15.57, Nanase Tanimoto 7th in 34:18.15, and Yuka Masubuchi dropping out mid-race.

The men's race immediately separated into two groups, one all-Kenyan and one all-Japanese. Collegiate 10000 m record holder Etir made a series of moves to shake the pack up before breaking free, with only Shadrack Kipkemei (Nihon Univ.) able to stay close but never really in position for the win. Etir took the win in 28:15.75, Kipkemei next in 28:17.38 and Stephen Muthini (Soka Univ.) 3rd in 28:22.31. With top-tier programs like national champion Komazawa University and Aoyama Gakuin University giving it a miss the top Japanese spot went to Kenzo Ijichi (Koku Gakuin Univ.), 8th in 29:31.20.

In qualifying rounds, Konan University had an excellent run in the women's 4x100 m heats, 0.01 off the meet record at 44.52 to lead the qualifiers for the final by 0.37. MR holder Fukuoka University was the only other team to go under 45 seconds, clocking 44.89. Juntendo University was the only men's team under 39 seconds in the 4x100 m heats at 38.95, but with Keio University 2nd in 39.00 and Tsukuba University 3rd in 39.05 it looks like a good final ahead on Friday.

In the women's 100 m heats, Konan's Yume Okuno and Miu Kurashige had the two fastest times in the field, Okuno running 11.83 -1.5 m/s to win Heat 1 and Kurashige 11.84 -2.4 m/s to take Heat 7. Heat 5 winner Haruka Taji (Chuo Univ.) was the only other runner under 11.90, running 11.86 -0.1 m/s. Juntendo's Shoto Uno was fastest in the men's 100 m heats at 10.25 -0.0 m/s, with Naoki Okami (Sendai Univ.) and Yugo Haitamataira (Hachinohe Gakuin Univ.) the only others under 10.30 at 10.26 +0.2 m/s and 10.29 -0.0 m/s. Favorite Hiroki Yanagita (Toyo Univ.) eased through with a 10.33 -1.5 m/s win in Heat 2.

In the women's 400 m, Marin Adachi (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) was the only runner under 55 seconds in the heats, winning Heat 5 in 54.96. Budapest World Championships team member Joseph Nakajima (Toyo Univ.) was a DNS in the men's 400 m heats, leaving Heat 5 winner Masataka Tomoda (Tokyo Rika University) to lead the heats in 46.46.

Complete results here. The National University Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday in Kumagaya, Saitama.

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

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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

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