Nobody can stay on top forever, and after 13-straight wins across the two major national-level university women's ekidens, 7-time defending champion Meijo University was knocked out of the top spot Sunday's Morinomiyako Ekiden in Sendai by a course record-breaking run from Ritsumeikan University.
There was an element of more of the same, with last year's top 4 teams Meijo, Daito Bunka University, Ritsumeikan and Josai University all finishing in the top 4 again and all six of last year's individual winners, Tomo Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan), Sayuki Ota (Ritsumeikan), Asuka Ishimatsu (Meijo), Kokoro Nakachi (Ritsumeikan), Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka) and Nanase Tanimoto (Meijo) making the top 3 on their stages this time. Meijo was never really on its game, with last year's First Stage runner-up Nanaka Yonezawa 9th and second runner Nene Ueno only 10th on her leg. Meijo spent the rest of the race trying to dig its way out of that hole, but it only got as far as 4th thanks mostly to top 3 stage placings from third runner Ishimatsu and anchor Tanimoto.
But it wasn't just that Meijo underperformed. Both Ritsumeikan, 3rd last year, and Daito Bunka, forever 2nd, brought the kind of full-team performances they needed to have a shot. All 6 Ritsumeikan women made the top 3 on their stages, with second runner Yumi Yamamoto, Muramatsu on third, and anchor Makoto Tsuchiya running the fastest times on their stages and its first half trio of Ota, Yamamoto and Muramatsu all breaking their stage CR. Daito Bunka took the other three stage wins, Mariya Noda breaking the First Stage CR and Momoka Tsutano and Wanjiru taking the Fourth and Fifth stages. Third and sixth runners Mayu Kawase and Akie Hirao were only 6th and 5th, a crack that cost DBU a shot at breaking its confinement to 2nd, but both they and Ritsumeikan went under the 2:04:29 overall CR set by Meijo last year. Ritsumeikan took the win in an excellent 2:03:03 CR, with DBU 2nd again in 2:04:06. Last year's 4th-placer Josai's anchor Aoi Takahashi held Tanimoto off by 21 seconds to take 3rd in 2:05:41, Josai's best-ever team finish.
Further down the field, Sapporo locals Tohoku Fukushi University was a surprise 5th, running 4th almost the entire way and only run down by Tanimoto by 21 seconds but improving on its 8th-place finish last year. Osaka Gakuin University was 6th again this time, 36 seconds faster than what it ran last year. Takushoku University got back onto the podium at 7th thanks in large part to the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa. After almost 3 years of serial injuries Fuwa was far from her record breaking 1st-year season but did enough to more or less hold position for Takushoku and keep anchor Ayu Inden safe. With Fuwa graduating Takushoku will be in a tough position to make the podium next year, but as a last piece to her collegiate legacy she did what she could.
Through the first five stages Juntendo University was in position to make the 8-deep podium for the first time, 6th after two stages and 8th the rest of the way. But it takes a complete team, and when anchor Mai Sakai ran only the 18th-best time in the field of 26 Juntendo plummeted to 11th. Tsukuba University looked safe for 8th, but it got a scare when the last two runners from last year's 5th-placer Nittai University rolled up fast after a slow first two stages. Nittai anchor Yuiri Ogata closed to within 12 seconds of Tsukuba's Yukina Honjo, but there just wasn't enough room left to get there. Tsukuba took the last podium spot in 2:08:10 with Nittai 9th in 2:08:22.
With Meijo's Morinomiyako streak broken it has one more chance to get back on top this season at the Dec. 30 Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national championship. It has the people to match Ritsumeikan and Daito Bunka, but given Sunday's performance it's going to take a big turnaround in its fortunes to pull off a comeback win.
Morinomiyako Ekiden
42nd National University Women's Ekiden Championship
Sendai, Miyagi, 27 Oct. 2024
26 teams, 6 stages, 38.0 km
Top Team Results
1. Ritsumeikan University - 2:03:03 - CR
2. Daito Bunka University - 2:04:06 (CR)
3. Josai University - 2:05:41
4. Meijo University - 2:06:02
5. Tohoku Fukushi University - 2:06:23
6. Osaka Gakuin University - 2:06:43
7. Takushoku University - 2:06:48
8. Tsukuba University - 2:08:10
9. Nittai University - 2:08:22
10. Chuo University - 2:08:53
Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (6.6 km)
1. Mariya Noda (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 21:11 - CR
2. Sayuki Ota (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 21:13 (CR)
3. Rio Einaga (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 21:16 (CR)
Second Stage (4.0 km)
1. Yumi Yamamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 12:41 - CR
2. Yuna Suzuki (Josai Univ.) - 12:57
3. Mana Aiba (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 13:03
Third Stage (5.8 km)
1. Tomo Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 18:45 - CR
2. Rinka Okita (Josai Univ.) - 19:15
3. Asuka Ishimatsu (Meijo Univ.) - 19:18
Fourth Stage (4.8 km)
1. Momoka Tsutano (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 15:42
2. Ichigo Ishikawa (Josai Univ.) - 15:45
3. Chiseno Ikeda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 15:53
Fifth Stage (9.2 km)
1. Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:51
2. Kokoro Nakachi (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 29:33
3. Amisa Murayama (Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) - 29:43
Sixth Stage (7.6 km)
1. Makoto Tsuchiya (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 24:58
2. Nanase Tanimoto (Meijo Univ.) - 25:07
3. Yuiri Ogata (Nittai Univ.) - 25:28
© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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