Skip to main content

Kyoyama Girls and Fuji Boys Win National Junior High School Ekiden Titles


The 32nd National Junior High School Ekiden took place Sunday at Kibogaoka Bunka Koen in Shiga. In the girls' race, Okayama's Kyoyama J.H.S. scored back-to-back titles with a 41:18 for the 5-leg, 12.0 km course. After a slow start from lead runner Wakana Minami, the Kyoyama girls moved up steadily, third runner Mei Iwasaki taking the lead with a stage win and fourth runner Chisato Shimoda setting a new stage record of 6:41 for her 2.0 km leg. It was only the sixth successful title defense in Nationals history, with Kyoyama joining past two-time champions Gotemba J.H.S. (Shizuoka), Nakanojo J.H.S. (Gunma), Fujimi J.H.S. (Gunma), Katsura J.H.S. (Kyoto), and Inami J.H.S. (Hyogo).

47 seconds back in 2nd was Osawano J.H.S. (Toyama), whose fifth runner Shiho Kurokawa, winner of last year's third leg, had the fastest time on her leg again. Kamimura Gakuen J.H.S. (Kagoshima) was 3rd, whose anchor Kirari Takeda, fastest on the second leg win last year, passed 3 people to move Kamimura Gakuen into 3rd.

In the 6-leg, 18.0 km boys' race, Saitama's Fuji J.H.S. took the win in 57:17 in its Nationals debut. 14th after the first leg, Fuji moved up to 3rd with a big run from second runner Tomoki Hasanuddin, Fifth runner Haruma Kuno took them to 2nd, and final runner Ryo Uematsu, 5th in the 3000 m at this year's National Junior High School Track and Field Championships, turned in a heroic CR performance to overtake Abiko J.H.S. anchor Taishi Gosa.

Chiba's Abiko was 2nd, with Shizuoka's Hosoe J.H.S. dropping to 3rd after leading on the fourth and fifth legs.

32nd National Junior High School Ekiden

Kibogaoka Bunka Koen, Shiga, 15 Dec. 2024

Girls' Race
48 teams, 5 stages, 12.0 km

Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (3.0 km) - Ema Gendai (Minami J.H.S.) - 10:15
Second Stage (2.0 km) - Nozomu Tanaka (Honami Nishi J.H.S.) - 6:45
Third Stage (2.0 km) - Mei Iwasaki (Kyoyama J.H.S.) - 6:55
Fourth Stage (2.0 km) - Chisato Shimoda (Kyoyama J.H.S.) - 6:41 - CR
Fifth Stage (3.0 km) - Shiho Kurokawa (Osawano J.H.S.) - 10:17

Top Team Performances
1. Kyoyama J.H.S. (Okayama) - 41:18
2. Osawano J.H.S. (Toyama) - 42:05
3. Kamimura Gakuen J.H.S. (Kagoshima) - 42:51
4. Tono J.H.S. (Iwate) - 43:10
5. Koka J.H.S. (Kyoto) - 43:15
6. Matsubashi J.H.S. (Kumamoto) - 43:17
7. Minami J.H.S. (Ehime) - 43:30
8. Hosoe J.H.S. (Shizuoka) - 43:32
9. Funehiki J.H.S. (Fukushima) - 43:35
10. Daiju J.H.S. (Yamagata) - 43:44

Boys' Race
48 teams, 6 stages, 18.0 km

Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (3.0 km) - Hiromu Kamosaku (Kushigata J.H.S.) - 9:08
Second Stage (3.0 km) - Haru Tsutsui (IS Junior Ekiden Club) - 9:16
Third Stage (3.0 km) - Ayato Tamagawa (Kyoyama J.H.S.) - 9:15
Fourth Stage (3.0 km) - Genta Tsuge (Hosoe J.H.S.) - 9:07
Fifth Stage (3.0 km) - Kai Hoshina (Daigo J.H.S.) - 9:40
Sixth Stage (3.0 km) - Ryo Uematsu (Fuji J.H.S.) - 9:07 - CR

Top Team Performances
1. Fuji J.H.S. (Saitama) - 57:17
2. Abiko J.H.S. (Chiba) - 57:51
3. Hosoe J.H.S. (Shizuoka) - 57:57
4. Saka J.H.S. (Hiroshima) - 58:13
5. Iwanashiro J.H.S. (Fukushima) - 58:14
6. Kyoyama J.H.S. (Okayama) - 58:23
7. Matsubashi J.H.S. (Kumamoto) - 58:29
8. Oyodo J.H.S. (Miyazaki) -58:45
9. Kokufu J.H.S. (Yamaguchi) - 59:02
10. Chukyo J.H.S. (Fukuoka) - 59:05

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...
3 comments
Read more

Mashiko Breaks U20 5000 m NR - Weekend Track Roundup

Saturday's Kanakuri Memorial Meet in Kumamoto was the weekend's main event in Japanese track, but there were good results at the Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama too. Emmanuel Maru (Toyota Boshoku) led the men's 5000 m A-heat at Kanakuri in 13:14.06, with Tomonori Yamaguchi (SGH) clocking the fastest Japanese time in 13:16.38 in his first race as a corporate leaguer. Waseda University duo Rui Suzuki and Yota Mashiko went 6-7 in 13:20.64 and 13:22.87, the 18-year-old Mashiko shaving 0.04 off the U20 NR. In 8th, Yamato Yoshii (Toyota) ran a PB of 13:23.92. 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura (Subaru) continued to struggle after a weak indoor season, finishing 18th of 20 finishers in 13:45.10. 19-year-old Festus Kimorwo (Kurosaki Harima) was under 13:20 in the B-heat too, winning in a 13:19.59 PB. 2 more collegiate men broke 13:30, Daichi Fujita (Chuo Univ.) 8th in 13:28.93 and Riki Koike (Soka Univ.) 9th in 13:29.09. The top 6 in the men's 800 m A-hea...
Post a Comment
Read more