Skip to main content

Nittai University Breaks CR at National Mixed-Gender University Ekiden


The 5th annual National Mixed-Gender University Ekiden took place Sunday in Osaka's Nagai Park. Its 6-leg course totaling 20 km, the race broke down into individual legs of 3 km, 2 km, 5 km, 3 km, 2 km and 5 km, with men and women from competing universities alternating on each leg. Nittai University returned to the top position, breaking the overall CR with its winning time of 58:27.

Nittai's Hiroto Takamura led off in only 6th, but second runner Kazuyo Iida had a good run to move up into 2nd, putting third runner Ryota Tominaga into position to take the lead. Once out front Nittai's remaining 3 runners Risa Yamazaki, Takanori Wakesu and Yuiri Ogata held onto 1st the rest of the way to the win.

Daito Bunka University was 2nd in 59:17 in its debut at the event, with last year's winner Juntendo University taking 3rd this time in 59:53.

5th National Mixed-Gender University Ekiden

Nagai Park, Osaka, 16 Sept. 2025
21 teams, 6 legs, 20.0 km

Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (men, 3.0 km)
1. Yudai Katakawa (Asia Univ.) - 8:02 - CR
2. Yuki Murao (Juntendo Univ.) - 8:05 (CR)
3. Kio Furuhashi (Surugadai Univ.) - 8:06 (CR)

Second Stage (women, 2.0 km)
1. Airi Tajima (Juntendo Univ.) - 6:04 - CR
2. Yura Tanaka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 6:06 (CR)
3. Kazuyo Iida (Nittai Univ.) - 6:11 (CR)

Third Stage (men, 5.0 km)
1. Ryota Tominaga (Nittai Univ.) - 13:45 - CR
2. Kaito Kojima (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 14:11
3. Yugo Nishidai (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 14:12

Fourth Stage (women, 3.0 km)
1. Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 9:02 - CR
2. Risa Yamazaki (Nittai Univ.) - 9:21 (CR)
3. Miu Suzuki (Tsukuba Univ.) - 9:30

Fifth Stage (men, 2.0 km)
1. Takanori Wakesu (Nittai Univ.) - 5:20 - CR
1. Rio Osawa (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 5:20 - CR
1. Takumi Shiobara (Juntendo Univ.) - 5:20 - CR

Sixth Stage (women, 5.0 km)
1. Yuiri Ogata (Nittai Univ.) - 15:42 - CR
2. Ayaka Maeda (Kansai Univ.) - 15:55 (CR)
2. Haruka Ogawa (Rikkyo Univ.) - 15:55 (CR)

Team Results
1. Nittai University - 58:27 - CR
2. Daito Bunka University - 59:17 (CR)
3. Juntendo University - 59:53 (CR)
4. Surugadai University - 1:00:17
5. Tsukuba University - 1:00:26
6. Kansai University - 1:00:38
7. Rikkyo University - 1:00:43
8. Kyoto Sangyo University - 1:00:54
9. Josai University - 1:00:58
10. Chuo University - 1:01:02
11. Ritsumeikan University - 1:01:14
12. Asia University - 1:01:18
13. Takushoku University - 1:01:53
14. Toyo University - 1:01:58
15. Kantaiheiyo University - 1:03:09
OP - Kansai Region Select Team - 1:03:49
16. Bukkyo University - 1:04:03
17. Waseda University - 1:04:13
18. Setsunan University - 1:04:15
19. Doshisha University - 1:05:30
20. Meiji Kokusai Iryo University - 1:06:10

source article:

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges.  Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...

Long Time Coming - Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera's Road to the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half

Back in pre-pandemic days Akira Akasaki and Haruka Onodera  were still in college, Akasaki at Takushoku University and Onodera at Teikyo University . At the 2019 Ageo City Half Marathon they frontran most of the race together, dead set on finishing in the top two Japanese collegiate spots to win invitations to the 2020 United Airlines NYC Half. For Akasaki it had already been a year and a half wait. Inspired by Kenta Murayama 's 1:00:57 5th place in finish in New York in 2017 and Kei Katanishi 's 7th-place in 2018, Akasaki went for it his junior year in his debut at the 2018 Ageo Half . "Coming up to 10 km I was in the lead pack and feeling good, so I knew I had a shot at going to New York and got pretty excited," he said. But right after the 10 km turnaround point he tripped and fell, and by the time he was back up the lead group was out of range. He finished 20th in 1:03:07, over a minute and a half behind top Japanese university man Ken Nakayama . "I was f...

My Training for 1:00:44

Hi, I'm Ayumu Kobayashi . Today I'm going to write about this year's National Corporate Half Marathon and the training I did for it. I hope other runners will find it even a little bit helpful. At the Corporate Half on Feb. 13 I was 10th in 1:00:44. My goal had been to run 61 minutes, so I hit that target. My Training Menu In January I ran a total of 681 km. Key workouts: Jan. 11: 1000 m x 5 at 2:50/km Jan. 12: 22.5 km Jan. 15: 9 km variable pace Jan. 17: 25 km Jan. 24: 1000 m x 8 at 2:52/km Jan. 27: 1 km + 4 km + 2 km Jan. 30: 16 km at 3:18/km avg. In January I was tired from the New Year Ekiden and had some knee pain after it, so I just jogged for 10 days until I started doing workouts again on the 11th. That's why I only ran 681 km for the month. But even on the jog days I was aware that I had the Corporate Half coming up, so I was doing around 30 km. It's pretty meat and potatoes, but I think it was really important. February (training for the 10 days before...