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17 More Sub-28 at Nittai Time Trials


After last weekend's massive total of 53 people sub-28 for 10000 m at the Hachioji Long Distance and MARCH Taikosen meets, another 17 did it Saturday in the A-heat at the last full Nittai University Time Trials meet of the year.

After multiple heats saw winning times under 28:10, Amos Bett (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) led the 16th heat with a  27:44.02 PB, just beating Emmanuel Yegon (Subaru) who was 2nd in 27:44.23. The next 3 were all in 27:45, the top Japanese finisher being Tatsuya Iyoda (Fujitsu) in 27:45.72 for 5th. A total of 9 Japanese men broke 28 minutes, with former Tokai University runner Shotaro Ishihara (SGH) making a corporate league breakthrough in 27:53.19 for 11th. Nittai's Ryuto Hirashima ran a school record 27:56.84 for 13th to add to the school records at Aoyama Gakuin University, Chuo University, Koku Gakuin University and Rikkyo University last weekend. Out of the 20 university teams set to run January's Hakone Ekiden, 13 now have at least one current runner under 28 minutes, Chuo leading the way with 6.

Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) followed up last weekend's Queens Ekiden with a big run in the women's 5000 m A-heat, leading 4 under 15 minutes in 14:48.14. 3000 mSC NR holder Miu Saito ran a 15:11.01 PB for 7th and top Japanese, with Ayami Yoshida (Sapporo Sosei H.S.) running 15:27.79 for 15th, the 4th-best time ever by a Japanese high school girl. The women's 3000 m A-heat wasn't especially fast, but 800 m NR holder Rin Kubo (Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S.) took the win in 9:07.80 with the top 25, mostly high schoolers getting ready for next month's National High School Ekiden, going under 9:30.

Nittai continues Sunday with a dedicated day of 35 men's 5000 m heats.

325th Nittai University Time Trials Day 1

Yokohama, Kanagawa, 29 Nov. 2025

Men's 10000 m NCG Heat 2 (Heat 16)
1. Amos Bett (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 27:44.02 - PB
2. Emmanuel Yegon (Subaru) - 27:44.23 - PB
3. Philemon Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) - 27:45.07
4. Kelvin Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) - 27:45.44
5. Tatsuya Iyoda (Fujitsu) - 27:45.72 - PB
6. Kanta Shimizu (Subaru) - 27:47.13
7. Gideon Rono (Logisteed) - 27:49.04
8. Rodgers Kibet (Konica Minolta) - 27:49.56
9. Ayumu Yamamoto (Asahi Kasei) - 27:51.44 - PB
10. Duncan Maina (Senshu Univ.) - 27:52.97 - PB
11. Shotaro Ishihara (SGH) - 27:53.19 - PB
12. Tamaki Fujimoto (Logisteed) - 27:56.15
13. Ryuto Hirashima (Nittai Univ.) - 27:56.84 - PB
14. Yuichiro Nishikawa (Sumitomo Denko) - 27:57.64 - PB
15. Daisuke Hosomori (YKK) - 27:57.67
16. Toru Kubota (Honda) - 27:58.15
17. Joseph Muigai (Heisei Kokusai Univ.) - 27:58.79 - PB
18. Naoki Ota (Yakult) - 28:07.06
19. Stephen Lemaiyan (Surugadai Univ.) - 28:27.32
20. Daiki Ozawa (Fujitsu) - 28:27.72
21. Akihito Kawada (SID Group) - 28:37.46
22. Simon Kariuki (Togami Denki) - 28:38.42
23. Shura Shiino (Fujitsu) - 28:39.83
24. Masaya Yamatani (Logisteed) - 28:48.43
25. Yudai Katakawa (Asahi Kasei) - 29:07.68
26. Noah Kiplimo (Togami Denki) - 29:09.55
27. Akito Terui (Subaru) - 29:14.47
28. Hiroki Nagayama (Sumitomo Denki) - 29:26.20

Women's 5000 m NCG Heat 2 (Heat 7)
1. Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) - 14:48.14
2. Lucy Nduta (Ehime Ginko) - 14:49.91
3. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 14:52.86
4. Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera) - 14:59.23
5. Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 15:08.33
6. Helen Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:09.78
7. Miu Saito (Panasonic) - 15:11.01
8. Wakana Kabasawa (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 15:19.45
9. Ayu Henmi (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:22.85
10. Rina Shimizu (Noritz) - 15:23.23
11. Naomi Muthoni Kariuki (Univ. Ent.) - 15:23.96
12. Susan Kamon (Bears) - 15:27.40
13. Margaret Ekarare (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:27.47
14. Jecinta Nyokabi (Denso) - 15:27.52
15. Ayami Yoshida (Sapporo Sosei H.S.) - 15:27.79
16. Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon AC Kyushu) - 15:29.35
17. Kyo Honma (Josai Univ.) - 15:31.14
18. Mao Kogure (Japan Post) - 15:31.92
19. Nanase Tanimoto (Japan Post) - 15:33.59
20. Kurumi Yoda (Panasonic) - 15:36.22
21. Saya Nakajima (Edion) - 15:36.58
22. Rio Einaga (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 15:37.06
23. Manami Nishiyama (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 15:43.49
24. Kae Gyu (Japan Post) - 15:54.52
25. Harumi Okamoto (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 15:55.60
26. Kaho Horio (Route Inn Hotels) - 15:58.53

Women's 3000 m NCG Heat 1 (Heat 8)
1. Rin Kubo (Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S.) - 9:07.80
2. Yuiri Ogata (Kyocera) - 9:10.41
3. Kairi Ikeno (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:10.53
4. Marcie Muriti (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:12.74
5. Nodoka Ashida (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:15.47
6. Mary Muthoni (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 9:16.91
7. Koa Setoguchi (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:19.57
8. Haruru Asahi (Uniqlo) - 9:20.92
9. Miyu Kobayashi (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:20.95
10. Akari Niga (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:20.96
11. Nanami Ito (Katsura H.S.) - 9:21.58
12. Sarah Nyanbura (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 9:22.11
13. Yume Yabutani (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:22.25
14. Kaia Okuno (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:22.46
15. Marumi Abe (Uniqlo) - 9:22.67
16. Koko Fujisawa (Kyoai Gakuen H.S.) - 9:23.82
17. Momoka Onishi (Sysmex) - 9:25.38
18. Catherine Mutida (Yamanashi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:25.58
19. Kyoka Namura (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:26.01
20. Komachi Ikeda (Kyocera) - 9:26.23
21. Rei Taya (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:26.60
22. Ayaka Hasegawa (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 9:27.59
23. Kotoko Asahi (Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:27.83
24. Kirari Takeda (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:28.92
25. Kisaki Sasaki (Hanamaki Higashi H.S.) - 9:29.69

© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
Miu Saito has now beaten Yuma Yamamoto's PB by running 15.11.01 (a 16s PB!). Both she and Kana Mizumoto look to be the future 5000m stars in the near term given they are both improving by leaps and bounds. I hope they both can stay injury free. I feel this is the key for their future success. The Edion Distance Challenge on Dec 6 will be one I'll be watching closely. Both of them are challenging the 10000m distance. Given the form of both athletes, a very fast time could be on the cards. Interestingly, Wakana Kabasawa had a dramatic return to form, from her inexplicably poor run in the Queen's Ekiden last Sunday, 15:19.45! Only 3 seconds away from a PB. Also good to see Nanase Tanimoto achieve a huge PB too, 15:33.59 (previously 15:41.24) Her JP teammate Mao Kogure one upping her and also achieving a huge PB, 15:31.14 (previously 15:41.07). Yumi Yoshikawa was another one with a massive PB 15:29.35 (previously 15:54.36)!

Ayami Yoshida's run was an eye catcher for sure. Someone to keep on the watch list to see how she progresses. Caroline Kariba is in season best form. 14:48.14 is super. On a negative, Sherie Drury had another poor race and continues to struggle. Manami Nishiyama's run was somewhat disappointing. I was hoping to see her finish around the 15:30 mark but she was well back. Seira Fuwa had a solid outing. Her time was nothing special but, in her case, perhaps baby steps are best to avoid injury and I think this was more of a training run in her build. As a fan of the sport, it is fantastic to see her running again. She and Wakana Kabasawa are entered in the Edion Distance Challenge 10000m race too.
November 30, 2025 at 8:01 AM
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