japan running news

The 1st National Mixed-Gender University Invitational Ekiden took place Sunday in Nagai Park, Osaka. The first combined women's and men's team competition on the university ekiden circuit and featuring a six-stage, 20.0 km course, the new event aims to improve development for collegiate middle and long-distance running. Juntendo University  was the new event's first champion, taking the win in 1:01:53. Kyoto Sangyo University  was 36 seconds back in 2nd, with Nittai University  3rd another 15 seconds behind. Osaka University  was the top finisher among public schools, 9th overall in 1:04:42. The race's format saw men passing the tasuki to women and the women on to men. In their first experience of a mixed ekiden Juntendo's Hakone Ekiden team members Sodai Shimizu  and Tatsuya Iyoda  showed their strength despite the rain, the 4th-year Shimizu handling the 3.0 km opening leg and 2nd-year Iyoda the 5.0 km Third Stage. The team's captain, Shimizu smiled as h...

Where to start, really? Yesterday in just its fourth time running the Hakone Ekiden since it first qualified in 2015 and its second season under head coach Kazutaka Enoki , underdog Soka University  pulled off a seemingly out-of-nowhere Day One win . Soka started the return trip to Tokyo today with a 2:14 lead over heavyweights including perpetual top 3 placer Toyo University , 2020 National University Ekiden champion Komazawa University  and 2019 Hakone winner Tokai University , enough to give it breathing room but not a margin of safety. With 109.6 km ahead of them, their lead translated to just over a second per km. Soka's leadoff Day Two runner Masaki Hamano  handled the Sixth Stage, 20.8 km with over 800 m of descent, well, but behind him Komazawa's Yuki Hanasaki nearly cracked the course record, winning the stage in 57:36 and cutting Soka's lead down to 1:08. Soka's most accomplished Day Two runner, Yoshiki Haratomi  fired back on the 21.3 km Seventh Stage as...