Skip to main content

Toyokawa Girls Win Record-Setting Fourth Title at 25th National High School Girls Ekiden

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20131222-00000075-spnannex-spo

translated and edited by Brett Larner
click photo for video highlights courtesy of NHK

The 25th edition of the National High School Girls Ekiden Championships took place Dec. 22 in Kyoto.  In honor of the event's anniversary, eleven extra teams were added to the forty-seven champion high schools from each of Japan's prefectures to bring the field up to fifty-eight schools competing over five stages totalling 21.0975 km.

After missing out on defending its 2011 win last year, Toyokawa H.S. of Aichi returned to the top this year with its fourth national title, the most in Nationals history.  2010 national champion Kojokan H.S. (Okayama) took 2nd, battling Suma Gakuen H.S. (Hyogo) all the way to the final Fifth Stage before pulling ahead for the runner-up position.  Defending champion Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. (Kyoto) was 4th.

Winner Toyokawa's time of 1:06:54 tied the second-fastest mark ever at the National Championships, the first sub-1:07 clocking in eight years and blowing out the rest of the field by nearly a minute.  With its 2nd place finish Kojokan continued a ten-year streak of making it to the podium.

25th National High School Girls Ekiden Championships
Kyoto, Dec. 22, 2013
58 teams, 5 stages, 21.0975 km
click here for complete results

Top Team Performances
1. Toyokawa H.S. (Aichi) - 1:06:54
2. Kojokan H.S. (Okayama) - 1:07:51
3. Suma Gakuen H.S. (Hyogo) - 1:07:53
4. Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. (Kyoto) - 1:07:55
5. Aomori Yamada H.S. (Aomori) - 1:08:11
6. Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S (Yamanashi) - 1:08:21
7. Tokiwa H.S, (Gunma) - 1:08:33
8. Osaka Kunei Joshi H.S. (Osaka) - 1:08:33
9. Eda H.S. (Kanagawa) - 1:08:40
10. Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 1:09:09

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (6.0 km) - Saki Yoshimizu (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 19:28
Second Stage (4.0975 km) - Yui Fukuda (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 12:44
Third Stage (3.0 km) - Nanako Kajiya (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:33
Fourth Stage (3.0 km) - Harumi Okamoto (Tokiwa H.S.) - 9:10
Fifth Stage (5.0 km) - Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 15:29
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...
1 comment
Read more

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31
Post a Comment
Read more