30th Izumo Ekiden Preview

Monday marks the 30th anniversary of the start of university men's ekiden season, the first of the Big Three University Ekidens, the Izumo Ekiden. When you think Japanese university distance running the first thing that comes to mind is the Hakone Ekiden and its ten half marathonish stages. Izumo is short and sweet by comparison, with just six stages averaging 7.5 km apiece.

Aoyama Gakuin University has been the king of Hakone for four years straight and looks bound to hang on to its hegemony this season with all the tenacity of the white men of the Republican party. Last year Tokai University shook AGU up with a surprise win at Izumo, and this year it's bound to be a race between the two of them. Tokai has a slight edge, its ten-man entry roster featuring eight men with sub-14 minute bests for 5000 m and four sub-29 for 10000 m with AGU having seven and four respectively. Tokai's top pair of third-years Shota Onizuka and Hayato Seki have bests of 13:38.58 and 28:17.52 and 13:35.81 and 28:23.37, and the addition of indoor mile national record holder Ryoji Tatezawa adds some extra muscle on one of the shorter stages. AGU fourth-year Taisei Hashizume approaches Onizuka and Seki over 5000 m with a best of 13:37.75, but they have no one under 28:30 for 10000 m.

2011 winner Toyo University is a probable 3rd place with four men sub-14 and four sub-29. 4th and 5th place look to be a duel between Waseda University and the American Ivy League Select Team. The Ivy League team rarely performs up to potential, but despite a lack of 10000 m talent it includes four men sub-14 plus the addition of 3:38 1500 m man James Randon and should place in the single digits even with a typically sub-par run. Hosei University and Josai University should be competing for 6th and 7th, with Takushoku University and Nittai University close behind.

It's rare to see a team from outside the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region make the top ten at Izumo. Of the ten non-Kanto Japanese teams only two, Sapporo Gakuin University and Kogakkan University, include runners under 14 or 29, SGU in the form of Kenyan Lawrence Ngure and Kogakkan in Shoya Kawase. Neither team looks to have the depth to place, however, that distinction most likely to go to Ritsumeikan University or Kyoto Sangyo University.

The Izumo Ekiden starts at 1:05 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8 with a live broadcast on Fuji TV. Your best bet for watching live online from overseas is mov3.co. JRN will also be covering the race @JRNLive.

30th Izumo Ekiden Entry List

Izumo, Shimane, 10/8/18
21 teams, 6 stages, 45.1 km
detailed entry lists

Bib #1 - Sapporo Gakuin University (Hokkadio)
2 - Sapporo Kokusai University (Hokkaido)
3 - Tohoku Region University Select Team (Tohoku)
4 - Aoyama Gakuin University (Kanto)
5 - Toyo University (Kanto)
6 - Waseda University (Kanto)
7 - Nittai University (Kanto)
8 - Tokai University (Kanto)
9 - Hosei University (Kanto)
10 - Josai University (Kanto)
11 - Takushoku University (Kanto)
12 - Teikyo University (Kanto)
13 - Chuo Gakuin University (Kanto)
14 - Hokushinetsu Region University Select Team (Hokushinetsu)
15 - Kogakkan University (Tokai)
16 - Ritsumeikan University (Kansai)
17 - Kyoto Sangyo University (Kansai)
18 - Osaka Keizai University (Kansai)
19 - Hiroshima Keizai University (Chugoku/Shikoku)
20 - Nippon Bunri University (Kyushu)
21 - Ivy League Select Team (U.S.A.)

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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