At the Kinki Region High School Track and Field Championships Saturday in Osaka’s Nagai Stadium, 17-year-old Ryuji Miura of Rakunan H.S. took down one of the oldest records in Japanese athletics, breaking the 30-year-old 3000 m steeplechase high school record by 5 seconds to win in 8:39.49.
Running in heavy rain after clocking the fastest time in the qualifying rounds, Miura went straight to the front in the final and was on his own within 200 m. From the start the record was in reach as he went through 1000 m in 2:49 and 2000 m in 5:43, building up a lead of about 200 m over the rest of the field.
Miura’s final time of 8:39.49 was the fastest in the world this year by an U18 athlete and 6th-best among U20 men, a new Japanese U18 record and all-time #2 for the U20 category. He came short of the outright Japanese high school record of 8:19.21 held by future marathon great Daniel Njenga, but took 5 seconds off the Japanese citizen high school record of 8:44.77 set back in 1989 by future hour run national record holder and Josai University head coach Seiji Kushibe. “30 years is a long time,” Kushibe told JRN. “I’m surprised it lasted that long.”
Along with his records Miura qualified for the National High School Championships, to be held in August in Okinawa. Not turning 18 until next February he still has plenty of time to take the record even further. Complete results from Miura's record-breaking Kinki Regionals are here.
© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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