Aizawa Goes Sub-28, Suzuki Returns - Weekend Track Review

Elite road racing returned to Japan this weekend with Saturday's Hakone Ekiden qualifier and Sunday's National Corporate Women's Ekiden qualifier, but there was still a load of track action at every level.

Saturday in Miyazaki, one of the stars of this year's Hakone Ekiden, Akira Aizawa made his corporate debut for New Year Ekiden national champ team Asahi Kasei with a 27:55.78 win in the Miyazaki Time Trials 10000 m, his first time going sub-28. His former Toyo University teammate Kazuya Nishiyama was 2nd in 28:03.94, the best time by a Japanese collegiate student so far this year. Asahi Kasei had eleven men in the race under 29 minutes including Rio Olympics marathoner Satoru Sasaki, putting them in good position for another national title defense come Jan. 1. Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University had three men under 29, setting them up as a threat to the Kanto Region's monopoly on the podium at the Nov. 1 National University Men's Ekiden.

Defending corporate women's national champ Japan Post fielded most of its team at the Tokai University Time Trials meet in Kanagawa. Tokyo Olympics marathon team member Ayuko Suzuki returned from a long injury to win Saturday's 5000 m in heavy rain in 15:57.16 before doubling in Sunday's 3000 m with a 9:19.07 for 2nd behind teammate Hikari Onishi, winner in 9:18.43. Onishi was 2nd in the 5000 m in 15:57.96, with club runner Shiho Kaneshige (GRLab) the only other woman to break 16 at 15:59.52. Junior teammate Ririka Hironaka came back from her sub-15 5000 m last month to win Sunday's 1500 m in a PB of 4:16.48. Steepler Philemon Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) won Saturday's men's 5000 m A-heat in 13:33.92, with Alexander Mutiso (ND Software) taking Sunday's 10000 m A-heat in 28:06.21.

National High School Ekiden boys' course record holder Sera H.S. likewise tuned up for championship ekiden season at Sunday's East Hiroshima Nighter meet. The Sera girls took the top four spots and seven of the top ten in the 3000 m A-heat, Kenyan Theresa Muthoni winning in 9:18.25. In the men's 5000 m A-heat Sera had four boys under 14 minutes, Kenyan Cosmas Mwangi winning in 13:38.14, 2nd-years Shota Morishita and Shota Shiode 4th and 5th in 13:57.16 and 13:57.88, and 3rd-year Konosuke Shintani 8th in 13:59.32.

The Sera boys weren't the only high schoolers under 14 minutes over the weekend. At Saturday's Sayagatani Time Trials meet in Fukuoka, Jiyugaoka H.S. 3rd-year Ayumu Yamamoto ran 13:56.31 for 7th, beating Rio Olympics marathoner Hisanori Kitajima (Yasukawa Denki) among others. Kitajima's teammate Kiyoshi Koga returned from a 1:00:49 runner-up finish at this year's National Corporate Half Marathon to take the top spot in 13:39.70.

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...

Monterey Welcomes Student-Athletes from Sister City Nanao, Japan

a press release by the Monterey-Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project photos here Fourteen student-athletes from Nanao High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, recently completed a weeklong visit to the Monterey Peninsula as part of the Monterey–Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project , bringing together young people from the two Sister Cities through running, education, environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and friendship. The seven boys and seven girls from Nanao were paired with 14 members of the Monterey High School cross country team and stayed in their homes throughout the visit. The week marked the first half of a reciprocal exchange that will continue when the Monterey students travel to Nanao later this year. The visitors received their first introduction to Monterey shortly after arriving at Monterey High School, walking with their hosts to Sister City Park and gathering for photographs beside the sign honoring Nanao — a fitting beginning for a week devoted to bringin...

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