National University Women's Ekiden Preview

Some of its major events have been canceled, but championship ekiden keeps moving forward. This weekend it's the Morinomiyako Ekiden, the national university women's championships, with 25 teams from around the country 38.1 km in six stages around Sendai. In some ways the national distribution of the top end of the field is more interesting than at next month's National University Ekiden, where schools from the Tokyo-centered Kanto Region dominate the eight-deep podium every year.

Since Matsuyama University broke Ritsumeikan University's near monopoly on the national title in 2016 Meijo University has come up to take Ritsumeikan's place as the top program in collegiate women's long distance, winning Morinomiyako in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Meijo comes to Sendai as the favorite again, with Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu having won the 1500 m at September's National University Championships and Rika Kaseda taking the 10000 m. Many of its best runners turned in solid runs at the Oct. 11 Nagasaki Nighter including a 32:04.99 win in the 10000 m from Kaseda and a 15:40.93 from Yuna Wada in the 5000 m.

2nd behind Meijo in all three of its current streak of wins, Daito Bunka University is still the main contender to stop Meijo from making it four in a row. 2019 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Yuka Suzuki and fellow senior Natsuki Sekiya lead DBU, with 2nd-year Reimi Yoshimura, one of Japan's top current steeplers, making it a strong trio to contend against Meijo's three big guns.

2nd in 2016 and 3rd every year since, Ritsumeikan had runners in the top 5 in both 1500 m and 10000 m at September's collegiate Nationals and looks likely to finish there again unless one of the lower-ranked programs performs on race day. Last year's 4th and 5th placers Matsuyama and Nittai University are just about the only teams that might pull that off, with Osaka Geijutsu University a darkhorse, up in strength after finishing 9th last year.

NTV will be broadcasting live starting at 12:00 p.m. Sunday Japan time. It doesn't look like there's an official live stream, but there are options like mov3.co, iTVer, and TVJapanLive that might work. We'll be doing English commentary on @JRNLive as usual.

Morinomiyako Ekiden Team Entries

38th National University Women's Ekiden

Sendai, Miyagi, 25 Oct. 2020

25 teams, 6 stages, 38.1 km

1. Meijo University (Aichi)

2. Daito Bunka University (Tokyo)

3. Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto)

4. Matsuyama University (Ehime)

5. Nittai University (Tokyo)

6. Josai University (Saitama)

7. Osaka Gakuin University (Osaka)

8. Kansai University (Osaka)

9. Sapporo Gakuin University (Hokkaido)

10. Tohoku Fukushi University (Miyagi)

11. Takushoku University (Tokyo)

12. Juntendo University (Chiba)

13. Toyo University (Gunma)

14. Chuo University (Tokyo)

15. Niigata Iryo Fukushi University (Niigata)

16. Chukyo Gakuin University (Gifu)

17. Osaka Geijutsu University (Osaka)

18. Kyoto Sangyo University (Kyoto)

19. Bukkyo University (Kyoto)

20. Kansai Gaikokugo University (Osaka)

21. Kyoto Koka Joshi University (Kyoto)

22. Kantai Heiyo University (Okayama)

23. Fukuoka University (Fukuoka)

24. Kanoya Taiiku University (Kagoshima)

25. Ishinomaki Senshu University (Miyagi)

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