Comody Iida Breaks Okutama Keikoku Ekiden Course Record

One of the only non-championship ekidens to happen this season, the Okutama Keikoku Ekiden was held for the 82nd time Sunday on its traditional hilly road course along a river gorge in the mountains west of Tokyo. One of the oldest and most old-fashioned ekidens in Japan, 43 women's teams of three runners each and 152 men's teams of six runners each competed, women covering a total of 11.1 km and men 44.8 km.

In the women's race, running less than 48 hours after racing the 10000 m at Friday's National Championships, Futtsu Select Team anchor Haruka Yamaguchi started 49 seconds back from the lead in 5th. With only 3.8 km to work with she ran a new stage record of 12:34 to move into 1st and open a 40-second margin of victory.

In the men's race, Akihiro Kaneko got New Year Ekiden-bound Comody Iida corporate team off to a good start with a 21:07 record for the 7.4 km First Stage. Comody Iida held the lead start to finish against Hakone Ekiden regulars Takushoku University and Chuo University, third runner Shun Gorotani also breaking his stage's record to help set an overall course record of 2:11:38. Takushoku's A-team was 2nd in 2:13:57 to take the top spot in the university division. With its fifth runner Yuzen Kuroiwa breaking into the top three on his stage, Musashi Ogose H.S. was 6th overall for 1st in the high school division in 2:19:18.

82nd Okutama Keikoku Ekiden

Ome, Tokyo, 06 Dec. 2020

women: 3 stages, 11.1 km, 43 teams

men: 6 stages, 44.8 km, 152 teams

complete results

Top Women's Team Results

1. Futtsu Select Team - 38:35

2. Bebe B - 39:15

3. Tokai Shoin - 39:19

4. Bebe A - 39:21

5. Hachioji Fujimori RC D - 39:56

Top Individual Stage Performances

First Stage (3.7 km): Yukari Yasutome (Bebe B) - 12:44

Second Stage (3.6 km): Shiho Okumura (Tokai Shoin) - 11:08

Third Stage (3.8 km): Haruka Yamaguchi (Futtsu) - 12:34 - CR

Top Men's Team Performances

1. Comody Iida - 2:11:38 - CR

2. Takushoku University A - 2:13:57

3. Chuo University - 2:15:49

4. Takushoku University B - 2:17:09

5. Takushoku University C - 2:17:41

6. Musashi Ogose H.S. A - 2:19:18

Top Individual Stage Performances

First Stage (7.4 km): Akihiro Kaneko (Comody Iida) - 21:07 - CR

Second Stage (8.4 km): Bernard Kimani (Comody Iida) - 25:00

Third Stage (6.6 km): Shun Gorotani (Comody Iida) - 19:58 - CR

Fourth Stage (6.6 km): Ryo Doimori (Comody Iida) - 19:22

Fifth Stage (8.4 km): Tsubasa Kudo (Takushoku Univ. A) - 24:29

Sixth Stage (7.4 km): Hirohide Terada (Comody Iida) - 21:38

Japan's First Goldless Day - Asian Athletics Championships Day Four Highlights

Day 4 of the Bangkok Asian Athletics Championships was the first without a single gold medal going to Japan, but there were still enough silvers and bronzes to go around. Robyn Lauren Brown of the Philippines outclassed the rest of the women's 400 mH final field, taking gold in 57.50. Eri Utsunomiya and Ami Yamamoto made it a Japanese 2-3, Utsunomiya running 57.73 for silver and Yamamoto 57.80 for bronze. Yusaku Kodama also scored silver in the men's 400 mH, running 48.96 behind Qatari winner Bassem Hemeida 's 48.64. Yuki Yamasaki won bronze in the heptathlon with 5696 points, Uzbekistan's Ekaterina Voronina taking gold in 6098 and Swapna Barman silver in 5840. Teammate Karin Odama was 4th in 5487. Another bronze came in the mixed 4x400 m relay, with Japan running 3:15.71 behind India's 3:14.70 and Sri Lanka's 3:15.41. Naoto Hasegawa and Ryoichi Akamatsu both cleared 2.23 m in the men's high jump, Hasegawa finishing 4th overall and Akamatsu 5th. ...

japan running news

Search This Blog