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

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...

Nat'l University Ekiden Updates Here

Looks like I just went over my update limit on Twitter - sorry, it's the first time I've tried to use it for this. I'll look for another option next time. In the meantime I'll add updates to the comments below. Not sure if that has a max too but I guess we'll find out. Update: Part one of the Nationals commentary can be found here .

Keita Satoh Running New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

1500 m U20 NR holder Keita Satoh (Nike Swoosh TC) is running this weekend's New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile , the first time that a Japanese man has been invited in the race's 45-year history. In university Sato had to change focus away from middle distance to the half marathon-scale lengths of the Hakone Ekiden stages, but since graduating in March and relocating to Flagstaff he has refocused on the 1500 m, going from 3:43.19 in April in his first 1500 m in almost 4 years to 3:38.30 over the course of 5 races. Fifth Avenue will be his last race before heading back to Japan for one more track 1500 m and some down time. Men's entries with best 1500 m times in last 3 years: Stefan Nillessen (NED) - 3:29.23 (2025) Flavien Szot (FRA) - 3:30.74 (2025) Oliver Hoare (AUS) - 3:31.07 (2024) Jake Heyward (GBR) - 3:31.18 (2026) Titouan Le Grix (FRA) - 3:31.46 (2026) Romain Mornet (FRA) - 3:31.62 (2025) Adam Spencer (AUS) - 3:31.83 (2026) Pieter Sisk (BEL) - 3:31.85 (2025) Gary Martin (...

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