Skip to main content

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

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

© 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

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...