Skip to main content

Kamata and Kobayashi Win National University Half Marathon Titles

Even windier and warmer than in Nagoya, the airfield runway in Tokyo's western suburbs offered no shade or shelter to the men and women competing in the National University Half Marathon Championships Sunday in Tachikawa, keeping times slower than usual and more people in the race late.

In the men's race, Koki Kamata (Hosei Univ.) repeated his run on the Hakone Ekiden's First Stage back in January, kicking hard to drop a pack in the final straight for the win in 1:03:00. Hakone champ Komazawa University's star first-year Mebuki Suzuki was 2nd in 1:03:07 with Yoshinori Shimazaki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) 3rd in 1:03:08 a step ahead of teammate Kota Fujiki and Komazawa 4th-year Ayumu Kobayashi, 4th and 5th in 1:03:09. Kamata, Suzuki and Shimazaki all scored places on the Japanese team for this summer's Chengdu World University Games.

The women's race was even closer up front. 2020 National University Women's Ekiden champion Meijo University teammates Narumi Kobayashi and Yuna Arai worked together to put pressure on 2019 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka University). In the final kilometers Arai dropped off, but it came down to a photo finish between Kobayashi and Suzuki. Both clocked 1:14:36, with Kobayashi given the title and Suzuki 2nd. Arai was 9 seconds back in 3rd in 1:14:45 to join Kobayashi and Suzuki on the Chengdu team. Suzuki will have a rare opportunity to defend as gold medalist in Chengdu, assuming the Games happen.

24th National University Half Marathon Championships

Tachikawa, Tokyo, 14 Mar. 2021

Men
1 Koki Kamata (Hosei Univ.) - 1:03:00
2. Mebuki Suzuki (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:03:07
3. Yoshinori Shimazaki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:08
4. Kota Fujiki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 1:03:09
5. Ayumu Kobayashi (Komazawa Univ.) - 1:03:09
6. Tatsuya Iyoda (Juntendo Univ) - 1:03:12
7. Keigo Kurihara (Chuo Gakuin  Univ.) - 1:03:24
8. Yuhi Nakaya (Waseda Univ.) - 1:03:31
9. Ryunosuke Chigira (Waseda Univ.) - 1:03:32
10. James Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) - 1:03:38

Women
1. Narumi Kobayashi (Meijo Univ.) - 1:14:36
2. Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 1:14:36
3. Yuna Arai (Meijo Univ.) - 1:14:45
4. Momoko Yao (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.) - 1:15:14
5. Mio Kuroda (Nittai Univ.) - 1:15:22
6. Yui Komatsu (Matsuyama Univ.) - 1:15:24
7. Hiyori Takahashi (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 1:15:52
8. Hikaru Kitagawa (Osaka Geijutsu Univ.) - 1:16:00
9. Yuka Masubuchi (Meijo Univ.) - 1:16:03
10. Shihoka Kato (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:16:04

© 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more