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Weekend Track Roundup


The last weekend of the 2021-22 fiscal and academic year had some good early-season outdoor track action at multiple meets across the greater Tokyo area. In Chiba, 2016 Rio Olympics steepler Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) met up with 2021 Tokyo Olympics steepler Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.) over 3000 m at the Juntendo University Time Trials on Saturday. Last year at another edition of the Juntendo series Miura bettered Shiojiri 7:48.07 to 7:53.68. Shiojiri ran almost the same time, 7:53.44, but this time he took the top spot as Miura ran 7:55.43 for 2nd. Five other runners from the Fujitsu and Juntendo teams were under 8:05, led by Fujitsu's Yuhei Urano in 8:01.78 in his first race since running 2:07:52 for 3rd at the Feb. 28 Osaka Marathon. 1st-year Kenshin Ebisawa (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) took the men's 10000 m in 29:31.42.


Sub-8 times for 3000 m used to be rare in Japan, but another one happened Sunday at the Tokai University Time Trials. Tomoki Ichimura from hosts Tokai University soloed a 7:58.26 for the win, the only man to go under 8:05. Reishi Yoshida (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) won the men's 5000 m fast heat in 13:52.85, with Tomohiro Chimori (Chuo Univ.) winning the men's 10000 m fast heat in 29:27.57. Yamada Holdings runners went 1-2 in the women's 3000 m, Harumi Okamoto getting the win in 9:21.83 and Sakiho Tsutsui 2nd in 9:27.69.

Saturday's Heisei Kokusai University Time Trials didn't produce any fast times, but the men's 5000 m A-heat was notable mostly for who was in it. All-time Japanese #3 for 10000 m Tatsuhiko Ito won in 14:06.44, with his 2022 New Year Ekiden champion Honda teammates Shoya Kawase and Ken Nakayama 4th and 8th in 14:16.47 and 14:35.74. All-time high school 10000 m #3 Shunsuke Yoshii (Sendai Ikuei H.S.), younger brother of 2022 Hakone Ekiden First Stage winner Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) was 3rd in 14:12.61, with 2:08:28 marathoner Daisuke Hosomori (YKK) 6th in 14:21.96.

Along with Tokyo Olympian Kosei Yamaguchi's win at the Melbourne Track Classic last weekend, two domestic meets also had good results. On Monday's public holiday, Komazawa University duo Kotaro Shinohara and Chikara Yamano followed up on their incredible runs at February's National Corporate Half Marathon with a 1-2 at the Tokai University Spring Time Trials meet. Shinohara took 1st in 13:45.65, with Yamano next in 13:57.32. Two days earlier, last year's top Japanese half marathoner Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) won the Miyazaki Time Trials men's 10000 m in 28:09.50, a second and a half ahead of teammate Benuel Mogeni Magoma.

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Rigajags said…
Excellent write up!
I had managed to read only about the juntendo event so it's good to know about other meetings.

With university Nationals coming up mid April can we expect some top names there or Miura, tazawa and the others will likely hold out for June nationals and Oregon in july?
I tried to look at the event schedule but couldnt find much.
Thank you as usual.
March 29, 2022 at 8:00 AM
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