Saku Chosei H.S. Wins First Okukuma Ekiden

A new event bringing together top high school, college, corporate league and club men's teams, the Okukuma Ekiden was held for the first time Sunday in Kumamoto. 42.195 km split into 7 stages for the high school boys' division and 4 stages for the others, the race saw Nagano's Saku Chosei H.S. become the first team across its finish line in 2:07:16. The Toyota Kyushu corporate team was 2nd overall in 2:07:32, with local Kyushu Gakuin H.S. 3rd in 2:07:52.

The new ekiden, which mirrors the format of the Kitakyushu Women's Invitational Ekiden, was originally scheduled to have taken place in 2020. But after two years of pandemic-era cancelations, the inaugural running didn't take place until this year. It was an impressive success. The high school boys' stage lengths were almost the same as those at December's National High School Ekiden, 10 km, 3 km, 8.25 km, 7.9 km, 3 km, 5 km, and 5.045 km. Other divisions ran stages 10 km, 11.25 km, 10.9 km, and 10.045 km, all but the first combining pairs of stages from the high school course. All divisions started together and competed head-to-head.

2022 Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University fielded two teams. Its B-team was 7th overall in 2:09:44, good for the top university position, with its A-team 19th in 2:12:27. Coach Susumu Hara commented, "The athletes gained valuable ekiden experience here, like tactics and shifting pace. It was worthwhile." Part of AGU's lineup for the Oct. 10 Izumo Ekiden, team captain Taiki Miyasaka and Akimu Nomura handled the first stage for the two squads. Nomura ran well, 3rd in 29:55, while Miyasaka struggled home in 31:42 for 18th. "Nomura passed the test," said Hara. "There's a good chance he'll get to make his Big Three University Ekidens debut at the Izumo Ekiden. Miyasaka worked hard all summer in training and is tired."

Other team AGU members ran well despite not being on the roster for Izumo. Takato Azechi was 2nd on the 4th stage and Genta Kuramoto 2nd on the 3rd stage. "In the three and a half years since he came to AGU Azechi has been training without injury, gradually getting stronger and stronger," said Hara. "His birthday is Jan. 3, so there's a chance he'll be the one to get to break the finish tape on the anchor stage at the Hakone Ekiden. Kuramoto ran well when he was at Sera H.S. and showed us today that he's a good ekiden runner." The competition for the runners in AGU's massive program to be part of its Hakone starting lineup keeps getting tougher.

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translated by Brett Larner