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Shiseido Wins First National Corporate Women's Ekiden Title Since 2006


2nd last year, the Shiseido team won today's Queens Ekiden, its first victory at the National Corporate Women's Ekiden since 2006. First the entire way except for a brief drop to 3rd after a mediocre run from new recruit and women-only marathon NR holder Mao Ichiyama on the race's longest stage, Shiseido was more than 2 minutes ahead of last year's winner Sekisui Kagaku in a course record 2:12:28 for the complete 6-stage, 42.195 km course.

Sekisui Kagaku was never better than 2nd, where it finished in 2:14:29. 2021 champ Japan Post was the only team to get into the lead ahead of Shiseido thanks to a brilliant run from Olympian Ririka Hironaka on the 10.9 km Third Stage, ultimately finishing 3rd in 2:15:15.

5th last year, Daihatsu was the only other team from last year's 8-deep podium to make it there again, 5th once more in 2:15:49. Edion, Toyota Jidoshokki, and Daiichi Seimei all moved up from double-digit placings last year onto the podium, with Panasonic rocketing from non-qualifier status in 2021 to 7th this year. In the most dramatic head-to-head competition of the day, Daiichi Seimei anchor Hibiki Sakuragawa came from 28 seconds back to run down Kyudenko's Maho Morita with 1 km to go to put her team on the podium.

3rd last year, Denso fell to 22nd this time after major roster changes. 6th-placer Yamada Holdings fell to 12th, 7th-placer Universal to 11th, and 8th-placer Wacoal, which like Denso suffered major lineup changes includingn Ichiyama's transfer to Shiseido, to 17th.

Queens Ekiden

42nd National Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships
Sendai, Miyagi, 27 Nov. 2022
24 teams, 6 stages, 42.195 km

Top Team Results - top 8 auto-qualify for 2023
1. Shiseido - 2:12:28 - CR
2. Sekisui Kagaku - 2:14:29
3. Japan Post - 2:15:15
4. Edion - 2:15:47
5. Daihatsu - 2:15:49
6. Toyota Jidoshokki - 2:16:15
7. Panasonic - 2:16:26
8. Daiichi Seimei - 2:17:39
-----
9. Kyudenko - 2:17:44
10. Uniqlo - 2:18:09
11. Universal - 2:18:25
12. Yamada Holdings - 2:18:37

Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (7.6 km) - Tomoka Kimura (Shiseido) - 23:29
Second Stage (3.3 km) - 
Naruha Sato (Shideido) - 10:11
Kotona Ota (Japan Post) - 10:11
Ran Urabe (Sekisui Kagaku) - 10:11
Sakiko Naito (Panasonic) - 10:11
Third Stage (10.9 km) - Hitomi Niiya (Sekisui Kagaku) - 34:08
Fourth Stage (3.6 km) - Judy Jepngetich (Shideido) - 10:54
Fifth Stage (10.0 km) - Rino Goshima (Shiseido) - 31:40
Sixth Stage (6.795 km) - Rina Sasaki (Sekisui Kagaku) - 20:54

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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