There was never any doubt that Meijo University was going to win a fifth-straight national title at today's Mount Fuji Women's Ekiden, but what they really showed was that they have the core of a team that is going to extend its dynasty at least another 3 or 4 years.
© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
1st-year trio Azumi Nagira, Hikaru Kitagawa and Nanaka Yonezawa built up a 43-second lead for Meijo over the first three legs, Yonezawa taking 4 seconds off the CR for hers. 3rd-year Yuka Masubuchi added another 19 seconds to that, setting up 4th-year power duo Yuma Yamamoto and Narumi Kobayashi to deliver it to 2nd-year anchor Nanase Tanimoto to bring Meijo home up the ~170m climb of the final stage. Yamamoto made sure nobody was going to come from behind late in the race, taking Meijo's lead from 1:02 to 2:28 over the 10.5 km fifth leg. Kobayashi has had trouble performing up to her past level this year, but even though she lost 21 seconds she still managed to run the 3rd-fastest time on her stage.
That meant anchor Tanimoto still had over two minutes to work with on her 8.3 km, net 166m ascent stage, but even though she could have played it safe she didn't. Tanimoto ran the fastest anchor time by 14 seconds, giving Meijo the win in 2:21:56, just 18 seconds off its own CR for the 7-stage, 43.4 km course. Its margin of victory in its fifth win was 3:11, and between Nagira, Kitagawa, Yonezawa and Tanimoto it was pretty clear that Meijo has the material for at least another 3-straight national titles.
Posting a best-ever 3rd-place finish last year, Nittai University was in 2nd the entire way, even scoring a 6th leg win by 2nd-year Momoko Shimada. But on the steep ascent of the 7th stage Osaka Gakuin University anchor Chihiro Sato came up from behind to run Nittai's Karin Akahori down. Osaka Gakuin took 2nd in 2:25:07 and Nittai 3rd in 2:25:21, both school tying their records for best-ever placing. The National University Select Team almost did the same, starting the 2nd stage behind Nittai in a school record-tying 3rd, but was run down by OGU's Sato too and ended up 4th.
11-time winner Ritsumeikan University had never finished outside the top 4 in the race's 16 years to date, but race morning substitute 1st-year Ayane Yanai left the rest of the team digging its way out of a hole when she finished last on the opening leg. By the end of the 5th leg Ritsumeikan had worked its way up to 5th and had 4th in sight, but its last two runners Fuka Fukunaga and Miho Hiraoka just couldn't close the gap. Ritsumeikan finished 5th in 2:26:28, its worst-ever placing but still a great all-around team performance given Yanai's problems on the 1st leg.
With an 8-deep podium the race to take its last 3 spots was tense and exciting. With one stage to go Kansai University was in 6th and 14 seconds up on Tohoku Fukushi University, which had 8 seconds on Josai University. Another 19 seconds back in 9th was Osaka Geijutsu University, with Juntendo University 10 seconds further back in 10th and Daito Bunka University, 2nd the last 4 years, just 3 seconds behind Juntendo in 11th.
DBU anchor Mizuho Yamaga kept its 9-year podium streak going, moving all the way up to 6th in 2:27:40 and knocking Tohoku Fukushi out. Josai passed Kansai for 7th in 2:27:47, leaving Kansai anchor Rana Kondo vulnerable to fast-closing Takushoku anchor Saki Arai. Arai managed to get by Kondo on the track, but in the last 100 m Kondo surged back and got Arai in the lean on the line. Both teams clocked 2:27:50, but on judgment it went to Kansai. That left Takushoku, missing collegiate 10000 m NR holder Seira Fuwa, in 9th and off the podium.
If Fuwa had been there things would have been different, over 4 minutes different, maybe, but even that wouldn't have been enough to crack Meijo. Meijo loses both Yamamoto and Kobayashi to graduation in the spring, but given head coach Katsuro Yoneda's obvious skills with recruitment and development it's going to be a while before anyone pulls that off.
Mount Fuji Women's Ekiden
17th National University Women's Invitational Ekiden
Shizuoka, 30 Dec. 2022
24 teams, 7 stages, 43.4 km, net uphill
Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (4.1 km) - Azumi Nagira (Meijo Univ.) - 12:46
Second Stage (6.8 km) - Hikaru Kitagawa (Osaka Geijutsu Univ.) - 21:08
Third Stage (3.3 km) - Nanaka Yonezawa (Meijo Univ.) - 10:03 - CR
Fourth Stage (4.4 km) - Yuka Masubuchi (Meijo Univ.) - 14:09
Fifth Stage (10.5 km) - Yuma Yamamoto (Meijo Univ.) - 34:05
Sixth Stage (6.0 km) - Momoko Shimada (Nittai Univ.) - 19:35
Seventh Stage (8.3 km, 166m ascent) - Nanase Tanimoto (Meijo Univ.) - 29:38
Top Team Results - 8-deep podium
1. Meijo University - 2:21:56
2. Osaka Gakuin University - 2:25:07
3. Nittai University - 2:25:21
4. National University Select Team - 2:25:39
5. Ritsumeikan University - 2:26:28
6. Daito Bunka University - 2:27:40
7. Josai University - 2:27:47
8. Kansai University - 2:27:50
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9. Takushoku University - 2:27:50
10. Osaka Geijutsu University - 2:28:09
11. Tohoku Fukushi University - 2:28:32
12. Juntendo University - 2:29:05
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