Panasonic and Kamimura Gakuen H.S. Win Kitakyushu Women's Invitational Ekiden

The last major women's ekiden of the season happened north of Fukuoka Sunday at the 34th Kitakyushu Women's Invitational Ekiden. Top high school, university and corporate league teams run head-to-head at Kitakyushu, with the longest stage split into two for the high school division.

7th at November's National Corporate Women's Ekiden, Panasonic was first across the finish line after running down 2019 and 2020 high school division winner Kamimura Gakuen H.S. mid-race. After a good start from Panasonic's Nanami Watanabe, Kamimura Gakuen's Brenda Jepchirchir ran down Panasonic's Sakiko Naito on the 3.8 km 2nd stage. But Kaori Morita was quick to turn it back around for the Panasonic on the stage, turning a 2-second deficit into a 33-second lead in just 3.9 km. Morita handed off to her twin sister Shiori Morita, and from there the corporate leaguers ran unchallenged, winning for first time in 1:28:14.

Kamimura Gakuen, 3rd at December's National High School Ekiden, held on to 2nd place over the Kyudenko corporate team over the 3rd and 4th legs, but even with the advantage of having 5.9 km and 4.5 km segments versus the corporate leaguers' 10.4 km anchor stage they couldn't stay there. Kyudenko anchor Yuri Karasawa was just too strong for Kamimura Gakuen's Yuzuki Ueno and Hina Ogura, overtaking them by 8 seconds to cross the finish line 2nd in 1:28:48. Kamimura Gakuen was next in 1:28:56 to win the high school division for the third time in four editions.

34th Kitakyushu Women's Invitational Ekiden

Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 22 Jan. 2023

complete results

Top Individual Stage Results

First Stage (5.3 km) - Mariya Noda (Kitakyushu Shiritsu H.S.) - 16:49 - CR

Second Stage (3.8 km) - Eva Cherono (Toto) - 11:34

Third Stage (3.9 km) - Kaori Morita (Panasonic) - 12:42

Fourth Stage (3.8 km) - Yuka Sarumida (Univ. Ent.) - 11:53

Fifth Stage (open - 10.4 km) - Yuri Karasawa (Kyudenko) - 34:30

Fifth Stage (H.S. - 5.9 km) - Kana Mizumoto (Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 19:00

Sixth Stage (H.S. - 4.5 km) - Hina Ogura (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 14:59

Top Team Results

Open - 9 teams, 5 stages, 27.2 km

1. Panasonic - 1:28:14

2. Kyudenko - 1:28:48

3. Universal Entertainment - 1:29:11

4. Higo Ginko - 1:31:04

5. Iwatani Sangyo - 1:31:13

High School - 17 teams, 6 stages, 27.2 km

1. Kamimura Gakuen H.S. - 1:28:56

2. Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. - 1:29:56

3. Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. - 1:30:32

4. Isahaya H.S. - 1:30:44

5. Kitakyushu Shiritsu H.S. - 1:32:27

Japan's First Goldless Day - Asian Athletics Championships Day Four Highlights

Day 4 of the Bangkok Asian Athletics Championships was the first without a single gold medal going to Japan, but there were still enough silvers and bronzes to go around. Robyn Lauren Brown of the Philippines outclassed the rest of the women's 400 mH final field, taking gold in 57.50. Eri Utsunomiya and Ami Yamamoto made it a Japanese 2-3, Utsunomiya running 57.73 for silver and Yamamoto 57.80 for bronze. Yusaku Kodama also scored silver in the men's 400 mH, running 48.96 behind Qatari winner Bassem Hemeida 's 48.64. Yuki Yamasaki won bronze in the heptathlon with 5696 points, Uzbekistan's Ekaterina Voronina taking gold in 6098 and Swapna Barman silver in 5840. Teammate Karin Odama was 4th in 5487. Another bronze came in the mixed 4x400 m relay, with Japan running 3:15.71 behind India's 3:14.70 and Sri Lanka's 3:15.41. Naoto Hasegawa and Ryoichi Akamatsu both cleared 2.23 m in the men's high jump, Hasegawa finishing 4th overall and Akamatsu 5th. ...

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