November's National University Men's Ekiden is the second of the Big Three University Ekidens that make up the peak of the year for Japanese collegiate men. The top eight teams auto-qualify for the following year, and every year it's a given that they're all going to be from the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region. Another 17 schools have to run regional qualifiers to make it back, and of those another seven come from Kanto. The Kanto Region Qualifier happens Saturday at 17:15 Japan time, four heats of 10000 m on the track with two runners from each of the twenty schools in each heat. Teams are scored on the combined times of all eight runners, with the seven fastest total teams going on to Nationals in November.
On paper Chuo Gakuin University and Kanagawa University are the favorites with seven entrants each with bests under 29 minutes, in CGU's case led by sub-28 3rd-year Reishi Yoshida. Tokai University, Daito Bunka University and Josai University are next with six sub-29 men apiece, and with five each Meiji University and Rikkyo University make up the rest of the top tier. But Teikyo University and Nittai University are close behind at four each, and Tokyo Kokusai University's sub-13:20 1st-year Amos Bett adds enough to its lineup of three runners sub-29 to put it into contention too.
Top individual entrants this year include:
Amos Bett (1st yr., Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 13:16.85 (5000 m)
David Shun'qeya (2nd yr., Reitaku Univ.) - 27:46.08
James Mutok (2nd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 27:50.54
Reishi Yoshida (3rd yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 27:58.60
Shotaro Ishihara (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:05.91
Duncan Kisaisa (2nd yr., Senshu Univ.) - 28:11.79
Yoshiteru Takatsuki (4th yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 28:11.99
Johnson Mogeni (1st yr., Asia Univ.) - 28:12.55
Shadrack Kipkemoi (1st yr., Nihon Univ.) - 28:13.10
Hisaya Hanaoka (2nd yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:15.65
Neo Namiki (4th yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 28:16.30
Atsuki Kobayashi (4th yr., Kanagawa Univ.) - 28:21.10
Peter Kamau (3rd yr., Kokushikan Univ.) - 28:21.49
Masaki Kodama (4th yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:22.27
Tasuku Yamazaki (2nd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 28:23.69
Victor Kimutai (2nd yr., Josai Univ.) - 28:24.57
Shota Morishita (2nd yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:24.84
Peter Wanjiru (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:25.20
Yuito Yamamoto (4th yr., Josai Univ.) - 28:25.21
Yusuke Shirai (3rd yr., Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 28:27.45
Yudai Katakawa (3rd yr., Asia Univ.) - 28:27.51
Koki Matsuo (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:27.77
Godfrey Musanga (2nd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 28:28.36
Safumi Sugi (4th yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:28.94
Kenta Sekiguchi (4th yr., Rikkyo Univ.) - 28:29.24
Toru Kubota (4th yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:29.75
Complete entry lists are here. Heat One starts at 17:15 Saturday local time, with the other heats starting every 40 minutes.
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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