National University Men's Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier Preview and Streaming

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.

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...

Monterey Welcomes Student-Athletes from Sister City Nanao, Japan

a press release by the Monterey-Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project photos here Fourteen student-athletes from Nanao High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, recently completed a weeklong visit to the Monterey Peninsula as part of the Monterey–Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project , bringing together young people from the two Sister Cities through running, education, environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and friendship. The seven boys and seven girls from Nanao were paired with 14 members of the Monterey High School cross country team and stayed in their homes throughout the visit. The week marked the first half of a reciprocal exchange that will continue when the Monterey students travel to Nanao later this year. The visitors received their first introduction to Monterey shortly after arriving at Monterey High School, walking with their hosts to Sister City Park and gathering for photographs beside the sign honoring Nanao — a fitting beginning for a week devoted to bringin...

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