Komazawa Kicks Off Double Triple Crown Campaign With Second-Straight Izumo Ekiden Course Record Win (updated)

It's no secret that Japan's university ekiden season is the pinnacle of the road racing year, and with the pinnacle of that pinnacle celebrating its 100th running this season it's now more than ever. Last year Komazawa University became one of the few schools ever to win all three of the big university men's ekidens, October's Izumo Ekiden, November's National University Ekiden and January's Hakone Ekiden. Popular opinion held that the loss of key seniors to graduation, especially fastest-ever Japanese-born collegiate 10000 m runner Ren Tazawa, would hurt its chances this season, but at Izumo today Komazawa came out to lay waste to that opinion.

Iconic head coach Hiroaki Oyagi chose Komazawa's Hakone win this January to announce he was stepping back to an advisory role to allow former marathon NR breaker Atsushi Fujita to step forward as head coach, and in his high-pressure college ekiden debut in that role Fujita struck a tone of erudition in saying the biggest threat to Komazawa's chances was its triple crown-winning team last year.

Back at Izumo for the first time since the pre-pandemic days of 2019, the Ivy League Select Team had the other coaches talking with its best-ever lineup ranked 2nd on paper in the field of 21 teams. British triathlete Hugo Milner kept up the illusion as he led the 8.0 km 1st leg near pace to break its 22:30, with only Komazawa's fastest-ever Japanese-born half marathoner Kotaro Shinohara sticking with him. But in the last km Shinohara did the inevitable and went to the lead in the last km, handing off to U20 1500 m, 3000 m, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato in 22:45. Milner was 8 seconds back, and as the only runner on the team to make top 8 on his stage the Ivies plummeted to 13th by the end of the race. Top-ranked Kieran Tuntivate was a DNS after doing the same at last week's Asian Games.

Sato, the first runner to run a collegiate Japanese ekiden in On shoes, won the 5.8 km 2nd leg in 16:08, and from there it was only a race against last year's lineup for the defending champs. With the wind blowing from the opposite direction from last year Komazawa's first three runners on the west-to-east part of the course were slower than last year's, while the second set of three, running east-to-west, were all faster. 5th man Taiyo Yasuhara, a race-morning substitution, made the biggest contribution, running 17:51 after having won the 6.4 km leg in 19:04 last year. Captain Mebuki Suzuki ran anchor again this year, 21 seconds faster this time over the 10.2 km leg to bring Komazawa in to a 2:07:51 course record for the 6-leg, 45.1 km course, 41 seconds faster than last year's CR. The win was the first step in Komazawa doing something that no other team has ever managed, the double triple of wins at all three ekidens two years in a row.

Soka University, Komazawa's antagonist at the stellar 2021 Hakone Ekiden, scored its best-ever finish at Izumo, running 2:09:34 for 2nd off a solid team performance that saw all of its runners make top 5 on their stages and back half runners Ryuki Yamamori and Hibiki Yoshida winning the 4th and 5th legs. Qualifying for the first time since 2018, Josai University was an impressive 3rd in 2:10:35, afterward crediting 3rd leg winner Victor Kimutai with helping raise the bar for the rest of the team since its arrival as its first-ever Kenyan member.

Last year's runner-up Koku Gakuin University was 4th in 2:11:07, with the once unstoppable Aoyama Gakuin University slipping another place from 4th to 5th this year in 2:11:28. Waseda University was a decent 6th in its first appearance under new head coach Katsuhiko Hanada, while #1-ranked Chuo University was only 7th in 2:12:17 after a DNS from star senior Yamato Yoshii and weak runs from other top-tier members Shunsuke Yoshii and Shota Nakano.

Toyo University managed to get back into the top 8 after dropping to 9th last year, 18 seconds back from Chuo in 2:12:35. Hosei University fell from 7th to 9th in 2:13:44 this time, with last year's 5th-placer Juntendo University only 10th without 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura and weak runs from H.S. 5000 m NR holder Hiroto Yoshioka and anchor Kazuki Ishii.

The 10 teams from the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region took the top 10 places, as is the custom. Top non-Kanto honors went to the Kansai Region's well-named Kansai University, 11th in 2:17:16. Kansai's leading runner Jinichiro Kameda was one of only 4 runners in the entire race from outside Kanto to make the top 10 on their stage, running 23:37 for 8th on the opening leg.

The next stop on the circuit is on Saturday, with Tokyo's Showa Linen Park hosting the qualifying half marathon for Hakone's 100th running. Usually limited to Kanto Region schools, this year the Hakone qualifier is open to any school that can make its top 13. Kansai won't be there, but 12th-place Kantaiheiyo University, 15th-place Ritsumeikan University, 18th-place Kogakkan University, and Osaka Keizai University, a DNF after leading runner Hiroki Shin collapsed near the exchange zone today, will all make the tough double. JRN will be there to cover the race and qualification announcement ceremony, one of the sport's greatest moments, live.

Update: On Feb. 15, 2024, Soka University was disqualified after it was announced that Kenyan member Leakaey Kamina had received a 3-year suspension for nandrolone found in a test taken after his Sept. 16 win in the National University Track and Field Championships. All teams finishing below Soka were elevated one place.

35th Izumo Ekiden

Izumo, Shimane, 9 Oct. 2023

21 teams, 6 stages, 45.1 km

complete results

Top Individual Stage Results

First Stage (8.0 km)

1. Kotaro Shinohara (Komazawa Univ.) - 22:45

2. Hugo Milner (Ivy League) - 22:53

3. Ryuto Uehara (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 23:06

4. Taishi Ito (Waseda Univ.) - 23:08

5. Junna Ishimaru (Soka Univ.) - 23:20

Second Stage (5.8 km)

1. Keita Sato (Komazawa Univ.) - 16:08

1. Asahi Kuroda (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 16:08

3. Tomonori Yamaguchi (Waseda Univ.) - 16:26

4. Shuma Yamanaka (Josai Univ.) - 16:28

5. Riki Koike (Soka Univ.) - 16:37

-----

12. Will Battershill (Ivy League) - 17:14

Third Stage (8.5 km)

1. Victor Kimutai (Josai Univ.) - 24:06

2. Kamina Leakey (Soka Univ.) - 24:13

3. Takuma Yamakawa (Komazawa Univ.) - 24:20

4. Issei Sato (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 24:52

5. Kenzo Ijichi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 24:53

-----

15. Matthew Pereira (Ivy League) - 26:29

Fourth Stage (6.2 km)

1. Ryuki Yamamori (Soka Univ.) - 17:35

1. Kento Yamauchi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 17:35

3. Aoi Ito (Komazawa Univ.) - 17:47

3. Itsuki Hirabayashi (Josai Univ.) - 17:47

5. Haruki Abe (Chuo Univ.) - 17:54

-----

19. Jakob Kintzele (Ivy League) - 19:49

Fifth Stage (6.4 km)

1. Hibiki Yoshida (Soka Univ.) - 17:45

2. Taiyo Yasuhara (Komazawa Univ.) - 17:51

3. Itta Tameike (Chuo Univ.) - 18:24

4. Goki Takayama (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 18:31

5. Junpei Maseda (Waseda Univ.) - 18:32

-----

16. Owen Ritz (Ivy League) - 19:52

Sixth Stage (10.2 km)

1. Mebuki Suzuki (Komazawa Univ.) - 29:00

2. Jin Yuasa (Chuo Univ.) - 29:27

3. Yuito Yamamoto (Josai Univ.) - 29:49

4. Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 29:51

5. Ryo Yoshida (Soka Univ.) - 30:04

-----

13. Kevin Berry (Ivy League) - 31:48

Team Results

1. Komazawa University - 2:07:51 - CR

2. Josai University - 2:10:35

3. Koku Gakuin University - 2:11:07

4. Aoyama Gakuin University - 2:11:28

5. Waseda University - 2:11:36

6. Chuo University - 2:12:17

7. Toyo University - 2:12:35

8. Hosei University - 2:13:44

9. Juntendo University - 2:14:27

10. Kansai University - 2:17:16

11. Kantaiheiyo Universtiy - 2:17:59

12. Ivy League Select Team - 2:18:05

13. Hiroshima Keizai University - 2:19:25

14. Ritsumeikan University - 2:20:29

15. Hokkaido Region Select Team - 2:21:03

16. Hokushinetsu Region Select Team - 2:21:42

17. Kogakkan University - 2:22:07

18. Daiichi Kogyo University - 2:22:15

19. Tohoku Region Select Team - 2:25:31

DNF - Osaka Keizai University

DQ - Soka University

Alternates' Track 5000 m

1. Yuto Akahoshi (Komazawa Univ.) - 14:01.23

2. Kodai Miyaoka (Hosei Univ.) - 14:03.16

3. Kento Osawa (Chuo Univ.) - 14:07.38

4. Shunki Niwase (Komazawa Univ.) - 14:09.60

5. Kaisei Yasuhara (Komazawa Univ.) - 14:09.98

-----

20. Matt Grossman (Ivy League) - 15:30.88

DNS Kieran Tuntivate (Ive League)

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...

Anonymous said…

While it's great for Komazawa, it's a worrying sign for the other teams and casual watchers hoping for top spot battles for the rest of the ekiden season if in the shortest ekiden there is this big of a margin.

Chuo massively disapppointing, Soka a pleasant Surprise, Toyo and Juntendo on par with expectations as they are going downhill.
AGU can still improve over longer distances and peak for Hakone but other than that Komazawa looks untouchable right now.
Juntendo might have finally taken one of the only correct decisions of the past few years in resting an exhausted Miura.

October 10, 2023 at 11:41 PM

Brett Larner said…

That's a fair observation, but it's balanced by Komazawa trying to pull off something no other team ever has with successful title defenses at all 3 ekidens. Komazawa has an even bigger advantage when it comes to the half marathon, but given how Soka ran in 2021 and how much better they are now I don't think it'll be a done deal that Komazawa will pull it off.

Chuo missing Yamato Yoshii with injury from the World Road Running Championships hurt them for sure, and the big question for the rest of the season will be how serious it is. Whether Miura's absence was voluntary or not is a bit open to interpretation, but it definitely didn't help them this time. We'll see who's on the starting line at Nationals.

October 12, 2023 at 4:41 PM

You make fair points too.
Of course anything can happen, especially at Hakone where a bad day from one runner can definitely take anyone down.
It's just very impressive how big the gap seems to be.
Last year at the Nationals Komazawa broker record by over 4 minutes, if this year the Tazawaless team run similarly it's hard to see current other teams closing the gap.

Chuo in top shape could probably get closer to them but as you said injuries and overall conditions dont seem to be on their side.
Soka 2021 was inspiring, thing Is this Komazawa group never seem to have a bad day at the ekiden.
AGU should start giving answer in a month at the All Japan.

Miura situation was definitely speculation on my part as he was listed as alternate and was running a few days before.
Could have very well be a small injury though as he likely wanted to run near his hometown.

October 12, 2023 at 8:37 PM

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