There was just no stopping the best, as three-time defending champion Komazawa University led start-to-finish to win the 8-stage, 106.8 km National University Ekiden for the 4th year in a row. Yushin Akatsu led it off with a great back-and-forth sprint finish battle against Waseda University's Jumpei Maseda to put Komazawa out front at the first exchange. Keita Sato followed that up with a 31:01 CR on the 11.1 km Second Stage, 27:57 road 10 km pace at age 19, a run that earned him this year's Nationals MVP award. And from there on out Komazawa's lead only grew.
Komazawa's remaining six runners all made top 3 on their stages, and despite sunny skies and temperatures that went over 23˚, unheard of for early November, at every exchange its lead was bigger. Anchor Takuma Yamakawa started 2:49 ahead of Aoyama Gakuin University's Yuto Tanaka and had more than enough room to coast it in for a safety win, but turned in a stage-winning 58:10 for 19.7 km to give Komazawa a final margin of victory of 3:34. Through sixth runner Taiyo Yasuhara it was on pace to break its 5:06:47 CR from last year, but the high temperatures over the last two stages shut down that possibility and Komazawa ended up with a 5:09:00 final time. But even that was the 2nd-fastest time in Nationals' 55-year history.
#3-ranked AGU was a steady 2nd through most of the race thanks in part to a rocky 11th-place 2nd leg from #2-ranked Koku Gakuin University's Ayumu Yamamoto. Likewise, #4-ranked Chuo University had trouble in the early phases when star senior Yamato Yoshii was only 11th on the 3rd leg in a return from injury. But over the second half of the race both KGU and Chuo closed on AGU, and the anchor stage was a spectacular three-way battle almost the entire way. In the way AGU's Tanaka came through for 2nd in 5:12:23, KGU anchor Kenzo Ijichi bringing them in 3rd in 5:12:39 and Chuo's Haruki Abe 4th in 5:12:49.
Following up on its breakthrough 3rd-place finish at last month's Izumo Ekiden, #9-ranked Josai University came through with a solid 5th-place finish in 5:17:23, running as high as 2nd mid-race thanks to back-to-back stage wins from Victor Kimutai and Shoya Saito. 5th-ranked Soka University was unexpectedly unsteady, but thanks in part to a 35:18 CR from transfer Hibiki Yoshida on the 12.4 m Fifth Stage and a good run from anchor Ryo Yoshida held on for 6th. Hakone Ekiden qualifying race winner Daito Bunka University equalled its pre-race ranking at 7th. #13-ranked Tokyo Kokusai University had the team performance of the day outside Komazawa's, bouncing back from failing to qualify for Hakone by taking the last spot on the 8-deep podium and guaranteeing next year's team a return trip to Nationals.
Missing top man Shotaro Ishihara and still feeling the sting of Yoshida's transfer to Soka, #8-ranked Tokai University was just off the podium at 9th. 8th at Izumo, #11-ranked Toyo University had a dismal day, finishing 14th. But apart from a DNF by Tohoku Gakuin University the biggest breakdown of the day, even if not the biggest surprise, was an 11th-place finish from #6-ranked Juntendo University. Only two of its runners, 3000 mSC NR holder Ryuji Miura and anchor Koki Asai, made top 10 on their stages, and even Miura was only 8th on the 2nd leg and over a minute slower than his former Rakunan H.S. teammate Sato. H.S. 5000 m NR holder Hiroto Yoshioka was only 14th on the 3rd leg.
Looking toward Hakone, with wins at Izumo and now Nationals Komazawa is very close to becoming the first team in history to win all three in back-to-back seasons. With an average stage length of 21.7 km Hakone is mostly about half marathon ability, and even without counting Sato, who hasn't raced that kind of distance, that's the distance where Komazawa is strongest. KGU isn't far behind, but as we saw at both Izumo and Nationals it's a different thing when it comes time to put what you have on paper into practice. Just about the only thing that could stop Komazawa would be injury or a race-day breakdown, but compared to the other top programs that seems to be an area where head coach Atsushi Fujita is excelling in his first season, bringing a team where nobody misses.
55th National University Ekiden
Nagoya-Mie, 5 Oct. 2023
27 teams, 8 stages, 106.8 km
top 8 teams auto-qualify for 2024
Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (9.5 km) - Yushin Akatsu (Komazawa Univ.) - 27:19
Second Stage (11.1 km) - Keita Sato (Komazawa Univ.) - 31:01 - CR
Third Stage (11.9 km) - Victor Kimutai (Josai Univ.) - 33:20
Fourth Stage (11.8 km) - Shoya Saito (Josai Univ.) - 34:00
Fifth Stage (12.4 km) - Hibiki Yoshida (Soka Univ.) - 35:18 - CR
Sixth Stage (12.8 km) - Taiyo Yasuhara (Komazawa Univ.) - 37:16
Seventh Stage (17.6 km) - Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 51:07
Eighth Stage (19.7 km) - Takuma Yamakawa (Komazawa Univ.) - 58:10
Team Results
1. Komazawa University - 5:09:00
2. Aoyama Gakuin University - 5:12:34
3. Koku Gakuin University - 5:12:39
4. Chuo University - 5:12:49
5. Josai University - 5:17:23
6. Soka University - 5:18:21
7. Daito Bunka University - 5:19:21
8. Tokyo Kokusai University - 5:20:05
-----
9. Tokai University - 5:21:54
10. Waseda University - 5:22:36
11. Juntendo University - 5:22:50
12. Teikyo University - 5:24:07
13. Tokyo Nogyo University - 5:25:22
14. Toyo University - 5:26:33
OP - National University Select Team - 5:26:44
15. Kokushikan University - 5:31:32
16. Osaka Keizai University - 5:34:01
17. Kwansei Gakuin University - 5:34:01
18. Kansai University - 5:34:38
19. Nagoya University - 5:36:54
20. Ritsumeikan University - 5:37:54
21. Kagoshima University - 5:40:25
22. Sapporo Gakuin University - 5:41:13
OP - Tokai Region Select Team - 5:47:31
23. Kantaiheiyo University - 5:48:21
24. Niigata University - 5:48:52
DNF - Tohoku Gakuin University
© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
1. Komazawa
2. Koku Gakuin
3. Aoyama Gakuin
4. Chuo
5. Soka
6. Juntendo - will finish lower
7. Daito Bunka
8. Tokai - will finish lower
9. Josai - will finish higher
10. Waseda
11. Toyo
12. Teikyo
13. Tokyo Kokusai - will finish higher
14. Tokyo Nogyo
15. Kokushikan
16. National Select Team - may get 14th or 15th
17. and beyond: all non-Kanto Region teams
Actual results:
1. Komazawa
2. Aoyama Gakuin
3. Koku Gakuin
4. Chuo
5. Josai
6. Soka
7. Daito Bunka
8. Tokyo Kokusai
9. Tokai
10. Waseda
11. Juntendo
12. Teikyo
13. Tokyo Nogyo
14. Toyo
15. National Select Team
16. Kokushikan
17. and beyond: all non-Kanto Region Teams.
Made a tweak to my prediction algorithm and it looks to be pretty much on the money now. Can't beat the numbers.
Other than Komazawa it was encouraging seeing a bit of AGU progressi, with Chuo and Kokugakuin the podium battle was fun and should be fun at Hakone.
I would like to highlight the fantastic run from Kazuma Maeda, first year and with 31.11 he was even faster than last year course record Keita Sato debut.(31.13 sato vs 31.12 of Jun Kasai who beat him)
He ran down a few runners and put Tokyo Nogyo under the spot light. He was terrific.
Yamato Yoshii tried being his ekiden self at the start but it became obvious he Is far from his Ekiden level at the moment.
It was painful but expected to see Miura way slower than himself again. (Almost 40 seconds slower than last year)
He will likely get worse at Hakone again. Can't improvise Ekiden season training in october and expect results there.
Should have been resetting and focusing on getting better for Paris but we know It doesnt work like that.
On to Hakone and the fine tuning meeetings: i will be keeping a close eye on Maeda from now on, luckily Tokyo Nogyo qualified and we get to see him running again.