Skip to main content

Toyo University's Summer Training Base Unveils Monument

A monument has been erected at Todoroki Sanso Lodge in Higashiagatsuma, Gunma where four-time Hakone Ekiden winner Toyo University does its summer training every August. In 1991 former alumni association president Tsuneyoshi Kosuge proposed Todoroki Sanso as a training base, and it was built with the support of Mitsutake Todoroki. Ever since then summer training camps in the lush nature surrounding Higashiagatsuma have become a regular feature of Toyo's calendar. Students at the Japan Women's University of Nutrition provide meals to the Toyo athletes under the supervision of professor Kazuhiro Uenishi as part of their practical training, creating an optimal training camp in terms of both nutrition and accommodations.

The monument at Todoroki Sanno was erected to commemorate the 100th running of the Hakone Ekiden in January this year and is engraved with the Toyo slogan "shave off another second." Head coach Toshiyuki Sakai, 48, a Toyo alum who has trained at Todoroki Sanno every year since his own student days, said, "We would like to express our sincerest thanks to Mr. Todoroki and his family for their tireless work in organizing the Toyo University team's summer training camp annually for over 30 years. The foundation laid every summer in Higashiagatsuma and Todoroki Sanno becomes the base for Hakone Ekiden victory and future Olympians."

Currently, star 4th-year Kosuke Ishida and 3rd-year Ryotaro Kishimoto who won the anchor stage at the 100th Hakone Ekiden this year, are training in Higashiagatsuma alongside coach Sakai. Every day they run the area's tough, hilly roads, and after workouts ice their legs in the clear stream that flows next to Todoroki Sanno. "This is a place where students form lifelong bonds with their teammates and create memories that they will look back fondly on for years," said coach Sakai. Waiting for them just weeks away at the end of summer is the start of the fall and winter ekiden season.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Ayaka Suzuki, Younger Sister of Olympic Marathoner Yuka Suzuki, Faces Final East Japan Women's Ekiden

The final edition of the East Japan Women's Ekiden takes place Nov. 10. 18 teams representing the eastern prefectures will bring high-level women's competition to the streets of Fukushima. Getting attention on the Akita team is Ayaka Suzuki , the younger sister of Paris Olympics marathon 6th-placer Yuka Suzuki . Ayaka is a 3rd-year at Akita's Omagari H.S. She began running seriously after entering high school, citing her sister's influence. "When I saw her winning her stages and helping her team in university ekidens, I thought that I might be able to do the same and decided to give it a try," she said. Before her excellent run at the Paris Olympics Yuka ran the East Japan Women's Ekiden 3 times, inspiring others as she went from a young athlete to one of the best in the world. "I was surprised that she was competitive at that level," said Ayaka. "When I saw how strong she was running it really moved me." In junior high school Ayaka w...
1 comment
Read more

Weekend Track and Road Update

Kanto Regionals were the big domestic meet this weekend, but there were other important results here and overseas. At the Xiamen Diamond League meet: 110 mH NR holder Rachid Muratake (JAL) was 2nd in 13.13 (+0.5) behind winner Jamal Britt (U.S.A.) in 13.07. The only other Japanese athlete in Xiamen, women's javelin throw NR holder Haruka Kitaguchi (JAL) was 7th at 60.08, down from her performance last week at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix Meet in Tokyo and eclipsed by the brilliant all-time #2 71.74 m throw by China's Ziyi Yan . 4 Japanese athletes ran at the Sound Running L.A,.Track Fest meet, 3 of them graduates of Kyoto's Rakunan H.S. like Kanto Regionals D1 men's 5000 m winner Kaisei Okada (Chuo Univ.). The only non-Rakunan guy there, Hibiki Obara (GMO) ran only 8:33.21 for 9th in the men's 3000 mSC A-heat. Daichi Shibata (Chuo Univ.) was last in the same heat in 8:49.91. Itta Tameike (SG Holdings) had a great run in the men's 5000 m B-heat, breakin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Murayama and Sasaki Making U.S. Debut at New York Mini 10 km

Every year since 2012 that there's been a United Airlines NYC Half , JRN has partnered with the NYRR and November's Ageo City Half Marathon to bring two top-tier collegiate Japanese men to the NYC Half for what's usually been their international debuts. For years we've wanted to extend that program to include top collegiate women, but that has always faced 2 problems. For one, while the half marathon distance is the main focus for Japanese collegiate men due to the stage lengths at the Hakone Ekiden, few collegiate women run it. Those that do run the National University Women's Half Marathon in Matsue, held the same day as the NYC Half. This year, though, we're finally making it happen in a slightly different way. Amisa Murayama and Nazuki Sasaki of 2025 Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national collegiate championship runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University are joining the field for the NYRR's Mastercard New York Mini 10 km on June 6. After running an 18:14 CR ...
Post a Comment
Read more