With the calendar ticking over into October, companies across the country are holding employment offer ceremonies for college students who will join their ranks after graduating next March. 4th-year runners from top universities are also deciding their roads ahead. Having run the fastest-ever time on the Hakone Ekiden's Third Stage and playing a key role in Aoyama Gakuin University's overall win at the 100th Hakone this past January, Aoi Ota, 22, is set to join the GMO corporate team. His teammates Akimu Nomura, 21, and Kosei Shiraishi, 22, plan to join Sumitomo Denko. Former 5000 m high school record holder Kosuke Ishida, 22, who missed all three big college ekidens last year but has made a stellar recovery this season, will join Subaru after graduating from Toyo University. With the fates of their teams in their hands, they and other 4th-years will give it all in their final seasons before moving on to the next stage of their lives.
At the 100th Hakone Ekiden Ota delivered a run that will live in history. With a 45 m net downhill, he ran 59:47 for the 21.4 km Third Stage, faster than the Japanese national record of 1:00:00 for the 21.0975 km half marathon distance. It was the run that drove AGU to take its 7th Hakone title. Ota had planned to go the route of the independent pro athlete after graduating, but after long conversation with AGU head coach Susumu Hara, 57, he decided to join GMO, where Hara also serves as director of ekiden operations. The deal makes allowances for Ota's preferences in what he does, and it's likely that fans will see him in the New Year Ekiden as he focuses on taking on the top level of the sport globally in the marathon.
Having gained attention as one of the leaders of his generation in junior high school and high school, Ishida has chosen Subaru for his corporate league home. While at Fukuoka's Asakawa J.H.S. he broke three middle and long distance junior high records, and at Gunma's Tokyo Nogyo Daini H.S. he broke the high school 5000 m record which had stood for 16 years. Last year he had injury setbacks and missed the Izumo Ekiden, National University Ekiden and Hakone Ekiden, but this year he has made a full comeback. At May's Kanto Regionals he ran a 10000 m PB of 28:08.29, finishing 6th. He received offers from multiple teams, but Subaru won a place in his heart by continuing to pursue him even when he was injured.
Subaru's current lineup includes Paris Olympics 3000 m steeplechase 8th-placer Ryuji Miura, 22, the popular Ryo Kuchimachi, 30, and 26:55.09 man Benson Kiplangat, 21. In recent years it has become a popular choice for top graduating athletes. Based in Ota, Gunma, Subaru hopes to score its first-ever national title at its hometown New Year Ekiden in the next few years.
Toyo has other athletes graduating next spring. 6th on Hakone's competitive Second Stage this year, team captain Ren Umezaki, 22, will join Otsuka Seiyaku, while Third Stage 6th-placer Ryo Kobayashi, 22, will go to Toyota. Ninth Stage runner-up Shu Yoshida, 21, will join Chudenko, and Ryota Masuda, 22, 14:06.06 for 5000 m, has opted for Tokyo Higashi Shinyo Inko.
From Hakone 3rd-placer Josai University, Ninth Stage 10th-placer Itsuki Hirabayashi, 21, is bound for Fujitsu, Seventh Stage 5th-placer Koyo Hayashi, 21, for Komori Corporation, and Sixth Stage 13-placer Yuto Kubote, 21, hopes to join Chugoku Denryoku. With a PB of 3:39.96 for 6th in this year's National Championships 1500 m, Nao Kurihara, 21, is set to join the M&A Best Partners team led by Daichi Kamino, 31.
3rd at Izumo and Nationals and 5th at Hakone last season, Koku Gakuin University sees 1:00:43 half marathoner Ayumu Yamamoto join the powerhouse Asahi Kasei stable. With a quality 1:02:15 half marathon best, Genta Tsuru, 22, will be a part of the SID Group team. This year's Osaka Marathon winner in 2:06:18, Kiyoto Hirabayshi, 21, has been working closely with KGU head coach Yasuhiro Maeda, 46, and others to create an environment in which he can pursue spots on the national teams for next year's Tokyo World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Having made its first Hakone podium appearance in 9 years with a 10th-place finish this year, Daito Bunka University expects Seventh Stage 6th-placer Kyohei Ota, 21, and Fourth Stage 18th-placer Yugo Nishidai, 21, to join NTN, with Ninth Stage 9th-placer Yukihiro Otani, 22, going to YKK.
Missing the podium in 11th, Tokai University's captain Yuto Kajitani, 21, will go to Sumitomo Denko alongside AGU's Nomura and Shiraishi. Fourth Stage 16th-placer Kenta Nojima, 22, has been recruited by Logisteed, with Kyudenko picking up Takanobu Igarashi, 22.
It's been over a century since the Hakone Ekiden was launched in 1920 with the goal of developing internationally competitive athletes. For this season's 4th-years and everyone who runs Hakone's roads, the pursuit of that ideal continues even after their four years have passed.
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
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