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Kunei Joshi Gakuin Girls and Rakuhoku Boys Win Kurayoshi Joshi / Nihonkai Ekiden


The first major national-level high school ekiden of the season, the 39th Kurayoshi Joshi Ekiden and 44th Nihonkai Ekiden took place Sunday in Kurayoshi, Tottori. Serving as the girls' race with 5 legs totaling 21.0975 km, Kurayoshi saw Osaka's Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. return to the top spot for the first time in 5 years with a 1:08:58 win, its 3rd time ever winning. A total of 51 teams competed in the girls' race, included most of the best programs from across the country.

The Kunei Joshi Gakuin girls were 3rd after the first leg, with lead-off runner Yuika Tsuzurahara (2nd-yr) trailing leader Yua Sato (3rd-yr, Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) by only 3 seconds. Second runner Yua Tsukamoto (3rd-yr) ran the fastest time on her leg, moving up to 2nd behind last year's winner Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. Third runner Rio Kawamura (2nd-yr) also won her leg and gave Kunei Joshi Gakuin a lead that fourth runner Aika Murai (1st-yr) and anchor Miyu Funaki (2nd-yr) held until the end.

Toyokawa H.S. was 2nd in 1:10:06, taking until the fourth leg to move into 2nd with a solid run from Kanon Akitake (3rd-run). Anchor Anri Watanabe (3rd-yr) ran the fastest time on her stage, holding off Ritsumeikan Uji who ended up 3rd in 1:10:44.


In the Nihonkai Ekiden, the 7-leg, 42.195 km boys' race, Kyoto's Rakuhoku H.S. led the field of 89 teams to score its first-ever win in 2:05:45. 10th after the opening leg, Rakuhoku picked up 2 spots on the next leg before a stage win by Yu Hatanaka (3rd-yr)on the third leg moved them up 5 places to 3rd. Fourth runner Makoto Tada (3rd-yr) also won his leg and took over the lead, with Rakuhoku's fifth and sixth runners keeping it and anchor Ryuhei Nogi (3rd-yr) bringing them home to the win.

2023 National High School champion Saku Chosei H.S. was 2nd in 2:06:37. Leading after two legs thanks to a stage win from second runner Yuta Matsuyama (3rd-yr), Saku Chosei fell to 5th by the end of the fourth leg. It took stage wins from fifth and sixth runners Shuji Sakai (2nd-yr) and Kazuma Shino (3rd-yr) to get Saku Chosei back up to range of its final position of 2nd. Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. was 3rd in 2:06:44, running 2nd most of the way after a great run from third runner Koki Niizuma (2nd-yr) before getting caught by Saku Chosei on the final leg.

39th Kurayoshi Joshi Ekiden

Kurayoshi, Tottori, 13 Oct. 2024
51 teams, 5 stages, 21.0975 km

Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (6.0 km) - Yua Sato (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 19:51
Second Stage (4.0975 km) - Yua Tsukamoto (Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 13:05
Third Stage (3.0 km) - Rio Kawamura (Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:27
Fourth Stage (3.0 km) - Jecinta Nyokabe (Hakuho Joshi H.S.) - 9:22
Fifth Stage (5.0 km) - Anri Watanabe (Toyokawa H.S.) / Mio Okafuji (Hiroshima Kogyo H.S.) - 16:28

Top Team Results
1. Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. - 1:08:58
2. Toyokawa H.S. - 1:10:06
3. Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. - 1:10:44
4. Hakuho Joshi H.S. - 1:10:59
5. Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. B - 1:11:16
6. Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S. - 1:11:46
7. Hiroshima Kogyo H.S. - 1:12:59
8. Kyushu Kokuritsu H.S. - 1:13:04
9. Minokamo H.S. - 1:13:09
10. Hieizan H.S. - 1:13:47

44th Nihonkai Ekiden

Kurayoshi, Tottori, 13 Oct. 2024
89 teams, 7 stages, 42.195 km

Top Individual Stage Performances
First Stage (10.0 km) - Tsukasa Wakabayashi (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 29:49
Second Stage (3.0 km) - Yuta Matsuyama (Saku Chosei H.S.) - 8:26
Third Stage (8.1075 km) - Yu Hatanaka (Rakuhoku H.S,) - 23:53
Fourth Stage (8.0875 km) - Makoto Tada (Rakuhoku H.S.) - 23:46
Fifth Stage (3.1 km) - Shuji Sakai (Saku Chosei H.S.) - 8:54
Sixth Stage (4.9 km) - Kazuma Shino (Saku Chosei H.S.) - 14:35
Seventh Stage (5.0 km) - Kaito Mizutaka (Rakuhoku H.S. B) - 14:59

Top Team Results
1. Rakuhoku H.S. - 2:05:45
2. Saku Chosei H.S. - 2:06:37
3. Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. - 2:06:44
4. Saku Chosei H.S. B - 2:07:35
5. Kyoto Gaikokudai Nishi H.S. - 2:07:39
6. Rakunan H.S. B - 2:07:57
7. Sendai Ikuei H.S. - 2:08:01
8. Fukuoka Daiichi H.S. - 2:08:03
9. Kochi Nogyo H.S. - 2:08:34
10. Kandai Hokuyo H.S. - 2:08:50


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