Skip to main content

Saku Chosei High School's Hamaguchi Runs 13:31.62 at Nittai


2023 National High School Ekiden champion Saku Chosei H.S. was out in force Sunday in the 5000 m fast heats at the 317th Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama. 3rd-year Yamato Hamaguchi ran 13:31.62, the 4th-fastest time ever by a Japanese-born high schooler, and 3rd-year Tetsu Sasaki went under 14 minutes for the first time with an excellent 13:40.02.

The race took place as light rain fell. Hamaguchi and Sasaki ran alongside African university and corporate league runners. From the start they were conservative, staying in the pack as the race went along. With splits of 2:42 and 1000 m and 8:11 at 3000 m the high school record of 13:22.99 set 2 years ago by Saku Chosei alum Hiroto Yoshioka was out of reach, but right til the last sprint Hamaguchi stayed in contact with the lead.

Hamaguchi took almost 7 seconds off his 13:38.40 PB from last year, with Sasaki rewriting his 14:03.51 best by nearly 24 seconds. Both beat Yamanashi Gakuin H.S. 2nd-year Felix Muthiani, who ran 13:42.54. And with Sasaki stepping up to sub-14 territory, the all-Japanese Saku Chosei lineup this season now has five runners under 14 minutes for 5000 m with just over a month to go until the National High School Ekiden.

In Heat 30 before them, Ibuki Sugiyama (3rd yr., Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) ran a PB of 13:47.73 to take the top high schooler spot. Other high schoolers under 14 minutes included Ryo Kurimura (2nd yr., Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) in 13:48.32, Yota Mashiko (2nd yr., Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) in 13:49.95, and Kazuma Shino (3rd yr., Saku Chosei H.S.) in 13:58.00. Kiyoshi Miura (3rd yr., Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) ran 13:56.97 in Heat 28, with 1st-year Sei Yoshida (Tokai Sapporo H.S.) just missing out on sub-14 in Heat 29 but still clocking an excellent 14:02.45 PB.

Top 10 Japanese-Born H.S. Boys' 5000 m Times
13:22.99 - Hiroto Yoshioka (3rd yr., Saku Chosei H.S.) - 13 Nov. 2022
13:28.78 - Sota Orita (3rd yr., Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 24 Sept. 2023
13:31.19 - Keita Sato (3rd yr., Rakunan H.S.) - 3 Oct. 2021
13:31.62 - Yamato Hamaguchi (3rd yr., Saku Chosei H.S.) - 10 Nov. 2024
13:34.20 - Kaito Iida (3rd yr., Izumi Chuo H.S.) - 25 Nov. 2023
13:34.59 - Shunpei Yamaguchi (3rd yr., Saku Chosei H.S.) - 25 Nov. 2023
13:34.60 - Yota Mashiko (2nd yr., Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 13 Apr. 2024
13:34.74 - Kosuke Ishida (3rd yr., Tokyo Nogyo Daini H.S.) - 27 Sept. 2020
13:35.16 - Tomonori Yamaguchi (3rd yr., Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 14 Nov. 2021
13:36.57 - Taishi Ito (3rd yr., Saku Chosei H.S.) - 15 Nov. 2020

source article:
translated and edited by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

  Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...
1 comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more