Wanjiru Breaks 5000 m Collegiate Record, 18 Men Sub-28 at Nittai

Corporate women had their national championship ekiden last weekend, but for everyone else the biggest races of the year are still coming up in the next month, and a lot of them were at Nittai University this weekend for one of the last big tune-ups.

The men's 10000 m fast heat had a massive 18 people break 28 minutes, and this just a week after the main 10000 m of the season in Hachioji. Up front there was a thrilling photo finish, with steeplechase specialist Philemon Kiplagat going right to the line with NR holder Kazuya Shiojiri who had scratched from Hachioji, both of them clocking 27:36.37 but Kiplagat getting the win. Shiojiri's corporate team Fujitsu had 7 men break 28 including marathon NR holder Kengo Suzuki, with Asahi Kasei turning out 3 and Subaru 2, raising the stakes for the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden.

Speaking of steeplechase and Subaru, NR holder Ryuji Miura was nowhere near the NR attempt he'd floated pre-race but still had a decent run in the 5000 m fast heat, winning in 13:27.43 over Edwin Kisalsak, 13:28.07, and Paris Olympics marathon 6th-placer Akira Akasaki, 3rd in 13:28.43. James Karuri of Aomori Yamada H.S. was 13:35.94 and Haruki Niizuma from Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. 7th in 13:41.68, with a total of 8 high schoolers going under 14 minutes across the 3 fastest heats.

The women's 5000 m fast heat was about as high-level as domestic races come in Japan, with the top 3 breaking 15 minutes led by Hellen Ekalale with a 14:45.66 PB. Daito Bunka University's Sarah Wanjiru just missed out on joining the sub-15 club, but her 15:00.68 for 4th was still a new Japanese collegiate record. Miyaka Sugata from national champ Japan Post was the top Japanese finisher at 7th in 15:24.83, with Ayami Yoshida from Sapporo Sosei H.S. impressing with a 15:34.08 for 13th.

The women's 3000 m fast heat was a showdown between the best Japan-based Kenyan high schoolers ahead of the National High School Ekiden in 3 weeks. Lucy Nduta of Aomori Yamada H.S. came out on top in 8:57.26 for the win, holding off Jecinta Nyokabi of Hakuho Joshi H.S., 2nd in 8:58.10. Kenyans took the top 6 spots, with 7th going to Wakana Fukuyama of Saitama Sakae H.S. in 9:18.15.

318th Nittai University Time Trials / 13th Nittaidai Challenge Games

Nittai University, Yokohama, 30 Nov. - 1 Dec. 2024

complete results

Men's 10000 m Heat 16

1. Philemon Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) - 27:36.37

2. Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) - 27:36.37

3. Gideon Ronoh (Logisteed) - 27:37.31

4. Kelvin Kiplagat (Aisan Kogyo) - 27:42.66

5. Daniel Kosen (Fujitsu) - 27:50.09

6. Masaya Yamatani (Logisteed) - 27:50.77

7. Tatsuhiko Ito (Honda) - 27:53.89

8. Yuta Bando (Fujitsu) - 27:54.40

9. Sonata Nagashima (Asahi Kasei) - 27:55.03

10. Katsuhiko Suzuki (Subaru) - 27:55.35

11. Daiki Ozawa (Fujitsu) - 27:55.74

12. Kiseki Shiozawa (Fujitsu) - 27:56.72

13. Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) - 27:56.74

14. Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei) - 27:56.91

15. Ryo Goda (Yasukawa Denki) - 27:57.12

16. Neo Namiki (Subaru) - 27:57.53

17. Hiroki Matsueda (Fujitsu) - 27:57.66

18. Jinichiro Kameda (Asahi Kasei) - 27:59.27

19. Shoya Kawase (Honda) - 28:01.18

20. Akihito Kawada (SID Group) - 28:02.67

Men's 5000 m Heat 40

1. Ryuji Miura (Subaru) - 13:27.43

2. Edwin Kisalsak (Fujisan no Meisui) - 13:28.07

3. Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) - 13:28.43

4. James Karuri (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 13:35.94

5. Peter Kamau (Kokushikan Univ.) - 13:37.35

6. Abraham Guem (Ami AC) - 13:38.06

7. Haruki Niizuma (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 13:41.68

8. Felix Muthiani (Yamanashi Gakuin H.S.) - 13:41.94

9. Wilson Lemangale (NTN) - 13:42.73

10. Raphael Longisa (Takushoku Univ.) - 13:49.51

-----

15. Itsuki Takaishi (Kochi Kogyo H.S.) - 13:58.23

Men's 5000 m Heat 39

1. Daiki Inoe (Osaka Gas) - 13:48.40

2. Eikichi Kazaoka (JFE Steel) - 13:52.62

3. Haruto Koshizuka (JFE Steel) - 13:53.32

4. Ren Yonemitsu (Konica Minolta) - 13:54.56

5. Sei Yoshida (Tokai Sapporo H.S.) - 13:54.79

Men's 5000 m Heat 38

1. Shoei Narusawa (Keio Univ.) - 13:54.83

2. Daito Shimoda (Tokyo Keizai Univ.) - 13:56.95

3. Tomoki Nakano (Chuo Univ.) - 13:58.51

4. Shiketsu Kan (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 13:58.51

5. Yuto Hananuki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 13:58.75

6. Zebedayo Rarapua (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 13:59.55

7. Yusuke Akasaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 13:59.81

Women's 5000 m Heat 7

1. Hellen Ekalale (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 14:45.66 - PB

2. Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 14:56.12

3. Agnes Mwikali Mutuku (Kyocera) - 14:59.73

4. Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 15:00.68 - Collegiate Record

5. Deborah Chemutai (Universal Ent.) - 15:13.49

6. Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) - 15:16.59

7. Miyaka Sugata (Japan Post) - 15:24.83

8. Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo) - 15:26.50

9. Sora Shinozakura (Panasonic) - 15:26.95

10. Miu Saito (Nittai Univ.) - 15:27.45

11. Kokoro Nakachi (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 15:32.21

12. Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) - 15:33.25

13. Ayami Yoshida (Sapporo Sosei H.S.) - 15:34.08

14. Rio Einaga (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 15:35.65

15. Tomo Muramatsu (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 15:36.98

16. Mariya Noda (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 15:37.46

17. Yuiri Ogata (Nittai Univ.9 - 15:39.01

18. Kurumi Yoda (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 15:39.71

19. Susan Kamotho (Yamada Holdings) - 15:41.36

20. Yuri Tasaki (Sysmex) - 15:46.67

21. Mao Kogure (Juntendo Univ.) - 15:51.86

22. Sayuki Ota (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 15:55.16

23. Saki Matsui (Bears) - 15:55.58

24. Yumi Yamamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ,) - 15:58.27

25. Anna Matsuda (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 15:58.75

Women's 3000 m Heat 9

1. Lucy Nduta (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 8:57.26

2. Jecinta Nyokabi (Hakuho Joshi H.S.) - 8:58.10

3. Margaret Muthoni (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:01.43

4. Mirriam Njeri (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 9:08.19

5. Pauline Wanjiku (Teikyo Nagaoka H.S.) - 9:10.25

6. Mary Akai (Hakuho Joshi H.S.) - 9:14.10

7. Wakana Fukuyama (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 9:18.15

8. Rin Setoguchi (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:19.25

9. Sakine Noguchi (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) - 9:20.58

10. Yua Sato (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:21.04

Updates to Japan's Home Team at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

This week the JAAF announced changes to the lineup for its home team at next week's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games . The main change announced was the withdrawal of Ririka Hironaka from the women's 10000 m, leaving only Nozomi Tanaka to do it as part of a 1500-5000-10000 triple. In theory it seems like it would be pretty easy and swap in an alternate, but apparently not. No announcement of withdrawals for Tomonori Yamaguchi , who missed June's National Championships 5000 m with injury, or high jumper Ryoichi Akamatsu , who hasn't competed since early last October and made the Asian Games team based his 8th-place finish over a year ago at the Tokyo World Championships. Complete entry lists, schedule and results are available here . The latest Japanese team lineup, with current Asian ranking limited to 2 athletes per country, and best performance in 2025-26: Men 100 m 6 - Shuhei Tada (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.10 (+1.4) 9 - Yuki Koike (Sumitomo Denko) - 10.06 (+1.4) 200 m 1 - Tow...

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