Sunday's National Women's Ekiden brings together the country's top distance runners from junior high school to the pros, all running for their home prefectures. NHK will broadcast the race live, commercial-free and nationwide starting at 12:30. local time. A quick guide to the top teams and athletes on each stage.
Hosts Kyoto hold the record for most wins with 18 national titles, and they're expected to face tough competition from Osaka, Nagano, Kanagawa and Chiba. 2nd the last two years, this time around Kyoto's lineup features two members of Ritsumeikan University, the winner at this season's Morinomiyako Ekiden and Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden. Yumi Yamamoto ran in last year's U20 World Championships and set a new CR on her leg at the Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden, and she, teammate Tomo Muramatsu, and Kaede Kawamura, winner of December's Sanyo Ladies Road Race 10 km, give Kyoto's chances a big boost.
2023 winner Osaka has World Championships marathoner Madoka Nakano, National High School Ekiden stage winner Kana Mizumoto, and Yua Tsukamoto from 2024 National High School Ekiden 3rd-placer Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.
Nagano relies heavily on athletes from 2024 National High School Ekiden winner Nagano Higashi H.S. and is looking to score its first win. Dominating on the First and Third Stages in Nagano Higashi's national title, Airi Mashiba and Mai Kubota lead the way.
Going for its first national title in 12 years, Kanagawa features corporate leaguers Sora Shinozakura, 5th in the 5000 m at last year's National Track and Field Championships, and Manami Nishiyama, winner of the 3000 m SC at September's National Corporate Track and Field Championships.
4th last year, Chiba brings back last year's Fifth Stage CR breaker Risa Yamazaki from Nittai University and Erika Tanoura, winner of the First Stage at November's National Corporate Women's Ekiden. A win would be Chiba's first since 1994.
Other notable athletes include:
- 1500 m and 5000 m national record holder Nozomi Tanaka running her 10th National Women's Ekiden for Hyogo as her home prefecture marks the 30th anniversary of the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake.
- Paris Olympian Rino Goshima running for Ishikawa. Goshima won the First Stage last year just after Ishikawa suffered serious damage from the Noto Peninsula earthquake, and her run then inspired everyone back home.
- Tokyo Olympics 5000 m and 10000 m runner Ririka Hironaka, representing her home of Nagasaki.
- National Junior High School Championships 800 m winner Mayu Ishihara for Okayama.
- National Junior High School Championships 1500 m winner Kana Inoue for Yamagata.
The National Women's Ekiden course is 42.195 km long divided into 9 stages. Features of each stage:
- First Stage (6.0 km): Starting at Takebishi Stadium Kyoto and heading north on Nishioji Street, the First Stage's strategic point comes late with a climb to the first exchange.
- Second Stage (4.0 km): Features many corners. At the 2009 edition Beijing Olympian Yuriko Kobayashi passed 29 people to set the still-standing course record for the Second Stage.
- Third Stage (3.0 km): Passing the Kyoto Imperial Palace, this is the first of two stages reserved for junior high school students.
- Fourth Stage (4.0 km): This stage goes by Ginkakuji temple, and like the opening leg its climb late in the stage has a big impact on the flow of the race.
- Fifth Stage (4.1075 km): The turnaround point in the race, near the Kyoto International Conference Center.
- Sixth Stage (4.0875km): After the turnaround point this stage heads south on Shirakawa Street. A critical stage for setting up the last remaining runners.
- Seventh Stage (4.0 km): Takes the runners across the Kamo River.
- Eighth Stage (3.0 km): The second of the two stages for junior high school athletes.
- Ninth Stage (10.0 km): The anchor stage is the longest of the race. With a downhill starting midway through the stage, it finishes back at Takebishi Stadium.
translated and edited by Brett Larner
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