3 Top-Tier Japanese Collegiate Runners in United Airlines NYC Half Elite Field

The NYRR have announced the elite fields for the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half, and 3 top-tier runners from Japanese universities feature prominently in the men's field. Having just lost his 59:32 collegiate record to Komazawa University's Kotaro Shinohara in Marugame earlier this month, collegiate 5000 m and 10000 m record holder Richard Etir of Tokyo Kokusai University heads to New York fresh off a 1:05:31 CR on the 23.1 km Hakone Ekiden Second Stage, equivalent to a 59:50 half marathon on a rolling net uphill course. That should predict success on the tough NYC course. He'll be the main competition for newly crowned American record holder Connor Mantz, 59:17 in Houston at the end of January, with defending champ and sub-59 man Abel Kipchumba in contention too after a 59:52 win at last year's Great North Run. Sub-27 10000 m men Mohammed Ahmed and Woody Kincaid are also debuting.

Komazawa teammates Yudai Kiyama and Hibiki Murakami earned spots in New York with breakthrough runs at November's Ageo City Half Marathon as part of JRN's partnership with the NYRR and Ageo. Kiyama was 2nd in 1:01:59 and Murakami 4th in 1:02:04, both PBs. At Hakone Kiyama was 2nd again on the 21.3 km First Stage in 1:02:39, with Murakami 5th on the 23.1 km Ninth Stage. Both broke through again at Marugame earlier this month, Kiyama was a stellar 1:00:32 that saw him go from 15th to 10th in the last km and Murakami running a 1:01:46 PB. For both it will be the first time racing outside Japan.

United Airlines NYC Half

Elite Men's Field Highlights

New York, U.S.A., 16 March 2025

times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted

Conner Mantz (U.S.A.) - 59:17 (Houston 2025)

Richard Etir (Kenya/Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 59:32 (Marugame 2024)

Abel Kipchumba (Kenya) - 59:52 (Great North Run 2024)

Patrick Dever (Great Britain) - 1:00:11 (Houston 2025)

Hillary Bor (U.S.A.) - 1:00:20 (Houston 2025)

Yudai Kiyama (Japan/Komazawa Univ.) - 1:00:32 (Marugame 2025)

Wesley Kiptoo (Kenya) - 1:00:34 (Houston 2025)

Biya Simbassa (U.S.A.) - 1:00:37 (Valencia 2023)

Reed Fischer (U.S.A.) - 1:00:54 (Houston 2025)

Ben Flanagan (Canada) - 1:01:00 (Valencia 2022)

Alex Masai (Kenya) - 1:01:04 (Houston 2025)

Jack Rowe (Great Britain) - 1:01:08 (Greenwich 2023)

Yemane Haileselassie (Eritrea) - 1:01:34 (Houston 2024)

Hibiki Murakami (Japan/Komazawa. Univ.) - 1:01:46 (Marugame 2025)

Tristan Woodfine (Canada) - 1:02:40 (Boston 2023)

Andrew Davies (Canada) - 1:03:05 (Vancouver 2025)

Jose Mauricio Gonzalez (Colombia) - 1:03:07 (Caracas 2023)

Connor Winter (U.S.A.) - 1:03:10 (NYC 2023)

Charlie Sweeney (U.S.A.) - 1:03:31 (Indianapolis 2023)

Liam Dee (Great Britain) - 1:03:43 (Valencia 2024)

Nick Hauger (U.S.A.) - 1:03:48 (Great North Run 2024)

Tim McGowan (U.S.A.) - 1:03:54 (Philadelphia 2023)

Debut

Mohammed Ahmed (Canada) - 26:43.79 (Paris Olympics 10000 m 2024)

Woody Kincaid (U.S.A.) - 26:57.57 (The TEN 10000 m 2024)

Luke Combs (U.S.A.) - 28:24.84 (Palo Alto 10000 m 2024)

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Komazawa University One Step Away From Perfect Season With Hakone Ekiden Day One Win

Already the course record-breaker at the Izumo Ekiden and National University Ekiden this season, 2021 Hakone Ekiden champion Komazawa University came one step away from its first-ever triple crown of single-season ekiden wins as it won a highly competitive 2023 Hakone Ekiden Day One over defending champ Aoyama Gakuin University and last year's 6th placer Chuo University . Things got off to an unexpected start when Select Team runner Hayate Nitta of non-qualifier Ikuei University decided to take his one and only Hakone shot and run it up to his ability on the 21.3 km 1st leg even though the rest of the field opted to jog. At one point Nitta had a lead of almost a minute and a half, but as beautiful as it would have been for him to pull it off, Meiji University 's Shunpei Tomita and Komazawa's Kensuke Tsubura still managed to run him down in the final kilometer. Tomita took the stage win in 1:02:44, 1:02:08 half marathon pace vs. his 1:02:10 PB despite the slow s...

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