Skip to main content

Chuo University's Kazusa Takanuma Wins Ehime Marathon


Starting in front of the Ehime Prefectural Government building in Matsuyama and ending in Shiroyama Park, the 62nd Ehime Marathon took place Sunday. First across the finish line was Chuo University 4th-year Kazusa Takanuma in 2:13:00. Takanuma had previously run the 2023 Hokkaido Marathon, where he struggled in to a 2:43:37 finish. His win this time took over 30 minutes off that time in just his second attempt at the distance.

A native of Shizuoka, Takanuma went to Tomioka J.H.S. and Fujieda Meisei H.S. Even though he never made it to a national-level competition, after entering Chuo he began to improve. During his 2nd year he ran the half marathon at the Kanto Region University Championships, placing 22nd in the D1 race. He was never named to Chuo's starting roster for any of the major university ekidens, but at last year's Marugame Half Marathon he clocked an excellent 1:02:19 PB. After graduating next month he will join the Suzuki team, where he plans to focus on the marathon and road racing.

The women's marathon was a close race between Miku Fukuda of the Ehime Ginko team and Yuka Gito from Higo Ginko, with Fukuda getting the win in 2:35:15 in her debut at the distance and Gito 2nd in 2:35:54. "I'm really grateful to everyone who helped me get here," Fukuda told media post-race.

Translator's note: Almost simultaneously with Takanuma's win, 2024 Chuo University graduate Jin Yuasa, now running for the Toyota corporate team, won the Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon in a 2:09:43 PB, and fellow 2024 grad Shota Nakano from Honda won the Karatsu 10-Miler in 47:30.

62nd Ehime Marathon

Matsuyama, Ehime, 9 Feb. 2025

Women
1. Miku Fukuda (Ehime Ginko) - 2:35:15 - debut
2. Yuka Gito (Higo Ginko) - 2:35:54
3. Nozomi Matsumoto (Daiso) - 2:54:46
4. Shiho Yamada (unattached) - 2:56:10
5. Yako Ninomiya (Saysky) - 2:59:29
6. Ayumi Ninomiya (Matsuyama Lady RC) - 2:59:31

Men
1. Kazusa Takanuma (Chuo Univ.) - 2:13:00 - PB
2. Takaki Mori (unattached) - 2:18:32
3. Katsutaka Yamashita (Saysky) - 2:18:41
4. Haruki Okayama (Comodi Iida) - 2:19:19
5. Yoshihisa Takemura (Saysky) - 2:19:27
6. Yohei Suzuki (Aisan Kogyo) - 2:19:46

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