Oda Memorial Meet and Nittai Time Trials Results

Tuesday's Oda Memorial Meet in Hiroshima was the biggest action of the holiday, with what was probably the biggest result of the day coming in the men's 3000 mSC. With an aggressive middle 1000 m and a last kick for the win, Yutaro Niinae (Aisan Kogyo) solidified his position as Japan's 2nd-best steepler with a career 2nd-best 8:25.43 to beat teammate Philemon Kiplagat by just 0.44. Niinae will represent Japan at next month's Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

Other meet highlights:

Hitomi Nakajima (Hasegawa) and Chisato Kiyoyama (Ichigo) had breakthrough runs in the women's 100 mH final, going 1-2 in all-time Japanese #5 and #6 times of 12.93 and 12.94 (+1.8). 9 of Japan's 10 all-time best have now run their times since 2021. Tatsuki Abe (Juntendo Univ.) took the men's 110 mH final in 13.36 (+1.9).
Australian Tess Kisropp-Cole set a meet record 2:02.74 to win the women's 800 m, with Ellie Sanford 2nd in 2:03.05 over 3 seconds ahead of top Japanese Ayano Shiomi (Iwatani Sangyo).
Tabitha Njeri Kamau (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) saved it all for the last 200 m, out kicking leader Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) and Agnes Mwikali (Kyocera) for the women's 5000 m A-heat win in 15:17.93. B-heat winner Jecinta Nyokabi (Denso) probably belonged in the A-heat, winning by over 20 seconds in 15:35.85.
Shunsuke Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) won the men's 5000 m A-heat in 13:26.31, with the top 5 all clearing 13:30.
Margaret Muthoni (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) set a meet record in the West Japan junior women's 3000 m, running 9:12.34. 2nd and 3rd-placers Nodoka Ashida (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) and Rin Setoguchi (Kamimura Gakuen H.S.) both cleared 9:20 too, with the top 6 under 9:30.
Former men's 100 m NR holder Yoshihide Kiryu (Nihon Seimei) ran 10.06 (+2.7) to win his semifinal, but the final went to Naoki Inoue (Waseda Univ.) in 10.12 (+0.4), with Rikuto Higuchi (Suzuki) 2nd in 10.14 and Kiryu 3rd in 10.15.
Arisa Kimishima (DKS) won the women's 100 m final in 11.42 (+1.8) in a photo finish with Australian Mia Gross, who closed fast after a slow start but came just short of the win.
Yuta Sakiyama (Ehime T&F Assoc.) had a good one in the men's javelin throw, winning with a last throw of 82.96 m.

The weekend's 320th Nittai University Time Trials meet also had some big results in its top heats.

James Mutuku (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) won a fast men's 10000 m A-heat in 27:20.79, with the top 3 under 27:25 and top 10 under 28 minutes. Tatsuhiko Ito (Honda) was the top Japanese man at 27:34.98, with teammate Toru Kubota 10th in 27:50.12. Sub-61 collegiate half marathoner Reishi Yoshida made his debut in the Honda uniform, last in 28:56.15.
The men's 5000 m A-heat was just off the level at the Oda Memorial, Daniel Kosen (Fujitsu) taking the win in 13:32.91 and the top 4 under 13:35 including Fujitsu's Hiroki Matsueda.
2:05:12 marathoner Yohei Ikeda (Kao) was back in action in the men's 1500 m A-heat, just 0.45 off his PB in 2nd in 3:46.03 behind Akira Soga (Seishin JAC), winner in 3:44.36.
Yvonne Jepchirchir Chepkosgei (Higo Ginko) won the women's 5000 m A-heat in 15:30.88, Tokyo World Championships team member Yuka Ando (Shimamura) 2nd in 15:44.01.
Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) took the women's 3000 m A-heat with a solid 8:57.92.

Nat'l University Ekiden Updates Here

Looks like I just went over my update limit on Twitter - sorry, it's the first time I've tried to use it for this. I'll look for another option next time. In the meantime I'll add updates to the comments below. Not sure if that has a max too but I guess we'll find out. Update: Part one of the Nationals commentary can be found here .

Australian YouTuber Handed Lifetime Ban by Ageo City Half Marathon After Running 1:06 with Another Runner's Bib (updated)

After discussion with their race's chief JAAF referee, on Nov. 27 the organizers of the Ageo City Half Marathon handed down a lifetime ban from their event against 36-year-old Australian Matt Inglis Fox for running the Nov. 15 race wearing the bib number of another JAAF-registered runner. The incident came to light after Fox posted on his personal Instagram account that he had run a PB of 1:06:33 and finished 203rd in Ageo with a 10 km split of 31:03, along with photos and video of himself in the race wearing a bib number beginning with 11. Fox did not appear in the results by name or in that time or place, the closest match being a 1:06:54 gross, 1:06:50 net finish time with a 31:21 10 km split for 18th place in the JAAF-registered division and 209th overall by bib number 1129, registered to a non-Japanese Tokyo-resident club runner. The club runner, Harrisson Uk , readily confirmed that he had given his bib to Fox, saying, "I gave my number to Matt. It wasn't me."...

Keita Satoh Running New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

1500 m U20 NR holder Keita Satoh (Nike Swoosh TC) is running this weekend's New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile , the first time that a Japanese man has been invited in the race's 45-year history. In university Sato had to change focus away from middle distance to the half marathon-scale lengths of the Hakone Ekiden stages, but since graduating in March and relocating to Flagstaff he has refocused on the 1500 m, going from 3:43.19 in April in his first 1500 m in almost 4 years to 3:38.30 over the course of 5 races. Fifth Avenue will be his last race before heading back to Japan for one more track 1500 m and some down time. Men's entries with best 1500 m times in last 3 years: Stefan Nillessen (NED) - 3:29.23 (2025) Flavien Szot (FRA) - 3:30.74 (2025) Oliver Hoare (AUS) - 3:31.07 (2024) Jake Heyward (GBR) - 3:31.18 (2026) Titouan Le Grix (FRA) - 3:31.46 (2026) Romain Mornet (FRA) - 3:31.62 (2025) Adam Spencer (AUS) - 3:31.83 (2026) Pieter Sisk (BEL) - 3:31.85 (2025) Gary Martin (...

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