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Chuo Wins National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier, Etir and Kipkemei Sub-27:30


November's National University Ekiden is the second stop of the three-race university men's ekiden season. Even more than the season-opening Izumo Ekiden, it's pretty much a given that however many teams there are in the field from the Tokyo-area Kanto Region, where almost all the best high schoolers go for university in order to have the chance to run the Hakone Ekiden, the top team from outside Kanto will finish behind all of them.

Not including two select teams that don't count in scoring, the 15 Kanto teams at last year's Nationals took the top 15 spots in the field of 25 schools. Koku Gakuin University, Komazawa University, Aoyama Gakuin University, Soka University, Waseda University, Josai University, Rikkyo University and Teikyo University filled the 8-podium to earn places at the 2025 National University Ekiden, with the other 7 having to run yesterday's Kanto Region Qualifier alongside 13 other Kanto-area teams to try to make the return trip.

The National University Ekiden is made up of 8 legs with an average of 13.35 km. For the qualifying race, 4 heats of 10000 m on the track at Hiratsuka's Lemon Gas Stadium, each of the 20 teams fielded 8 runners, 2 per heat. After the final heat teams were ranked by the combined times of their 8 runners, with the 7 fastest schools making the cut. 12th at Nationals last year, Chuo University took the top spot in 3:50:27.09, an average of 28:48.39 led by senior Itta Tameike with the fastest Japanese time of the day in 28:04.39 in Heat 4.

2nd, 3rd and 4th-place teams Daito Bunka University, Juntendo University and Nihon University all averaged under 29 minutes, Nihon getting a big boost from Shadrack Kipkemei's 27:29.15 for 2nd in Heat 4 and the only one of the 8 schools with a Kenyan to qualify. Daito Bunka beat Chuo at Nationals last year in 11th, but for both Juntendo and Nihon it was a return to form after missing out last year.

Just missing sub-29 with an average of 29:00.14, last year's 15th-placer Tokai University was 5th. Chuo Gakuin University, alma mater of two of this year's best Japanese marathoners Kyohei Hosoya and Tsubasa Ichiyama, joined Juntendo and Nihon in getting back into the Nationals field at 6th.

Only 7 seconds separated Nittai University, 10th at Nationals last year, and Toyo University, 13th last year, heading into the final heat, but even though both of Toyo's final runners, 2nd-years Kaito Matsui and Yu Uchibori, ran sub-29 PBs, Nittai 4th-years Ryuto Hirashima and Tasuku Yamazaki, held them off to give Nittai the last qualifying spot by 11.36 seconds, just 1.42 seconds per runner across all 4 heats. For Toyo it meant the end of a Nationals streak going all the way back to 2007.

Along with Toyo, last year's Nationals 14th-placer Kanagawa University, and 9th-placer Tokyo Kokusai University failed to qualify, Kanagawa taking 9th behind Toyo and Tokyo Kokusai a lowly 15th despite collegiate record holder Richard Etir winning the 4th heat in 27:27.55. Yamanashi Gakuin University also missed out on qualifying even with a sub-28 clocking, in its case finishing 14th off a 27:39.99 for 3rd in Heat 4 by James Mutuku.

Complete team results are here. Detailed heat results are here. The 2025 National University Ekiden happens Nov. 2.

2025 National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier

Lemon Gas Stadium, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, 24 May 2025
teams scored on cumulative times of 8 runners
top 7 teams qualify for National University Ekiden

Team Results
1. Chuo University - 3:50:27.09
2. Daito Bunka University - 3:51:28.02
3. Juntendo University - 3:51:33.97
4. Nihon University - 3:51:57.08
5. Tokai University - 3:52:01.05
6. Chuo Gakuin University - 3:52:41.58
7. Nittai University - 3:53:00.83
-----
8. Toyo University - 3:53:12.19
9. Kanagawa University - 3:54:45.02
10. Meiji University - 3:55:05.75
11. Hosei University - 3:55:12.36
12. Surugadai University - 3:55:19.48
13. Tokyo Nogyo University - 3:55:40.27
14. Yamanashi Gakuin University - 3:55:48.82
15. Tokyo Kokusai University - 3:55:58.68
16. Senshu University - 3:59:19.83
17. Kokushikan University - 3:59:20.19
18. Nihon Yakka University - 4:00:14.89
19. Takushoku University - 4:01:05.12
20. Reitaku University - 4:04:05.59

10000 m Heat 4
1. Richard Etir (3rd yr., Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 27:27.55
2. Shadrack Kipkemei (3rd yr., Nihon Univ.) - 27:29.15
3. James Mutuku (4th yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 27:39.99
4. Itta Tameike (4th yr., Chuo Univ.) - 28:04.39
5. Dennis Kipruto (3rd yr., Nihon Yakka Univ.) - 28:16.50
6. Hiroto Yoshioka (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 28:22.04 - PB
7. Yuto Kawahara (2nd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 28:24.54 - PB
8. Raphael Longisa (3rd yr., Takushoku Univ.) - 28:27.62
9. Kaito Matsui (2nd yr., Toyo Univ.) - 28:29.08 - PB
10. Ryuto Hirashima (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 28:30.10
11. Kaisei Okada (2nd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 28:30.23
12. Kazuma Maeda (3rd yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 28:30.25
13. Gakuto Sato (2nd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 28:30.32 - PB
14. Hiro Konda (4th yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 28:32.54 - PB
15. Kihiro Iriyama (4th yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:33.15
16. Judah Hyodo (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:33.55
17. Kazura Munakata (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:35.80
18. Brian Kiptoob Shuakido (2nd yr., Reitaku Univ.) - 28:43.12
19. Fumiya Oshima (4th yr., Hosei Univ.) - 28:44.05
20. Mitsuki Hirayae (4th yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:44.20

10000 m Heat 3
1. Takuma Ohama (2nd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:37.48
2. Daichi Fujita (3rd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 28:39.00
3. Mahiro Okazawa (2nd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 28:39.32
4. Shunsuke Tajima (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 28:39.95
5. Kota Yoneda (2nd yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 28:40.18 - PB
6. Hiroyuki Ishioka (4th yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 28:40.78 - PB
7. Shu Nagamoto (3rd yr., Tokai Univ.) - 28:44.15 - PB
8. Akito Noda (3rd yr., Hosei Univ.) - 28:46.82
9. Makoto Takewari (4th yr., Tokai. Univ.) - 28:46.83 - PB
10. Manato Takata (3rd yr., Nihon Univ.) - 28:51.87
11. Daiya Miyaji (3rd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin. Univ.) - 28:53.30
12. Renato Ogata (4th yr., Toyo Univ.9 - 28:54.78
13. Shiryu Inoue (2nd yr., Meiji Univ.) - 28:55.57 - PB
14. Kotaro Osabe (2nd yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 28:57.08
15. Keigo Animoto (4th yr., Toyo Univ.) - 28:57.24

10000 m Heat 2
1. Shunsuke Yoshii (4th yr., Chuo Univ.) - 28:34.81
2. Stephen Lemaiyan (3rd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 28:38.86
3. Riito Ikema (2nd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 29:21.18
4. Hikaru Isaka (1st yr., Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 29:22.21 - PB
5. Yuto Miyake (1st yr., Chuo Univ.) - 29:23.84
6. Yudai Mizuno (2nd yr., Tokai Univ.) - 29:24.18 - PB
7. So Hanai (3rd yr., Kanagawa Univ.) - 29:24.31
8. Mizuki Shoji (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 29:24.55 - PB
9. Yamato Sato (2nd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 29:24.60 - PB
10. Rio Osawa (2nd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 29:24.76 - PB

10000 m Heat 1
1. So Yamasaki (4th yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 29:00.69
2. Kotaro Tahara (2nd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 29:01.99
3. Daisuke Sato (2nd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 29:03.35
4. Hisaya Hanaoka (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 29:03.85
5. Shun Sakamoto (4th yr., Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 29:04.36

© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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