Skip to main content

Wanjiru and Kipkemei Take 10000 m Titles - National University Championships Day 1


Usually held in September right before ekiden season, this year's National University Track and Field Championships moved to early June to avoid conflicts with the Tokyo World Championships.

Doubling up on her solo 10000 m win a month ago at Kanto Regionals, Sarah Wanjiru lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in 31:48.44. That was 16 seconds under the old meet record set by fellow Daito Bunka University runner and future Olympic 6th-placer Yuka Suzuki, and missed Wanjiru's PB by just over a second. Less than a second separated the next 3 finishers, with newcomer Mei Hosomi from Meijo University getting 2nd in 33:23.46, Wanjiru's DBU teammate Mariya Noda 3rd in 33:23.77, and Asahi Shirakawa from Tsukuba University off the podium in 33:24.17.

Less than 2 weeks after rocking a 27:29.15 for 2nd in the National University Ekiden Kanto Region Qualifier 10000 m, Nihon University's Shadrack Kipkemei found himself in another close race, this one against Kanto Regionals D2 winner Stephen Muthini from Soka University and collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda of Aoyama Gakuin University. This time Kipkemei had the wheels for the win, taking 1st in 28:07.94 over Muthini's 28:08.43 with Kuroda just back in 28:09.18 for 3rd. Soka and AGU runners filled the front end of the field, taking 2nd through 6th and 8th place.

The only other finals on the opening day of the meet were the women's and men's javelin throws. Sayuka Kurata of Keio University won the women's title with a second throw of 57.20 m, Momoko Tsuji of Kyushu Kyoritsu University and Aoi Murakami of Nittai University closing with their biggest throws but still a meter and a half behind Kurata. KKU's Rin Suzuki took the men's title with a 76.58 m throw on his 2nd attempt. Nobody else cleared 73 m.

The National University Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday.

94th National University Track and Field Championships

Day One Highlights
JFE Harenokuni Stadium, Okayama, 5 June 2025

1. Sarah Wanjiru (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 31:48.44 - MR
2. Mei Hosomi (1st yr., Meijo Univ.) - 33:23.46
2. Mariya Noda (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 33:23.77
4. Asahi Shirakawa (2nd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 33:24.17
5. Asuka Ishimatsu (4th yr., Meijo Univ.) - 33:28.35
6. Yume Miyake (2nd yr., Takushoku Univ.) - 33:32.90
7. Amisa Murayama (3rd yr., Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) - 33:35.17
8. Ayaka Maeda (3rd yr., Kansai Univ.) - 33:46.50
9. Wakana Hashimoto (1st yr., Meijo Univ.) - 33:51.36
10. Nanaka Miyahara (4th yr., Fukuoka Univ.) - 33:51.36

1. Shadrack Kipkemei (3rd yr., Nihon Univ.) - 28:07.94
2. Stephen Muthini (3rd yr., Soka Univ.) - 28:08.43
3. Asahi Kuroda (4th yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:09.18
4. Riku Anjima (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:35.06
5. Junna Ishimaru (4th yr., Soka Univ.) - 28:47.86
6. Shoki Yamaguchi (2nd yr., Soka Univ.) - 28:53.20
7. So Kawasaki (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 29:13.09
8. Taisei Endo (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 29:13.59
9. Yuga Sakurai (4th yr., Josai Univ.) - 29:15.17
10. Ryosuke Yamamoto (4th yr., Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 29:23.64

1. Sayuka Kurata (3rd yr., Keio Univ.) - 57.20 m
2. Momoko Tsuji (4th yr., Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 55.70 m
3. Aoi Murakami (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 55.68 m

1. Rin Suzuki (1st yr., Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. Grad School) - 76.58 m
2. Sota Takemura (4th yr., Chukyo Univ.) - 72.68 m
3. Kota Yamada (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 71.28 m

© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Ex-Fiancee Slags Olympian Dean in Gossip Mag After Taking Him to Court Over Child

In March this year it was learned that Genki Dean , 33, a javelin thrower who represented Japan in the Paris Olympics, had gotten married. His partner was Yuka Sato , 32, another javelin thrower who retired last fall. Reporters broke the news of their "javelinuptials" with a wry smile. As a 20-year-old 3rd-year at Waseda University Dean had a massive breakthrough with what was at the time the 2nd-best mark in Japanese history, qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. He struggled with injury for years, but last year he returned to the Olympics when he represented Japan in Paris. This season he is competing around the world in hopes of qualifying for the Tokyo World Championships. But against that backdrop was an ongoing struggle with another woman, his ex-fiancee. "I met him in 2017, and we clicked right away and became lovers," she said. The pair started living together, and she soon got pregnant. According to her, at first Dean was really happy about it and cried ...

Hakone Ekiden Select Team Qualification Protocol Changes

On June 19 the KGRR , organizers of the Hakone Ekiden , published a press release on the new criteria for making the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team for the prestigious race. The new process will assign a single place on the team to 10 different universities, with an additional 6 spots for individuals. The Kanto Region Student Alliance team is intended to broaden the opportunities for schools to participate in Hakone, making it possible for traditionally strong schools that failed to qualify to still be represented and for new programs to be able to take part for the first time. It was first created in 2003 for the 79th Hakone Ekiden under the name Kanto Region Select Team. From 2007 to 2013 its team results counted in overall placing, but after being eliminated in 2014 it was brought back a year later in a non-scoring capacity under its new name and has been a part of the event ever since with the exception of Hakone's 100th running in 2024. Nomination to the Student All...