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

complete results

Women's 10000 m Final

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

Men's 10000 m Final

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

Women's Javelin Throw Final

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

Men's Javelin Throw Final

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

Osaka Marathon Preview

The Osaka Marathon is Sunday, one of Japan's biggest mass-participation races and the next stop on the calendar for its elite marathoners hoping to qualify for the L.A. Olympics marathon trials in the fall of 2027. Last year it snowed mid-race, but this year is looking warmer than ideal given the season, with sunny skies, almost no wind, and temps forecast to be 11˚ at the start and rising to 19˚ by the time the winners are finishing. NHK is broadcasting Osaka with a heavy emphasis on the men's race, and if you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it from overseas. There's also official streaming on Youtube starting at 8:30 a.m. local time, although it doesn't look like it's the same as what NHK will be showing. Given Osaka's history at the elite level as the continuation of the men-only Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, the women's field is small relative to the men's, just enough to tick World Athletics' label requirements and with almost no do...

Arao Becomes 1st Man in 40 Years to Score Back-to-Back Ome Road Race Wins

30 km is an under-appreciated distance, and both of Japan's big races at that distance happened Sunday. At the Ome Road Race in western Tokyo's mountains, Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao (ND Software) became the first man since the great Kunimitsu Ito in 1985-1986 to win back-to-back years. Arao, who finished 39th of 40 on his leg at the New Year Ekiden last month, stayed in the pack through 20 km before going on the attack, putting over a minute on New Year Ekiden Sixth Stage CR breaker Yudai Shimazu (GMO). Sub-1:31 winning times are rare on the tough and hilly Ome course, but Arao's 1:30:54 almost equaled his 1:30:50 from last year, making him the first Japanese man ever to do it twice and second only to CR holder Ezekiel Cheboitibin . Next up Arao races the Tokyo Marathon, where he is targeting sub-2:06. Shimazu was 2nd in 1:31:58 and Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) 3rd in 1:32:07. Cheboitibin was only 9th, running almost 8 minutes off his CR in 1:36:42. Shi...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field

Last year's top 3 Sheila Chepkirui , Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba are back for this year's Nagoya Women's Marathon on Mar. 8, but things are being set up more for it to be a race between Chepkirui, 2:17:49 in Berlin 2023, Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda , 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024. Aynalem has the freshest sub-2:20 of the 3, with neither Chepkirui nor Maeda having done it in 2 years. Maeda's only recent result is a 1:10:07 from Houston last month, but when she ran her NR she didn't have any kind of tuneup race to indicate her fitness so it's probably best not to read too much into that. If it goes out as a 2:18 race those are the only 3 who can probably hang with it. If it turns out to be more of a 2:20 race like when Chepkirui won in 2:20:40 last year then there's a group of 7 at the 2:20-2:22 level who will be in the picture, including Chumba, Selly Chep...

japan running news

Search This Blog