Wanjiru Silver, Yanagita Bronze - World University Games Day 1-2 Japanese Results

The 2025 FISU World University Games started Monday in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. In the Games' first final, the women's 10000 m, Daito Bunka University's Sarah Wanjiru of Kenya shaved just over 6 seconds off her PB with a 31:41.80, but it wasn't enough for gold as Slovenian 5000 m and road 5 km and 10 km NR holder Klara Lukan dropped a 31:25.84 Games record and PB for the win. In the race for bronze Spain's Alicia Berzosa Martin outran Meijo University 1st-year Mei Hosomi by a second, 32:00.72 to 32:01.91. Ayaka Maeda (Kansai Univ.) and Wakana Hashimoto (Meijo Univ.) were far back in the field, Maeda running 33:13.83 for 15th and Hashimoto 33:49.84 for 19th. The 18-year-old Hosomi's time was good enough to crack the all-time Japanese U20 top 10 and put her 2nd in the world this year on the U20 lists.

In qualifying rounds on the opening day, Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) and Ryosuke Takahashi (Hosei Univ.) took the top 2 spots in the men's 400 mH heats, Fuchigami running 50.16 and Takahashi 50.20. Toyo University teammates Hiroki Yanagita and Riku Oishi both won their men's 100 m heats, Yanagita in 10.39 (-0.8) and Oishi in 10.40 (-1.3). The lone Japanese man in the 400 m, Toyo's Kira Hirakawa also made it through with a 46.55 for the top spot in Heat 1.

The only Japanese woman in the 100 m, Yume Okuno (Konan Univ.) took 2nd in Heat 2 in 11.82 (+0.1) to move on to the semifinals. Neither Japanese woman in the long jump made it through the qualifying round, Miu Kimura (Shikoku Univ.) 9 cm out of the top 12 at 6.03 m (-0.9) and Mizuki Otsu (Nippon Joshi Taiiku Univ.) jumping only 5.87 m (-0.8).

In the men's 100 m semifinals on Tuesday, Yanagita won SF1 in 10.25 (-0.7), with Oishi 2nd in Heat 2 in 10.39 (-0.2) behind Thailand's Puripol Boonson, fastest in the semis in 10.24 (-0.2). In the final the fast-starting Yanagita was run down by South African Bayanda Joy Walaza, gold medalist in 10.16 (09.7). Boonson came from behind to just edge Yanagita for silver, 10.22 to 10.23, with Oishi unable to build momentum from the first 2 rounds at 10.44 for 6th. Okuno didn't advance through the women's 100 m semifinals, 6th in SF2 in 11.99 (-0.8). Fuchigami and Takahashi had better luck in the men7s 400 mH semis, both clocking 49.95 to move on to the final, and likewise for Hirakawa in the men's 400 m semis with a 46.18 to make the final.

In Day 2 qualifying action, Miku Takino (Ritsumeikan Univ.) made the women's 400 mH hurdles semifinals, running 57.21 for 4th in Heat 3. Sota Haraguchi (Juntendo Univ.) and Shun Yamanaka (Kyoto Univ.) both cleared 2.13 m to make the men's high jump final. No luck for Japanese middle distance, though. In the men's 1500 m heats Hinata Maeda (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) ran 3:47.19 for 6th in Heat 2 and Kiyoto Ono (Juntendo Univ.) 3:47.27 for 6th in Heat 1, neither making the final cut of 12. Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) didn't make it through the first round of the women's 800 m either, taking 6th in Heat 4 in 2:07.02.

The FISU World University Games continue through Sunday.

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...

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...

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...

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