5th last year, Edion led almost start to finish to win its first-ever national title at the Queens Ekiden corporate women's national championship race Sunday in Sendai. Its lead-off runner Kana Mizumoto opened up a 16-second lead that it held until the 4th leg, when the talented Caroline Kariba from 2024 winner Japan Post ran down Edion's Saya Nakajima. It's hard to fault Nakajima, who was still the fastest Japanese woman on that leg, and in any case Edion's 5th runner Ai Hosoda, 6th at August's Sydney Marathon, caught Japan Post's Kotoka Ota late in the 10.0 km leg to put Edion out front again by 7 seconds.
Both Edion anchor Miho Hiraoka and Japan Post's Mao Kogure ran identical times for the 6.795 km 6th leg, 21:24, Hiraoka bringing Edion in to its first-ever win in 2:13:50. It had to have been frustrating for Kogure, who just couldn't close the gap and had to accept 2nd in 2:13:57. 2023 winner Sekisui Kagaku was almost a minute back in 3rd in 2:14:51, with Princess Ekiden qualifying race winner Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo bettering the CR it set there by 6 seconds for 4th in 2:15:47. Queens Ekiden CR holder Shiseido was 5th, with one of the highlights of the race being a 32:54 CR for the 10.6 km 3rd leg by Rino Goshima while trying to hold off Japan Post's Ririka Hironaka, who also went under the CR in 32:56.
The top 8 auto-qualify for 2026, and the race for 8th was a great one. At the final exchange only 15 seconds separated 5 teams. Finishing 9th last year, Uniqlo escaped the chase behind them to get back onto the podium in 6th in 2:16:22. Tenmaya also got back on board, finishing 7th in 2:16:29 in large part thanks to 5th runner Mizuki Nishimura. A lucky 3rd last year, Shimamura came to the top of the 5-way race for the last podium spot as anchor Anna Suzuki outran Daihatsu, Iwatani Sangyo, Toyota Jidoshokki and Panasonic for 8th.
4th last year, Panasonic was only 13th and heads back to the qualifying round at next year's Princess Ekiden. Likewise for 2024's 6th-placer Iwatani Sangyo and 7th-place Daiichi Seimei, only 10th and 15th this time around.
Overall it was easy to see a generational shift this year, with veterans like Japan Post's Ayuko Suzuki, Sekisui Kagaku's Hitomi Niiya, and Shiseido's Mao Ichiyama all absent and others like Tenmaya's marathon NR holder Honami Maeda and Daihatsu's Mizuki Matsuda losing out to younger talent. Probably the most anticipated run from the younger set was the corporate league debut of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa with Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo. Fuwa has struggled with injury since her stellar first year of university, and while she wasn't back to the same level of brilliance here she did her job, running the 6th-fastest time on the 10.6 km 3rd leg, 34:00, to move Mitsui Sumitomo into podium position. New 3000 mSC NR holder Miu Saito from Panasonic was also solid on the same stage, running 33:41 for 5th. Some of the past stars may be fading away, but there was hope to be seen at the youngest end of this year's field.
Queens Ekiden
National Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships
Sendai, Miyagi, 23 Nov. 2025
24 teams, 6 stages, 42.195 km
top 8 seeded for 2026
Team Results
1. Edion - 2:13:50
2. Japan Post - 2:13:57
3. Sekisui Kagaku - 2:14:51
4. Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo - 2:15:47
5. Shiseido - 2:16:08
6. Uniqlo - 2:16:22
7. Tenmaya - 2:16:29
8. Shimamura - 2:16:41
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9. Daihatsu - 2:17:02
10. Iwatani Sangyo - 2:17:21
11. Toyota Jidoshokki - 2:17:24
12. Starts - 2:17:27
13. Panasonic - 2:17:41
14. Sysmex - 2:17:43
15. Daiichi Seimei - 2:17:44
16. Universal Entertainment - 2:17:45
17. Kyocera - 2:18:10
18. Higo Ginko - 2:18:11
19. Otsuka Seiyaku - 2:18:22
20. Tokyo Metro - 2:18:35
21. Noritz - 2:18:37
22. Route Inn Hotels - 2:18:43
23. Ehime Ginko - 2:20:40
24. Kraftia - 2:21:44
Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (7.0 km)
1. Kana Mizumoto (Edion) - 21:30
2. Shiori Yoshizono (Tenmaya) - 21:46
3. Ayu Henmi (Toyota Jidoshokki) - 21:48
Second Stage (4.2 km)
1. Minami Nishiyama (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 13:14
2. Tomoka Kimura (Sekisui Kagaku) - 13:16
3. Ayano Ide (Shiseido) - 13:22
Third Stage (10.6 km)
1. Rino Goshima (Shiseido) - 32:54 - CR
2. Ririka Hironaka (Japan Post) - 32:56 (CR)
3. Mikuni Yada (Edion) - 33:32
Fourth Stage (3.6 km)
1. Caroline Kariba (Japan Post) - 10:38 - CR
2. Dolphine Omare (Uniqlo) - 10:52
2. Yvonne Chepkosgei (Higo Ginko) - 10:52
Fifth Stage (10.0 km)
1. Ai Hosoda (Edion) - 32:12
2. Risa Yamazaki (Sekisui Kagaku) - 32:14
3. Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) - 32:16
Sixth Stage (6.795 km)
1. Rina Sasaki (Sekisui Kagaku) - 21:13
2. Miho Hiraoka (Edion) - 21:24
2. Mao Kogure (Japan Post) - 21:24
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
I'm afraid it all went pear shaped early on for my pick Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo when Wakana Kabasawa inexplicably ran, by her standards, a very poor first leg. She must be carrying an injury or something else was amiss because this was not the same athlete who did so well just over a month ago in the Princess Ekiden. It was still a good overall result for the team but a victory or at minimum a podium spot was there for the taking if they performed to expectation.
Sekisui Kagaku surprised me, doing very well to finish 3rd and finish the final 2 legs with excellent runs by Risa Yamazaki and Rina Sasaki.
As for Shiseido I expected they would have a poor race but Rino Goshima turned her somewhat recent mediocre form to the side to achieve a superb Course Record in the crucial 3rd stage. I fully expected her to slow down, as she did, in her last 10000m race not too long ago. Also I thought losing Judy Jepngetich in the 4th stage would hurt them more.
Japan Post made it interesting and Ririka Hironaka and Caroline Kariba did sensationally well to lift them up into a position to challenge for victory. It was close in the end.
The race didn't quite have the excitement and edge of the seat thrills of the Morinomiyako Ekiden or last year's Princess and Queen's events but it was interesting to see new young talent emerge. Great coverage again by TBS. The YouTube livestream is excellent.
As a footnote, I anticipate Miu Saito and Minami Nishiyama to have a ding dong battle in their 3000m SC pet event in the future. Both are in top form and improving at a rapid rate. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Minami Nishiyama breaks the National Record next year.