Skip to main content

Osaka Wins National Women's Ekiden for 5th Time


The Osaka team took its 5th national title Sunday at the 9-stage, 42.195 km National Women's Ekiden in Kyoto over Hyogo and Nagano. Nagano's Haruna Tabata opened a 5-second lead on the 6.0 km First Stage, the first time a high schooler had won the opening leg since Ririka Hironaka in 2019. With that momentum Nagano held the lead through the first 6 stages.

But a change came on the 4.0 km Seventh Stage. Starting 19 seconds back in 3rd, Osaka's Rio Kawamura put in a brilliant run to overtake both Hyogo and Nagano, handing off with a 16-second lead by the end of the stage. Hyogo went past Osaka on the 3.0 km Eighth Stage to take the top position for the first time, but with only a 5-second gap at the start of the 10.0 km Ninth Stage it came down to a battle between Hyogo anchor Rio Einaga and Osaka's Ayu Henmi.

After catching up Henmi stayed locked to Einaga throughout the stage before kicking just past 1 km to go and running away to break the finish line tape in 2:18:19. "Our goal was to win this, so was determined to stay in it and take it at the end," Henmi said post-race. "I was only 5 seconds behind at the start, so my plan was to catch up in the first half, stay with her over the second half and run well all the way to the track. Everything went well up to when it was time to make a move, so I was pretty confident I could win it."

44th National Women's Ekiden

Kyoto, 11 Jan. 2026
47 teams, 9 stages, 42.195 km

Top Team Results
1. Osaka - 2:18:19
2. Hyogo - 2:18:28
3. Nagano - 2:19:12
4. Kyoto - 2:19:33
5. Okayama - 2:19:45
6. Gunma - 2:19:48
7. Saitama - 2:19:56
8. Shizuoka - 2:19:59
9. Chiba - 2:20:00
10. Kagoshima - 2:20:17

Top Individual Stage Results
First Stage (6.0 km)
1. Haruna Tabata (Nagano) - 19:28
2. Ayami Yoshida (Hokkaido) - 19:33
3. Hikaru Kitagawa (Shiga) - 19:33

Second Stage (4.0 km)
1. Nozomi Tanaka (Hyogo) - 12:14
2. Nami Kawakami (Nagano) - 12:31
3. Kana Inoue (Yamagata) - 12:32

Third Stage (3.0 km, J.H.S.)
1. Aoi Ota (Aichi) - 9:20
2. Nonoha Takahashi (Tokyo) - 9:27
3. Mio Nakano (Saga) - 9:28

Fourth Stage (4.0 km)
1. Nodoka Ashida (Kyoto) - 12:43
2. Yua Nagamori (Miyagi) - 12:46
3. Miu Saito (Shizuoka) - 12:49

Fifth Stage (4.1075 km)
1. Aika Murai (Osaka) - 13:11
2. Kairi Ikeno (Hyogo) - 13:14
3. Risako Watanabe (Chiba) - 13:22

Sixth Stage (4.0875 km)
1. Rei Taya (Osaka) - 12:54
2. An Morimoto (Nara) - 12:59
3. Kaho Tochio (Kyoto) - 13:02

Seventh Stage (4.0 km)
1. Rio Kawamura (Osaka) - 12:25
2. Kanna Fujii (Hiroshima) - 12:43
3. Chisato Tane (Hyogo) - 12:44

Eighth Stage (3.0 km, J.H.S.)
1. Hiyori Kanada (Shizuoka) - 10:10
2. Anzu Sakata (Tokyo) - 10:17
3. Momoka Urabe (Aichi) - 10:28

Ninth Stage (10.0 km)
1. Wakana Kabasawa (Gunma) - 31:57
2. Rio Goshima (Ishikawa) - 32:29
3. Kana Kobayashi (Tokushima) - 32:37
4. Mao Kogure (Saitama) - 32:39
5. Mizuki Nishimura (Kumamoto) - 32:54
6. Sakiho Tsutsui (Chiba) - 32:59
7. Ayu Henmi (Osaka) - 33:03
8. Honoka Tanaike (Shiga) - 33:05
8. Nagisa Shimotabira (Miyazaki) - 33:05 
10. Miku Hirashima (Okayama) - 33:07


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

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...
1 comment
Read more

Olympic Marathoner Nakamoto Scores 10000 m PB

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2012/05/19/kiji/K20120519003286760.html translated by Brett Larner London Olympics men's marathon team member Kentaro Nakamoto  (Team Yasukawa Denki) set a 10000 m PB May 19 at Sayagatani Field in Kita-Kyushu, finishing 9th at the Kyushu Corporate Track & Field Championships in 28:54.59.  "A PB makes me feel pretty good inside about things," Nakamoto commented with a smile.  "I'll be going into marathon training in good shape." Nakamoto's previous best time was 29:04.24.  In today's race he stuck to the back of the lead pack, saving his energy for a intended surge over the final stage but unable to execute as planned.  "My closing speed is still a problem," he said without seeming too concerned.  His coach Naoki Yamagashira  said, "We achieved our goal of improving his track speed.  He scored 100% today." Next up Nakamoto will run the Bupa London 10000 road race on April 27 as par...
1 comment
Read more

Australian Male Arrested on Drug Smuggling Charges After Entering Japan for Osaka Marathon

On Apr. 9 the Kinki Region Bureau of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Control Division arrested Matthew Inglis Fox , 38, an Australian business owner of no known fixed address, on charges of violating the importation regulations of the Narcotics Control Act by smuggling tablets containing marijuana elements from the United States. The suspect had entered Japan in February to run in the Osaka Marathon . The suspect was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 12 pills containing marijuana by sending them from a U.S. airport to Osaka's Kansai Airport using an international courier service on Feb. 19. The Osaka branch of the Customs Service discovered the tablets in arriving cargo and suspected them to be narcotics. Customs contacted the Narcotics Control Division, which then began its investigation of the case. According to the Narcotics Control Division, the suspect denies the charges.  Translator's note: Fox, who received a lifetime ban from the Ageo City Half Mara...
41 comments
Read more