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

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more