Updates on Transfers

April 1 is the start of Japan's new academic and fiscal year, and there's always a wave of transfer announcements to go with it. Some notable ones yesterday:

800 m NR holder Rin Kubo skipped university to go straight to 2023 Queens Ekiden national champion Sekisui Kagaku after her graduation from Higashi Osaka Keiai H.S.
Multiple NR holder Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete.
Already on the team for this fall's Nagoya Asian Games in the 10000 m, Ririka Hironaka announced a switch from her longtime home at Japan Post to the Uniqlo women's team.
Collegiate marathon record holder Asahi Kuroda joined the 2026 national champion GMO corporate team after graduating from 2026 Hakone Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University last week.
Hakone Ekdien First Stage CR holder Rui Aoki joins the Sumitomo Denko corporate team after running his final race for 2025 Izumo Ekiden winner Koku Gakuin University at last month's United Airlines NYC Half.
Hakone Ekiden Second Stage CR holder Victor Kimutai joined the SID Group corporate team after his graduation from Josai University.
Two-time Hakone Ekiden stage winner Shunsuke Yoshii follows his older brother Yamato Yoshii in going from Chuo University to the Toyota corporate team.
Last year's top Japanese high jumper at 2.33 m, Yuto Seko joins the Yamada Holdings corporate team.
2025 World University Games half marathon silver medalist Makoto Tsuchiya of 2024 national champion Ritsumeikan University joined the Daihatsu corporate women's team.
2025 Hakone Ekiden Ninth Stage winner Yuga Sakurai of Josai University joined the Kraftia team headed by last year's Berlin marathon runner-up Akira Akasaki.
2025 Kanto Regionals men's 1500 m winner Takumi Shiobara and 2024 National University Track and Field Championships men's 800 m champion Shuta Azuma have joined the Fujisan GX corporate team.
A Paris Olympian in the 4x100 m while still at Toyo University, Hiroki Yanagita becomes the first sprinter at the Honda corporate team in 43 years.
Paris Olympics women's 10000 m team member Yuka Takashima left the Shiseido corporate team, her new home yet to be announced.
2022 World U20 Championships women's hammer throw bronze medalist and last year's national champion Raika Murakami heads to the Zenrin corporate team.
A 27:54.06 runner for 10000 m at Waseda University, Yuhi Nakaya has retired at 26 to become assistant coach back home at Saku Chosei H.S.
2021 Tokyo Olympics men's marathon team member Shogo Nakamura took over as head coach at Meiji Gakuin University.
2021 Tokyo Olympics men's marathon team alternate Ryo Hashimoto was named assistant coach at his alma mater Aoyama Gakuin University after retiring from GMO.
Assistant coach Noriaki Nishide took over as head coach at 2019 Hakone Ekiden winner Tokai University, with previous head coach Hayashi Morozumi stepping back to focus on scouting and recruitment.
2019 men's 3000 mSC national champion and Tokai alumnus Ryohei Sakaguchi announced that he has ended his relationship with On and will continue competing in a TBA new environment.
2015 Asian Games 1500 m silver medalist Maya Iino became assistant coach of the women's long distance team at her alma mater Tokyo Nogyo University.
Having retired from the Chuo Hatsujo corporate team after last month's Tokyo Marathon, 2014 Hakone Ekiden MVP Kento Otsu was named assistant coach at Rikkyo University.
Takahisa Hakozaki, head coach of 2013 National High School Ekiden boys' winner Yamanashi Gakuin H.S., became head coach of 2020-21 National High School Ekiden winner Sera H.S.

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...

japan running news

Search This Blog