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National High School Championships Day 4 Highlights

Day 4 of the 2026 National High School Championships saw this year's first meet record. In a breakaway race Bilith Boi (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) dropped the rest of the lead quartet to take the boys' 5000 m in a 13:34.53 MR, outrunning crosstown rival Sei Yoshida (Tokaidai Sapporo H.S.) whose 13:36.34 was the fastest-ever by a Japanese-born runner at Nationals. 3rd-placer Kogo Yonenaga (Kagoshima Kogyo H.S.) just made it under 13:40 too in 13:39.86, with Kemboi Kiprop (Kurashiki H.S.) dropping off for 4th in 13:42.76.

In a season that's already seen a girls' heptathlon high school NR from Sawa Okada, Mirei Eguchi (Tokaidai Sagami H.S.) stayed solid throughout the second day of the heptathlon to win in a 5447 PB. That was enough to move her up to all-time #3 on the Japanese high school lists behind Okada's 5559 from May and previous record holder Meg Hemphill's 5519.

The girls' 400 mH final had great times up front too. Yuna Kusuda (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) and Makoto Saka (Saku Chosei H.S.) ran the 6th and 7th-fastest times ever by Japanese high schoolers, Kusuda getting the win in 57.74 and Saka next in 57.85. 0.01 faster and Kusuda would have broken into the U20 all-time top 10. The boys' race was a bit lower-key, Noriyuki Takano (Kamiina Nogyo H.S.) taking it in 50.80.

On the field, Runa Kamoda (Tokaidai Sagami H.S.) won the only final of the day, clearing 1.76 m to take the girls' high jump.

National High School Championships

Day 4 Highlights
Otsu, Shiga, 2 August 2026

1. Bilith Boi (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 13:34.53 - MR
2. Sei Yoshida (Tokaidai Sapporo H.S.) - 13:36.34
3. Kogo Yonenaga (Kagoshima Kogyo H.S.) - 13:39.86
4. Kemboi Kiprop (Kurashiki H.S.) - 13:42.76
5. Yudai Fujii (Miyazaki Nichidai H.S.) - 14:00.64
6. Kain Inagaki (Rakunan H.S.) - 14:04.99
7. Antonyita Pareiyo (Fukuoka Daiichi H.S.) - 14:12.52
8. Koki Ishihara (Rakunan H.S.) - 14:13.40
9. Osuke Misawa (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 14:13.75
10. Yuzuru Baba (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 14:15.64

1. Yuna Kusuda (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) - 57.74
2. Makoto Saka (Saku Chosei H.S.) - 57.85
3. Natsuki Kawamura (Hiroshima Minami H.S.) - 59.32
4. Miku Minegishi (Ritsumeikan Keisho H.S.) - 59.59
5. Chikako Yamamoto (Kokusai Gakuin H.S.) - 59.79
6. Koharu Uematsu (Gifu Norin H.S.) - 1:00.02
7. Yui Nagazawa (Himeji Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 1:00.21
8. Himari Nobuhara (Kureshi Chuo H.S.) - 1:00.90

1. Noriyuki Takano (Kamiina Nogyo H.S.) - 50.80
2. Akito Fukuda (Okayama Sozan H.S.) - 51.08
3. Daisuke Hiraoka (Takigawa Daini H.S.) - 51.39
4. Keikan Fujiwara (Komaba Toho H.S.) - 51.47
5. Yamato Sugiyama (Kinkidai Kogyo H.S.) - 51.99
6. Keisuke Takado (Soyo H.S.) - 51.60
7. Yuki Watanabe (Kunori H.S.) - 51.76
8. Ken Kuramitsu (Hirosaki H.S.) - 52.36

1. Runa Kamoda (Tokaidai Sagami H.S.) - 1.76 m
2. Shiori Watanabe (Sakushin Gakuin H.S.) - 1.73 m
3. Amane Taniguchi (Shiraume Gakuen H.S.) - 1.70 m

1. Mirei Eguchi (Tokaidai Sagami H.S.) - 5447
2. Miku Kato (Hakuodai Ashikaga H.S.) - 5045
3. Ayaka Natsume (Anjo Gakuen H.S.) - 4676

© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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