Nagano Breaks National Interprefectural Ekiden Course Record; High School Senior Murasawa Runs 23:55 for 8.5 km Stage Record
by Brett Larner
Click picture for video highlights.
Despite anchor Yuichiro Ueno suffering stomach cramps and slowing in the final kilometers of his stage, Nagano Prefecture's 2009 team put together a winning run at the Jan. 18 National Interprefectural Men's Ekiden in Hiroshima, winning its fifth title in six years and covering the 48.0 km course in a record time of 2:18:43. Nagano's Akinobu Murasawa also set a new stage record of 23:55 on the 8.5 km 5th stage, breaking the previous record by 12 seconds. Of the seven members on Nagano's team, three including Murasawa were current students at 2008 National High School Boys Ekiden champion Saku Chosei High School, two were graduates of Saku Chosei, and the remaining two were junior high school students who will undoubtedly go on to attend Saku Chosei.
1st Stage - 7.0 km
Nagano's Kenta Chiba ran patiently at the front of the pack throughout the stage, covering a string of moves by the stage's other high school runner…
Click picture for video highlights.
Despite anchor Yuichiro Ueno suffering stomach cramps and slowing in the final kilometers of his stage, Nagano Prefecture's 2009 team put together a winning run at the Jan. 18 National Interprefectural Men's Ekiden in Hiroshima, winning its fifth title in six years and covering the 48.0 km course in a record time of 2:18:43. Nagano's Akinobu Murasawa also set a new stage record of 23:55 on the 8.5 km 5th stage, breaking the previous record by 12 seconds. Of the seven members on Nagano's team, three including Murasawa were current students at 2008 National High School Boys Ekiden champion Saku Chosei High School, two were graduates of Saku Chosei, and the remaining two were junior high school students who will undoubtedly go on to attend Saku Chosei.
1st Stage - 7.0 km
Nagano's Kenta Chiba ran patiently at the front of the pack throughout the stage, covering a string of moves by the stage's other high school runner…