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Even with some big losses to graduation this year, defending champion Koku Gakuin University found a way to put together a winning lineup to take its 2nd-straight title at the season-opening Izumo Ekiden in Shimane. Favorite Chuo University was expected to be looking at a landslide, but instead of riding it to a blowout win it found itself caught beneath one under sunny skies and hot temperatures. Chuo's lead runner Kaisei Okada ran away from the field on the 1st leg, but after him only one other of Chuo's five remaining runners did better than 7th of 22 on his stage and the team ended up 10th. Head coach Masakazu Fujiwara excels at development on the track, but this kind of result is exactly how Chuo went from ranked #1 two years ago to not making Izumo last year. The fan pick to be a threat this year, Waseda University took over from Chuo on the 2nd leg with a win by Tomonori Yamaguchi , but after that it was a struggle to stay where they ultimately ended up in 2nd. Jos...

Ekiden season is well underway , but for university men it kicks off Monday at the season-opening Izumo Ekiden . At 6 legs averaging 7.5 km it's short and sweet compared to November's National University Ekiden and January's Hakone Ekiden, showing off some different skill sets than at the half marathon-centric Hakone. In that regard this year's race looks pretty interesting. Most of the top programs, like last year's 1st through 4th-placers Koku Gakuin University , Aoyama Gakuin University , Komazawa University and Soka University , 6th-place Waseda University and 7th-place Josai University , are down a bit on average performance level over 5000 m and 10000 m, while in most cases having better half marathon averages. At the same time some of the next-tier programs like 8th-place Teikyo University and 11th-place Toyo University are up on track speed this season, making them a threat for better placings this year. And at the top of the list, Chuo University and l...

The university men's ekiden season dominates the calendar in Japan, three main races spanning an arc from October's Izumo Ekiden , 6 stages totaling 45.1 km, November's National University Ekiden, 8 stages totaling 106.8 km, and the biggest of them all, January's Hakone Ekiden, 10 stages over 2 days totaling 217.1 km. This year's season kicks off Monday at Izumo, where 2022-2023 winner Komazawa University tries to make it 3 in a row. Despite losing 2 of last year's top members, Taiyo Yasuhara and Mebuki Suzuki , to graduation and the absence of star 3rd-year Keita Sato who is still rehabbing an injury, Komazawa's team is almost exactly as strong as it was last year, when it won by 2 minutes despite being ranked only 4th in the field. But out of the 9 Kanto Region teams in the Izumo field, Komazawa is the only one that isn't stronger on weighted average of its 6 fastest men over 5000 m and 10000 m. That means it comes in ranked 6th, still a solid conte...

https://www.triathlon.org/news/article/a_breakthrough_performance_for_hugo_milner_with_gold_in_miyazaki Hugo Milner  ran the Izumo Ekiden 3 weeks ago for the Ivy League Select Team , finishing 2nd on the 8.0 km First Stage in 22:53, 8 seconds behind 1:00:11 half marathoner Kotaro Shinohara  of overall winner Komazawa University .

Ekiden season is back with the first of the Big Three University Ekidens, Monday's Izumo Ekiden in Shimane. Last year Komazawa University became one of the few schools to win all three, Izumo, November's National University Ekiden, and January's Hakone Ekiden, in a single season. This year Komazawa is aiming to become the first school to win the triple crown two years in a row, and with Hakone celebrating its 100th running that means something even more. But it won't be easy. Izumo is shorter and faster than the other races, with 6 stages totaling 45.1 km and an average stage length of 7.5 km. Komazawa is in its top tier for sure, with the 2nd-best 6-man 5000 m average in the field, 13:35.86. U20 5000 m NR holder Keita Sato , who trained in Boulder and St. Moritz this year with OAC , leads that average and is set to double in Izumo after running the Asian Games 5000 m on Wednesday. But with the graduation of fastest-ever Japanese-born collegiate 10000 m man Ren Tazawa...

University men's ekiden season kicks off Monday with the Izumo Ekiden , the first race in the three-month buildup to January's Hakone Ekiden main event. Last year four-time Hakone champ Aoyama Gakuin University outran up-and-coming Tokai University at both Izumo and November's National University Ekiden but fell short of stopping Tokai at Hakone. This year AGU is significantly down on strength, while Tokai is stronger than ever. But while Tokai is the clear favorite, it's got a serious challenge coming from at least one, maybe two familiar faces. The average stage length for Izumo's six stages is about 7.5 km, requiring a balance between 5000 m and 10000 m skills. Despite missing captain Ryoji Tatezawa Tokai leads the way in both departments, its top six 5000 m average of 13:47.22 the fastest among the seven schools with sub-14 minute averages and its 10000 m average of 28:39.35 likewise leading the way among the six sub-29 programs. Half marathon credentia...

Leading start to finish, 2015-2016 Izumo Ekiden champ Aoyama Gakuin University overcame last year's winner Tokai University and a tough challenge from Toyo University to win Izumo's 30th anniversary edition. In hot and sunny conditions that followed the passing of Typhoon #25 AGU's Taisei Hashizume got things rolling, opening a six-second lead over Toyo's Akira Aizawa on the 8.0 km First Stage. Tokai's Yuichiro Nishikawa was 20 seconds back in 6th. Takato Suzuki increased AGU's lead on the 5.8 km Second Stage with a 16:26 stage win. Indoor mile national record holder Ryoji Tatezawa was next-fastest in 16:29, running down four teams including Toyo to put the defending champs into 2nd. The lone crack in Toyo's armor, Kazuya Nishiyama ran only 16:54 to drop Toyo back to 3rd some 34 seconds off the lead. Back in 4th place, Takushoku University captain Workneh Derese ran a 25:17stage best on the 8.5 km Third Stage to overtake both Toyo and Tok...

Monday marks the 30th anniversary of the start of university men's ekiden season, the first of the Big Three University Ekidens, the Izumo Ekiden . When you think Japanese university distance running the first thing that comes to mind is the Hakone Ekiden and its ten half marathonish stages. Izumo is short and sweet by comparison, with just six stages averaging 7.5 km apiece. Aoyama Gakuin University has been the king of Hakone for four years straight and looks bound to hang on to its hegemony this season with all the tenacity of the white men of the Republican party. Last year Tokai University shook AGU up with a surprise win at Izumo, and this year it's bound to be a race between the two of them. Tokai has a slight edge, its ten-man entry roster featuring eight men with sub-14 minute bests for 5000 m and four sub-29 for 10000 m with AGU having seven and four respectively. Tokai's top pair of third-years Shota Onizuka and Hayato Seki have bests of 13:38.58 and 28:1...

It's almost time for the weekend's biggest race, as university men's ekiden season kicks off at Monday's Izumo Ekiden . 21 university teams face off over 45.1 km split into six stages, the short stage lengths rewarding the teams with the best speed credentials. For the last few years that's been Aoyama Gakuin University , a program that rose from nearly zero to juggernaut status under talented head coach Susumu Hara , but this year AGU's time in the spotlight may be up. Over the six years since taking over as head coach in 2011 Hayashi Morozumi has turned Tokai University into a program that can challenge AGU's depth and quality. With Morozumi having spent track season focusing his team on 1500 m speed Tokai now has fifteen men with 5000 m bests under 14 minutes, and ten of them make up Tokai's roster for Izumo. Led by second-year Hayato Seki with bests of 13:35.81 and 28:23.37, all of Tokai's best six made the cut, giving it six-man average...

Izumo Ekiden Ivy League team out in Shinjuku before flying home. Our incredibly nice waitress made this for the team pic.twitter.com/S1wxH9Ypgc — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) October 11, 2016 A day after its 14th-place finish at the 28th Izumo Ekiden , JRN sat down with the members and staff of the Ivy League Select Team in Shinjuku to talk about their races and experience.  Their own words, in 35 seconds or less: Henry Sterling (Dartmouth) : First Stage (8.0 km) - 24:48 (17th of 20) スターリング選手(1区): 「思い通り走りできなかった。 しかし、あれくらいのテンションとエネルギーのありスタートは今まで経験なかった。出雲大社宇迦橋大鳥居までの最初の下り坂は本当にすごかった。忘られない気持ちでした。」 pic.twitter.com/x0FJLD611J — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) October 12, 2016 John Gregorek (Columbia) : Second Stage (5.8 km) - 18:54 (20th of 20) グレゴリック選手'2区): 「そんなにうまく行かなかった。区間最低だったと思う。しかし沿道からの応援は素晴らしかった。大事な経験となりました。 やはり日本が好きです！来年リベンジしたい。また2020年にアメリカ代表として来ます！」 pic.twitter.com/EZSMXY8CnD — Japan Running News (@JRNHeadlines) October 12, 2016 Chris Bendts...

by Brett Larner The organizers of the 28th Izumo Ekiden have released the starting order for Monday's six stage, 45.1 km race.  Below are the top runners on each stage from the field of twenty university teams and their best times for distances close to what they will be racing.  Click here for JRN's detailed preview .  Complete starting lists are available here in Japanese.  Follow @JRNLive for live coverage throughout the race beginning at 1:00 p.m. Japan time. Last year's course record-setting winner Aoyama Gakuin University is back as the favorite, but it's due for a serious challenge from last year's runner-up Yamanashi Gakuin University and the ascendant Tokai University .  Going by PB YGU runners lead AGU's on all but the Fifth Stage.  Both schools' anchors return, but last year YGU's Dominic Nyairo was a minute faster than AGU's Tadashi Isshiki over the 10.2 km Sixth Stage.  YGU may build up a lead over the first four stages and l...

by Brett Larner click here for starting lists and additional preview University men's ekiden season kicks off Monday, October 10 with the first of the Big Three University Ekidens, the 28th running of the Izumo Ekiden .  A week out from the race organizers released the entry lists for the 21-team field, 10 universities from the Tokyo-centric Kanto Region, 6 from other parts of Japan, 4 regional select teams and, for the 19th year, the Ivy League Select Team from the U.S.A., the last vestige of the international ekiden in Japan. The top 12-ranked teams at this year's Izumo Ekiden.  Click to enlarge. Last year Aoyama Gakuin University did the incredible, breaking the 6-stage, 45.1 km Izumo course record despite a 600 m addition to the Third Stage.  With the graduation of four key seniors including Third Stage winner Kazuma Kubota AGU is down slightly on strength this year, but only slightly.  With 13 men on his roster having 5000 m bests under 14 minutes,...

Meter magazine published an in-depth article on ekidens and the Ivy League Select Team's run at the last Izumo Ekiden in its third issue.  Text by JRN's Brett Larner, photos by Androniki Christodoulou and Kazuyuki Sugimatsu. Order copies here .

by Brett Larner Despite missing its best runner, 2015 Hakone Ekiden course record setter Aoyama Gakuin University delivered a thrilling anchor stage win over defending champion Komazawa University to win the 2015 Izumo Ekiden in a course record 2:09:05, leading the top five teams on to faster-paced runs than Komazawa's 2013 record-setting win. For almost the entire race, returning after a typhoon-induced cancellation last year with a 45.1 km course 600 m longer than Komazawa's 2:09:11 course record win version in 2013, Aoyama Gakuin and Komazawa dueled head to head for the title in the first of the Big Three University Ekidens, the crown jewels of Japan's racing schedule.  Komazawa's Keisuke Nakatani , this year's World University Games 10000 m bronze medalist, went to his limit against AGU rival Yusuke Ogura , the World University Games half marathon gold medalist, beating him by 15 seconds to put Komazawa well ahead on the 8.0 km First Stage.  Komazawa...

by Brett Larner The road ahead awaits.  Back after a typhoon-induced cancellation last year, the Izumo Ekiden kicks off the 2015-16 university men's ekiden season on Oct. 12.  Short and sweet with six stages averaging 7.5 km, Izumo is an indication of things to come in the buildup to the biggest of them all, January's season-ending Hakone Ekiden. 2015 Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University and defending Izumo champion Komazawa University are the clear favorites, with preceding champs Toyo University and Waseda University and darkhorse Yamanashi Gakuin University conceivably in the game.  Back again this year, the Ivy League Select Team fields a lineup that could see it equal its best-ever 8th-place finish if all goes perfectly. No typhoon is on the horizon, but the forecast does call for strong winds straight out of the west, meaning a tailwind on the first half of the course and a powerful headwind in the second half.  In the pre-race coaches' press...