japan running news

A group of Japanese university runners competed in the Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km road race in the Netherlands on Nov. 17. Every year a group of students is selected to compete based on their results at the National University Half Marathon and National University Track and Field Championships 10000 m. Having won both the Izumo Ekiden and National University Ekiden this season, Koku Gakuin University was out in force in the men's race too. Rui Aoki was part of a 5-way sprint finish for 2nd behind Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo 's 40:42 world best, taking 4th in 43:23, the best-ever Japanese men's performance at the race. Aoki won this year's National University Half Marathon in 1:02:06. He was 3rd on the First Stage at October's Izumo Ekiden and 7th on the Second Stage at the National University Ekiden, playing a key role in KGU's wins at both. His teammate Hikaru Tsujihara was 10th in 43:55, having handled the Third Stage at both Izumo and Nationals. Hinata Shirakawa ...

With the Kanto Region being the heavy draw for top high school talent thanks to the Hakone Ekiden, it's not a surprise that its schools dominate the national-level university ekidens. Out of 25 universities and two select teams from across the country at last November's National University Ekiden, Kanto Region teams took the top 14 spots, with only Kokushikan University beaten by the National University Select Team which included some Kanto Region runners. The top eight there, Komazawa University , Aoyama Gakuin University , Koku Gakuin University , Chuo University , Josai University , Soka University , Daito Bunka University and Tokyo Kokusai University , auto-qualified for the 2024 Nationals race, with the rest having to run today's qualifying race to make it back. The qualifying race was made up of four heats of 10000 m on the track at Kanagawa's Sagamihara Gion Stadium, each heat with two runners from each of the 20 schools competing, each team scored on the to...