japan running news

After winning the Morinomiyako Ekiden for the first time in October, Josai University pulled off the double in an anchor stage battle against Tohoku Fukushi University and Daito Bunka University with all three going for their first-ever Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national title. 2024 Morinomiyako and Mt. Fuji double champ Ritsumeikan University got off to a good start with a stage win from lead runner Yua Sato but plummeted to 9th when star 3rd-year Sayuki Ota was only 16th of 24 on the Second Stage. From there it was all Ritsumeikan could do to hang on to a place in the top 5, the same as its result in Morinomiyako this year. In its place, Josai went to the front off a CR of 20:36 for the 6.8 km Second Stage by 1st-year Kyo Honma to go with her opening leg CR at Morinomiyako. It stayed out front until the longest leg of the race, the 10.5 km Fifth Stage, where Sarah Wanjiru of perpetual runner-up DBU easily turned a 47-second deficit into a 47-second lead and Nazuki Sasaki ...

The last big dynasty school in Japanese women's university ekiden racing, Ritsumeikan University put an end to Meijo University 's 6-year streak at the Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national championships with a course record-breaking win that put them back on top for the first time since 2017. Running for the National University Select Team , the talented Haruka Ogawa from Rikkyo University led early with a 12:42 CR on the 4.1 km 1st leg. Miu Saito from last year's runner-up Nittai University went to the front on the 2nd leg, but from there on out it was a close race between Nittai and 2023 3rd and 4th-placer Daito Bunka University and Ritsumeikan University . Each team took a turn leading, Ritsumeikan with back-to-back wins on the 3rd and 4th legs by 1st-year duo Momoka Moriyasu and Yumi Yamamoto , and DBU with a great stage win by collegiate 5000 m record holder Sarah Wanjiru . But Ritsumeikan was just too strong over the last two stages, 6th runner Fuka Fukunaga ...