First of the Big Three – Izumo Ekiden Entry Lists – by Brett Larner – Japan Running News

The Izumo Ekiden has released the entry lists for this year's race on Monday, Oct. 12. The season-opening race on the Big Three men's university ekiden season calendar, Izumo returns for its 27th year after being canceled just before the race last year when a major typhoon hit the area. 

Ten of the best men's university teams from the Tokyo area start their trip to the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden in Izumo alongside six schools from other parts of Japan, four regional select teams, and, from the U.S. an Ivy League Select Team, all racing over six stages totaling 45.1 km.  Click the chart below for complete entry lists and rankings for the top twelve teams in the field.

Five of the top seven teams are missing their best runner, among them 2015 Hakone Ekiden course record setter Aoyama Gakuin University. Despite the absence of 4th-year Daichi Kamino, a 1:01:21 half marathoner, AGU is ranked #1 in the field overall and, with a course record-setting Izumo win in 2012 behind it when Kamino and the other 4th-years were just starting out, it looks like the solid favorite.  2013 winner Komazawa University is almost dead-even with Yamanashi Gakuin University for 2nd, YGU missing its star Kenyan Enock Omwamba but bringing in 1st-year reserve Dominic Nyairo for his university ekiden debut.  2011 winner Toyo University and 2010 course record setter Waseda University are likewise almost even at 4th in the rankings, Waseda missing captain and 2014 Ageo City Half Marathon winner Koki Takada.

Meiji University, Tokai University and Chuo Gakuin University occupy the next tier of contenders for the 8-deep podium, Meiji running without sub-28 man Ken Yokote and Tokai lacking several key seniors.  The Ivy League Select Team, featuring an overwhelming Princeton presence, comes in ranked 9th and will need a better-than-average run to make the podium.  The Ivies aside, Kyoto Sangyo University is the top-ranked school from outside the Tokyo area at 12th but is well within range of Josai University and Daito Bunka University and could pull off a rare top 10 finish.

JRN will be on-site throughout the weekend to cover the race for Meter magazine and the Tracksmith website.  Look for coverage here and at both Meter and Tracksmith, uniform sponsors of the Ivy League Select Team.  Catch the live nationwide broadcast on Fuji TV starting at 12:55 p.m. on the 12th.

(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Monday, October 5, 2015

Kurashiki H.S. and Okazaki Gakuen H.S. Win First Kurayoshi Ekiden Titles

by Brett Larner

Okayama prefecture's Kurashiki H.S. and Aichi's Okazaki Gakuen H.S. took their first-ever wins at the season's first big nationwide high school ekiden in Kurayoshi, Tottori on October 4.  In the 35th edition of the boys' race, Kurashiki, splitting its team into A and B squads, started slow, its B-squad 21st and A-squad 25th after the 10.0 km First Stage.  The A-squad moved up to 14th on the 3.0 km Second Stage, and with a stage best by its third runner Maeda it moved up to 3rd at halfway.  Kurashiki A's next three runners juggled between 1st and 2nd places, and with a 38-second lead over Kyushu Gakuin H.S. for the 5.0 km anchor stage it looked safe for the win.

Safe, that is, until Kurashiki A anchor Koga ran only the 12th-best time on the final stage, while behind him Kyushu Gakuin anchor Ueda bore down with a stage best 15:15.  It looked like it would be close, but in the end Koga had the margin he needed and broke the tape in 2:06:55, Kurashiki's first time winning in Kurayoshi.  Ueda was just 5 seconds behind him in 2:07:00.  Saikyo H.S. A was 3rd in 2:07:13, while 2014 National High School Ekiden Sera H.S.' A-squad finished 6th in 2:07:50.  Kurashiki's B-squad was strong enough to land in 10th in 2:09:08, making its chances look good for challenging Sera at Nationals in December.

The girls' race, celebrating its 30th running, was a three-way battle the entire way between 2013 National High School Ekiden champion Toyokawa H.S., 2012 national champion Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. and the relatively unheralded Okazaki Gakuen girls.  Toyokawa's Sarumida led on the 6.0 km First Stage, but a stage best by second runner Kawaguchi put Okazaki Gakuen into the lead where they stayed through the Third Stage.  Ritsumeikan Uji's fourth runner Nishiuchi in turn ran a stage best to move two seconds into the lead over Okazaki Gakuen going into the 5.0 km anchor stage.  There Okazaki Gakuen's Mitsube brought her best, outrunning Ritsumeikan Uji's Yamamoto by 20 seconds to give Okazaki Gakuen its first win in 1:09:59.  Ritsumeikan Uji took 2nd in 1:10:17, Toyokawa 3rd a short distance back in 1:10:27.  Running without most of its big names including the Takamatsu sisters, 2014 national champion Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. was only 9th in 1:11:51.

35th Nihonkai High School Boys Ekiden
Kurayoshi, Tottori, 10/4/15
7 stages, 42.195 km, 126 teams
click here for complete results

Team Results
1. Kurashiki H.S. A (Okayama) – 2:06:55
2. Kyushu Gakuin H.S. (Kumamoto) – 2:07:00
3. Saikyo H.S. A (Yamaguchi) – 2:07:13
4. Saku Chosei H.S. (Nagano) – 2:07:39
5. Hotoku Gakuen H.S. A (Hyogo) – 2:07:43
6. Sera H.S. A (Hiroshima) – 2:07:50
7. Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. A (Hyogo) – 2:07:54
8. Omuta H.S. A (Fukuoka) – 2:08:50
9. Rakunan H.S. (Kyoto) – 2:09:02
10. Kurashiki H.S. B (Okayama) – 2:09:08

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (10.0 km) – Sakaguchi (Rakunan H.S.) – 29:44
Second Stage (3.0 km) – Ikeda (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. A) – 8:32
Third Stage (8.1075 km) – Maeda (Kurashiki H.S. A) – 24:07
Fourth Stage (8.0875 km) – Nishida (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) – 24:18
Fifth Stage (3.0 km) – Akazawa (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. A) – 8:39
Sixth Stage (5.0 km) – Mwaura (Kurashiki H.S. B) – 14:05
Seventh Stage (5.0 km) – Ueda (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) – 15:15

30th Kurayoshi High School Girls Ekiden
Kurayoshi, Tottori, 10/4/15
5 stages, 21.0975 km, 102 teams
click here for complete results

Team Results
1. Okazaki Gakuen H.S. (Aichi) – 1:09:59
2. Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. – (Kyoto) – 1:10:17
3. Toyokawa H.S. A (Aichi) – 1:10:27
4. Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S. A (Hyogo) – 1:10:41
5. Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S. (Chiba) – 1:11:07
6. Kamimura Gakuen H.S. (Kagoshima) – 1:11:15
7. Katsura H.S. A (Kyoto) – 1:11:32
8. Isahaya H.S. (Nagasaki) – 1:11:45
9. Osaka Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S. A (Osaka) – 1:11:51
10. Sera H.S. (Hiroshima) – 1:12:13

Top Stage Performances
First Stage (6.0 km) – Sarumida (Toyokawa H.S. A) – 19:08
Second Stage (4.0975 km) – Kawaguchi (Okazaki Gakuen H.S.) – 13:14
Third Stage (3.0 km) – Matamura (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) – 10:09
Fourth Stage (3.0 km) – Nishiuchi (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) – 10:00
Fifth Stage (5.0 km) – Kitagawa (Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S.) – 16:36

(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

by Brett Larner – Japan Running News