japan running news

2023 National High School Ekiden champion Saku Chosei H.S. was out in force Sunday in the 5000 m fast heats at the 317th Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama. 3rd-year Yamato Hamaguchi ran 13:31.62, the 4th-fastest time ever by a Japanese-born high schooler, and 3rd-year Tetsu Sasaki went under 14 minutes for the first time with an excellent 13:40.02. The race took place as light rain fell. Hamaguchi and Sasaki ran alongside African university and corporate league runners. From the start they were conservative, staying in the pack as the race went along. With splits of 2:42 and 1000 m and 8:11 at 3000 m the high school record of 13:22.99 set 2 years ago by Saku Chosei alum Hiroto Yoshioka was out of reach, but right til the last sprint Hamaguchi stayed in contact with the lead. Hamaguchi took almost 7 seconds off his 13:38.40 PB from last year, with Sasaki rewriting his 14:03.51 best by nearly 24 seconds. Both beat Yamanashi Gakuin H.S. 2nd-year Felix Muthiani , who ran ...

  A group of seven high schoolers dropped fast 5000 m times at the 310th Nittai University Time Trials meet in Yokohama on Nov. 25. Racing corporate leaguers Kenyan collegians in the Nittaidai Challenge Games fast heat, 3rd-years Kaito Iida (Izumi Chuo H.S.) and Shunpei Yamaguchi (Saku Chosei H.S.) ran 13:34.20 and 13:334.59, the 4th and 5th-best ever by Japanese high school boys. Prior to this race, Iida's PB was 13:57.62 from April this year, with Yamaguchi having run a PB of 13:52.73 in September. At the 2023 National High School Championships Iida was 9th and Yamaguchi 10th. Other Saku Chosei H.S. runners also set new PBs at Nittai. Running in Heat 22, 2nd-year Kazuma Shino ran 13:55.79 and 3rd-year Toma Yoshioka 13:56.99, the first time under 14 minutes for both. At an earlier Nittai Time Trials meet in late September four other Saku Chosei runners broke 14, meaning the all-Japanese team now has six boys at 13 minutes. With 2nd-year Tetsu Sasaki having run a PB 14:03.51 ...