Skip to main content

Omwamba Leads Yamanashi Gakuin to Top of National University Ekiden Qualifier

by Brett Larner

Triple 2013 Kanto Region 1500 m, 5000 m and 10000 m champion Enock Omwamba led Yamanashi Gakuin University through the woods to take the top position at the National University Ekiden Championships Kanto Region Qualifier June 30 at Tokyo's National Stadium.  One of the most interesting meets on the Kanto circuit, the Kanto Region qualifier features twenty second-tier teams vying for seven spots at November's National University Ekiden Championships, every team with two men in each of four heats and the team's standing determined by the accumulated time of all eight men.  Team supporters line the track making noise and creating a high-energy environment.

Heading into the fourth and final heat, Yamanashi Gakuin had a lead of less than 7 seconds over rival Hosei University.  Omwamba led start to finish, dropping his trailers one by one to finish in 28:18.77, beating Hosei ace Kazuto Nishiike by almost 47 seconds and making hefty donation to the cause.  Yamanashi's Hiroto Inoue wrapped it up with a 29:09.75 for 3rd, adding another 4 seconds onto Yamanashi margin over Hosei.

Aoyama Gakuin University, which last year enigmatically failed to qualify for Nationals before setting the course record at the season-opening Izumo Ekiden, ran steadily for 3rd despite a lackluster performance by sophomore star Kazuma Kubota in Heat 4.  Chuo Gakuin University, Teikyo University, Daito Bunka University and Juntendo University filled out the list of qualifiers for the second of this year's Big Three university ekidens.

National University Ekiden Championships Kanto Region Qualifier
National Stadium, Tokyo, 6/30/13
click here for complete results

Top Team Results - top seven qualify for National University Ekiden Championships
1. Yamanashi Gakuin Univ. - 3:57:32.71
2. Hosei Univ. - 3:58:51.38
3. Aoyama Gakuin Univ. - 3:59:17.60
4. Chuo Gakuin Univ. - 4:00:28.66
5. Teikyo Univ. - 4:00:34.80
6. Daito Bunka Univ - 4:00:43.66
7. Juntendo Univ. - 4:01:06.69
-----
8. Koku Gakuin Univ. - 4:01:37.26
9. Takushoku Univ. - 4:01:46.38
10. Tokai Univ. - 4:01:57.76

Heat 4
1. Enock Omwamba (Kenya/Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:18.77
2. Kazuto Nishiike (Hosei Univ.) - 29:05.46
3. Hiroto Inoue (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 29:09.75
4. Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 29:10.39
5. Kazuma Ganaha (Kanagawa Univ.) - 29:10.87
6. Ryo Nakagawa (Tokai Univ.) - 29:12.49
7. Shogo Sekiguchi (Hosei Univ.) - 29:13.59
8. Yudai Okamoto (Chuo Gakuin Univ.) - 29:16.52
9. Yuki Matsumura (Juntendo Univ.) - 29:17.72
10. Duncan Muthee (Kenya/Takushoku Univ.) - 29:18.89

Heat 3
1. Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.) - 29:27.81
2. Hiroki Yamagishi (Jobu Univ.) - 29:29.94
3. Shinichiro Tai (Hosei Univ.) - 29:30.19
4. Daichi Kamino (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 29:32.87
5. Kazuma Kubota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 29:33.55

Heat 2
1. Tadashi Isshiki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 29:52.53
2. Yuki Hirota (Tokai Univ.) - 29:55.14
3. Koki Nanba (Teikyo Univ.) - 30:01.13
4. Akifumi Ueki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 30:04.61
5. Ryoma Takeuchi (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 30:04.94

Heat 1
1. Tatsumi Abe (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 30:04.18
2. Hiroki Sugawa (Chuo Univ.) - 30:06.86
3. Junya Uemura (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 30:07.53
4. Mitsunori Asaoka (Tokyo Nogyo Univ.) - 30:10.69
5. Ryo Hashimoto (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 30:13.81

Heat 5 - alternates' heat
1. Kazuma Tashiro (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 30:08.98
2. Noriyasu Ikeda (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 30:16.98
3. Shun Yamamura (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 30:17.52
4. Shunji Kikkawa (Tokai Univ.) - 30:17.61
5. Yuta Hamano (Senshu Univ.) - 30:19.40

text and photo (c) 2013 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Morii Surprises With Second-Ever Japanese Sub-2:10 at Boston

With three sub-2:09 Japanese men in the race and good weather conditions by Boston standards the chances were decent that somebody was going to follow 1981 winner Toshihiko Seko 's 2:09:26 and score a sub-2:10 at the Boston Marathon . But nobody thought it was going to be by a 2:14 amateur. Paris Olympic team member Suguru Osako had taken 3rd in Boston in 2:10:28 in his debut seven years ago, and both he and 2:08 runners Kento Otsu and Ryoma Takeuchi were aiming for spots in the top 10, Otsu after having run a 1:01:43 half marathon PB in February and Takeuchi of a 2:08:40 marathon PB at Hofu last December. A high-level amateur with a 2:14:15 PB who scored a trip to Boston after winning a local race in Japan, Yuma Morii told JRN minutes before the start of the race, "I'm not thinking about time at all. I'm going to make top 10, whatever time it takes." Running Boston for the first time Morii took off with a 4:32 on the downhill opening mile, but after that  Sis
Post a Comment
Read more

Fujitsu and Toyoda Issue Statement on Circumstances of His Two-Year Suspension for Trenbolone

  Following 400 m hurdler Masaki Toyoda 's suspension for a violation of anti-doping regulations , the Fujitsu corporate team published a statement on its website, including comments from Toyoda's legal team , explaining the ruling and the circumstances surrounding the case. Toyoda was a member of the 2019 Doha World Championships team and holds a best of 48.87. Early in the morning of May 19, 2022, the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) conducted a doping test of Toyoda. The prohibited substance trenbolone was detected in urine taken during the test, resulting in a two-year suspension that began May 21, 2022. He did not compete at the National Track and Field Championships the next month. The amount of trenbolone detected in Toyoda's urine sample was 1.4 ng/ml, well below the minimum analytical precision of 2.5 ng/ml required by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for analytical equipment. As a general rule, if a non-specified prohibited substance such as trenbolone is dete
Post a Comment
Read more

“The Miracle in Fukuoka” - Real Talk From Yuki Kawauchi on “Taking on the World” (part 1)

http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/column/detail/201701120002-spnavi translated by Brett Larner Ahead of his nomination to the London World Championships Marathon team, Sportsnavi published a three-part series of writings by Yuki Kawauchi on what it took for him to make the team, his hopes for London, and his views on the future of Japanese marathoning.  With his place on the London team announced on Mar. 17 , JRN will publish an English translation of the complete series over the next three days. See Sportsnavi's original version linked above for more photos. Click here for part two, " Bringing All My Experience Into Play in London ," or here for part three, " The Lessons of the Past Are Not 'Outdated.' " The Fukuoka International Marathon was held on Dec. 4 last year. Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov’t) took part despite nursing injuries he had sustained in training. Falling rain contributed to less than ideal conditions during the race, but from th
6 comments
Read more