Suma Gakuen, led by recently crowned Asian Game 1500m silver medallist Yuriko Kobayashi, won the national high school Ekiden championships in Kyoto on Sunday 24 December.
For the women’s team, the Ekiden is contested over a five-stage course (6km, 4.0975km, 3km, 3km and 5km) covering the half marathon distance, while the men’s Ekiden is contested over a seven-stage course (10km, 3km, 8.1075km, 8.0875km, 3km, 5km and 5km) over the marathon distance. Teams from 47 prefectures are selected at the prefecture championships, which were contested from the mid-October to mid-November.
With 1km to go in the first stage, Megumi Kinikawa, who was 14th at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships Junior race in Fukuoka, surged away from the Kenyans who attend Japanese high school team. Kinukawa covered the 6km first stage in 19:14, and gave her team, Sendai Ikue high school, a lead.
Suma Gakuren, who finished second, third and first in the last three years, unexpectedly, was far back in 23rd place after the first stage.
“Ever since my freshman year in high school, I have always imagined different scenarios in the Ekiden, so I was ready for any situation,” said Yuriko Kobayashi, who holds the second stage record of 12:37.
She started the second stage a minute and one second behind the leader and started to pass other runners immediately. At the end Kobayashi, who covered the second stage in a record 12:35, passed twenty runners and reduced a deficit from 61 seconds to 22 seconds.
“I set my goal for a new stage record because I am faster this year then the last,” said Kobayashi.
Suma Gakuen, now in third place, was back in the race. Another stage best by Suma Gakuen runner, Shigeko Muraoka further closed the gap, and 1.8km into the fourth stage Aiko Hirota of Suma Gakuen finally caught the leader Sendai Ikue.
Thus began the duel between Suma Gakuen and Sendai Ikue, which continued into the fifth and the final stage. Halfway into the 5km fifth stage, Suma Gakuen surged away from Sendai Ikue and won in an overall time of 1:07:34, the sixth fastest winning time in history. Three runners from Suma Gakuen recorded stage bests.
Turning the attention to the men’s race, in the 10km first stage, where the team’s best runner takes part, the lead pack immediately split into two – pack of Kenyans in front and the leading Japanese behind them.
After the first stage, the defending champion Sendai Ikue led Sera high school by six seconds. The lead increased to 18 seconds after the second stage, but 5.2km into the third stage, Sera caught and passed Sendai Ikue. Sera never relinquished their lead and won the prestigious Ekiden for the first time since 1974. Sendai Ikue on the other hand failed in their attempt to win the fourth championships in a row.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Results
Men
1) Sera 2:03:18
2) Sendai Ikue 2:04:25
3) Toyokawa 2:04:49
4) Nishiwaki 2:05:16
5) Kyushu Gakuin 2:05:19
6) Saku Chosei 2:05:48
Women
1) Suma Gakuen 1:07:34
2) Kojyokan 1:07:49
3) Sendai Ikue 1:07:49
4) Tokiwa 1:09:00
5) Isahaya 1:09:06
6) Kobayashi 1:09:12
Best Stages:
6Km 19:14 Megumi Kinukawa
4.0975Km 12:35 Yuriko Kobayashi (Stage Best)
3Km 9:30 Shigeko Muraoka
3Km 9:14 Aiko Hirota
5Km 15:56 Mie Maeda
