Special feature: 35th Izumo Ekiden
Misa Fujii
2023/10/11
(Last update: 2023/10/12)
Yamanaka (left) and Nomura (photographed by Misa Fujii) welcome Yamamoto (center) who has crossed the finish line with a smile.
35th Izumo All-Japan University Selection Relay Race
October 9 @ Shimane/Izumo Taisha – Izumo Dome 6 sections 45.1km
Winner Komazawa University 2 hours 07 minutes 51 seconds ☆ New tournament
2nd place Soka University 2 hours 09 minutes 34 seconds
3rd Josai University 2 time 10 minutes 35 seconds
4th place Kokugakuin University 2 time 11 minutes 07 seconds
5th place Aoyama Gakuin University 2 hours 11 minutes 28 seconds
6th place Waseda University 2 hours 11 minutes 36 seconds
7th place Central University 2 time 12 minutes 17 seconds
8th place Toyo University 2 hours 12 minutes 35 seconds
At the Izumo Ekiden held on October 9th, Josai University, participating for the fifth time in five years, placed third, making it the first team to reach the podium at the three major relay races. Director Seiji Kushibe responded to the interview with a smile, saying, “I go around saying, “If you work hard, sometimes good things happen.””
Even if he falls down in the early stages, he gradually recovers and connects with tenacity.
Last year, Josai University passed the Hakone Ekiden preliminaries in third place. He was seeded in 9th place at the Hakone Ekiden at the beginning of the year, and also earned the right to participate in the Izumo Ekiden. He came out on top at the All-Japan University Ekiden Kanto District Selection Tournament in June, marking the first time in five years since 2018 that he has participated in all three major Ekiden races.
In the 1st ward was Shoya Saito (2nd year, Tsurugakehi), who ran in the 2nd ward at the Hakone Ekiden as a rookie. He was doing so well that coach Kushibe thought, “I think he’ll be good for section 3,” and he sent him off with confidence. However, he fell down a hill in the middle of the course and fell back significantly. From there, he gradually moved up the rankings, finishing in 10th place, 1 minute and 1 second behind the top, tied with Hidema Yamanaka (4th year, Yokkaichi Kogyo) in the 2nd ward.
Yamanaka overtook Hosei University and Kansai University, who were ahead of him, and finally caught Toyo University, moving up to seventh place. He was a strong runner, placing 4th in the section. Ward 3 is in charge of international student Victor Kimutai (2nd year, Mau). Coach Kushibe said that he was not good at wind, but he withstood the headwind and moved up the rankings. He moved up to third place with his section winning run and set the pace.
Kimutai showed his great ability in the face of a difficult headwind and boosted the team (all photos taken by Miya Takano)
Koyo Hayashi (3rd year, Iwaki Sogo) from the 4th ward ran with Kento Yamauchi (4th year, Shonan) of Aoyama Gakuin University, who was following him from behind, and although he was in front for a while, he was separated by Yamauchi’s last spurt. However, he persevered and finished 4th in the section, making it to the sash relay in 4th place.
Next, Yuga Sakurai (2nd year, Fukuoka Daiichi) caught Kenta Torii (1st year, Osaka Seifu) of Aoyama Gakuin University in front of him and moved up to 3rd place. Kaishi International). Yamamoto ran powerfully, keeping the runners from behind at bay, and was on his own from beginning to end. At the end, he made the number “3” with both hands and crossed the finish line with both hands outstretched.
Coach Kushibe said, “Inwardly, I want to finish in 5th place,” but this time his goal was 8th place. However, it was the team’s first podium for the three major relay races, and he praised the players’ hard work, saying, “The result was better than I expected. I think we did a good job.”
Hayashi in the 4th ward showed a tenacious run as he was overtaken by Yamauchi.
Key point: 2nd ward Hidema Yamanaka “I was able to run my own way”
The 2nd ward was cited as a key area. In Ward 2, there are speed runners from various schools, including Komazawa University’s Keita Sato (2nd year, Rakunan), Chuo University’s Shota Nakano (4th year, Sera), and Waseda University’s Tomonori Yamaguchi (2nd year, Gakuho Ishikawa). They lined up in rows. Yamanaka’s 5000m time is the 10th fastest among the athletes entered in Section 2. Coach Kushibe thought, “The section is short, and if we rush in at the beginning, there will be time constraints, so we might lose.” However, Yamanaka exceeded my expectations in a good way.
Yamanaka also knew that other runners were running faster, but he stood at the starting line thinking, “I’ll run my own way first.” Although he ended up being held back later than he expected, he was able to enter at his own pace. Yamanaka said he had been honing his speed and last spurt for four years and was confident. He has practiced hard to make full use of his strengths. The accumulation of those experiences came to life on this stage.
“Let’s fight together, the three of us.”
The 4th graders at the time did not run in the Hakone Ekiden at the beginning of the year, but the current captain Soto Nomura (4th year, Mine Aomine), Yamamoto, and Yamanaka ran as upperclassmen in the 1st, 5th, and 10th wards, respectively. The three of us worked together with the mindset of “leading the way,” and that feeling didn’t change even after we entered our fourth year. Captain Nomura led the team in both regular practice and summer training camp, but this time he did not perform well and was removed from the team. He also revealed that he wanted to run so he wouldn’t have any regrets for Nomura.
Coach Kushibe cited Yamanaka’s running as a key point.It was a good run to reverse a bad trend.
Yamanaka said to Yamamoto, “He’s really serious about track and field, so I think we need to learn from him.Even in that, I want to develop the strength to not only chase him, but to line him up alongside him.” “I’m here.” He then said once again, “I think the three of us will fight together.”
In November of last year, Coach Kushibe made it clear to the students that he would aim for third place at the 100th Hakone Ekiden in 2024, and has been working toward that goal every day. He told the players, “Create a path and it’s all up to everyone’s efforts.” In response, the players became stronger, and this time they exceeded the coach’s expectations.
In the All-Japan University Ekiden, which will be his first appearance in three tournaments, he will aim to finish in the top five or, at worst, secure a seeding. Nomura and vice-captain Itsuki Hirabayashi (3rd year, Taku University), who were unable to run this time, are also preparing for All Japan, and “I think they will have even more expectations,” said Coach Kushibe. Josai University is steadily increasing its presence in the university ekiden world. What kind of running will the players, who have gained confidence through daily practice, show next?
2023-10-11 21:10:35
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