Waseda University wins All-Japan University Ekiden with new record

Waseda University secured its sixth victory at the All-Japan University Ekiden on November 1, setting a new course record of 5:03:31. This win marks the university’s second consecutive title in the student ekiden season, following their victory at the Izumo Ekiden.

The team’s performance was driven by a group of highly successful rookies, including Yojiro Honda, Yota Mashiko, and Ryoki Niizuma. Mashiko and Niizuma both set new section records during the race, while Ryuta Suzuki also broke the previous record for the fifth section. Shinsaku Kudo served as the anchor, maintaining the record-breaking pace to lead the team to a dominant finish.

With this victory, Waseda University has achieved two of the three major student ekiden titles and now aims to become the first university to win all three in a single season by securing a victory at the upcoming Hakone Ekiden in January.