Sota Okamoto to make first Izumo Ekiden appearance for Okayama University of Science

Sota Okamoto, a third-year student at Okayama University of Science, will compete in the Izumo Ekiden on October 12 in Shimane Prefecture. This marks the first time a runner from Okayama University of Science has participated in this prestigious event, which is considered one of Japan's three major university ekiden races.

Okamoto was selected as a member of the Chugoku-Shikoku Student Selection following a strong performance at a record meet in June, where he achieved a personal best in the 5,000m with a time of 14:45.94. Originally from Kurashiki, Okamoto has a background in middle-distance running from his time at Tamano Konan High School.

The Izumo Ekiden is a 45.1km race divided into six sections. Okamoto will compete against elite university teams, including prominent institutions such as Aoyama Gakuin, Waseda, Komazawa, and Chuo Universities. He has expressed a strong desire to run in the first section of the race.