The national men’s Ekiden race between prefectures was held in Hiroshima for the first time in three years, and Niigata ranked 23rd.
University students who played an active part in the Hakone Ekiden showed their strength.
In the national men’s ekiden, runners across generations, from junior high school students to working adults, started and finished in front of Peace Park in Hiroshima City, wearing sashes over a 48-kilometer course of seven sections.
Niigata had a tough race, placing 41st in the 1st section, but they tenaciously held their sashes, and thanks to the strong running of the junior high school students, they moved up the rankings and entered the final 7th section in 32nd place.
Josai University’s Yuito Yamamoto, who set a new section record in the 5th section of the Hakone Ekiden in this year’s Hakone Ekiden, ran the longest 13km in the 7th section.
Yamamoto showed his strength on the 22nd and finished 9th place with the time of 4th place in the section.
Niigata was 23rd, with a time of 2:21:43.