International Chiba Ekiden


The International Chiba Ekiden was an annual team road running competition held in Chiba, Japan in late November. The marathon relay race, or ekiden as it is known in Japan, is one of the prominent annual races of its kind. The competition is split into six legs which combine to make up the marathon distance of 42.195 km. The Chiba Ekiden was first held in 1988 and featured separate competitions for both men and women. Since 2007, each competing country selects three men and three women for their team. The legs are divided as follows: 5 km, 5 km, 10 km, 5 km, 10 km, and 7.195 km.
The men's world record for the event was set at the competition in 2005 as the Kenyan team of Josephat Ndambiri, Martin Mathathi, Daniel Mwangi, Mekubo Mogusu, Onesmus Nyerere and John Kariuki completed the course in a time of 1:57:06. In the same race the Japanese team ran an Asian record, the United States men ran a North American record and the fourth-placed Russian team broke the European record.

Winners

YearMenWomen
1988
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Josephat Ndambiri, Martin Mathathi
Daniel Mwangi, Mekubo Mogusu
Onesmus Nyerere and John Kariuki

Philes Ongori, Evelyn Wambui
?, Catherine Ndereba
?, ?
2006
Martin Mathathi, Gideon Ngatuny
Josephat Ndambiri, Sammy Korir
Mekubo Mogusu, Cyrus Njui

Philes Ongori, Evelyne Kemunto Kimwei
Sally Kaptich Chepyego, Catherine Ndereba
Jane Wanjiku, Lucy Wangui

YearWinnerTimeAthletes
20072:05:56Yuichiro Ueno, Kayoko Fukushi, Kenji Noguchi, Megumi Kinukawa, Kensuke Takezawa, Yukiko Akaba
20082:05:27Ali Abdosh, Sule Utura, Dejen Gebremeskel, Belaynesh Fekadu, Hunegnaw Mesfin, Tsega Gelaw
20092:05:58Yuichiro Ueno, Yuriko Kobayashi, Kensuke Takezawa, Yukiko Akaba, Atsushi Sato, Yurika Nakamura
2010 Collegiate2:07:52Taku Fujimoto, Risa Takenaka, Yo Yazawa, Kasumi Nishihara, Shota Hiraga, Hanae Tanaka
20112:04:40Thomas Longosiwa, Lidia Mathathi, Patrick Mutunga Mwikya, Pauline Kahenya, Edwin Mokua, Pamela Lisoreng
20122:05:06Thomas Longosiwa, Gladys Cherono, Edwin Soi, Priscah Jeptoo, Philip Mosima, Joyce Chepkurui

First.stage......5.0 km...........................Second.stage......5.0 km.women....................Third.stage......10.0 km..........................Fourth.stage......5.0 km.women....................Fifth.stage......10.0 km..........................Sixth.stage......7.195 km.women.......................
20071. Moses Masai - 13:22
2. Yuichiro Ueno - 13:29
3. Ed Moran - 13:32
1. Emily Chebet - 15:38
2. Kayoko Fukushi - 15:34
3. Elena Zadorozhnaya - 15:37
1. Barnaba Sigei - 28:32
2. Evgeny Rybakov - 29:00
3. Scott Bauhs - 28:31
1. Catherine Kirui - 16:20
2. Megumi Kinukawa - 16:03
3. Olesya Syreva - 16:38
1. Joseph Birech - 29:21
2. Kensuke Takezawa - 28:49
3. Ryan Sheehan - 29:31
1. Yukiko Akaba - 22:39
2. Catherine Ndereba - 23:53
3. Lilia Shobukhova - 23:15
2008Ali Abdosh - 13:34Yuriko Kobayashi
15:08 - new stage record
Dejen Gebremeskel
28:20 - new stage record
Belaynesh Fikadu
15:34 - new stage record
Hunegnaw Mesfin - 28:54Maria Konovalova - 23:31
2009Craig Mottram - 13:23Yuriko Kobayashi - 15:09Kensuke Takezawa - 29:07Yukiko Akaba
15:34 - ties stage record
Atsushi Sato - 28:57Hikari Yoshimoto - 23:12
2010Yuichiro Ueno - 13:23Yuriko Kobayashi - 15:27Titus Mbishei - 28:57Kasumi Nishihara - 16:02Tsuyoshi Ugachi - 28:51Pauline Korikwiang - 23:20
20111. Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa - 13:36
2. Egor Nikolaev - 13:38
3. Robert Cheseret - 13:38
1. Kasumi Nishihara - 15:17
2. Risa Takenaka - 15:36
3. Lisa Corrigan - 15:48
1. Patrick Mutunga Mwikya
28:08 -new stage record
2. Evgeny Rybakov - 28:42
3. Kensuke Takezawa - 28:53
1. Yuriko Kobayashi - 15:46
2. Hikari Yoshimoto - 15:49
3. Elena Korobkina - 16:21
1. Edwin Nyandusi Mokua
27:43 - new stage record
2. Tetsuya Yoroizaka - 28:47
3. Bobby Mack - 28:55
1. Hitomi Niiya
22:36 - new stage record
2. Pamela Chesopich Lisoreng - 22:52
3. Emily Brichacek - 23:46

First.Place......................Second.Place.....................Third.Place......................Fourth.Place.....................Fifth.Place......................Sixth.Place......................Seventh.Place....................Eight.Place......................Ninth.Place......................Tenth.Place......................Eleventh.Place...................Twelfth.Place....................
2007Japan - 2:05:56Kenya - 2:07:06Russia - 2:08:00USA - 2:09:05Japan University Select - 2:09:22Great Britain - 2:10:11Australia - 2:11:56Chiba Prefecture - 2:11:57Romania - 2:12:17China - 2:13:59Belarus - 2:14:32Poland - 2:15:10
2008Ethiopia - 2:05:27
new course record
Japan - 2:06:39Russia - 2:08:04Japanese University Select - 2:08:47Australia - 2:09:36Chiba Prefecture - 2:10:00Great Britain - 2:10:12U.S.A. - 2:11:54Canada - 2:11:56China - 2:12:11Sweden - 2:12:16Brazil - 2:14:15
2009Japan - 2:05:58Japanese University Select - 2:07:47Kenya - 2:08:34Chiba Prefecture - 2:09:26U.S.A. - 2:09:42Russia - 2:11:19Australia - 2:11:35Canada - 2:12:24Italy - 2:13:13Romania - 2:14:28China - 2:14:47Belarus - 2:15:11
2010Japan University Select - 2:07:52Kenya - 2:08:06Japan - 2:08:12Russia - 2:09:35U.S.A. - 2:10:54Chiba Prefecture - 2:12:56Australia - 2:14:07Italy - 2:14:55Romania - 2:15:02Canada - 2:15:13Czech Republic - 2:15:23Norway - 2:17:01
2011Kenya - 2:04:40 - CRJapan - 2:04:59 Japanese University Select- 2:07:26Russia - 2:07:56U.S.A. - 2:09:06Australia - 2:09:56Chiba Prefecture - 2:11:55Poland - 2:12:53Romania - 2:13:39Canada - 2:13:52New Zealand - 2:14:37Czech Republic - 2:16:33