Airi Tajima from Juntendo University won the women's 1500 m, outrunning her teammate Miori Kida. Mana Aiba from Daito Bunka University secured the third spot. In the men's 1500 m, Juntendo's Shuntaro Kawaguchi claimed the title ahead of Takumi Nakagawa.
Ibuki Hori from Kansai University upset the women's race walk, beating Toko Nakajima from Waseda University. In the men's race, Yushi Nakajima from Yamanashi Gakuin University initially finished second but was later elevated to first after Riku Kaneko's disqualification. Read more racing coverage.
Natsuki Yano from Waseda University won the women's high jump with a personal best of 1.84 m. Rikuya Yoshida from Kansai University took the men's pole vault title, clearing 5.40 m. Yukiya Onishi from Tenri University won the men's long jump with a personal best of 7.91 m. Related: National University Championships Set to Begin at Nissan Stadium.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Japan Running News. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
Reader questions
Questions about this report
What should runners know about Day 1 Highlights at National University Track and Field Championships?
Top performances and upsets mark the opening day of the championships in Yokohama. Airi Tajima from Juntendo University won the women's 1500 m, outrunning her teammate Miori Kida. Mana Aiba from Daito Bunka University secured the third spot. In the men's 1500 m, Juntendo's Shuntaro Kawaguchi claimed the title ahead of Takumi Nakagawa.
When did Runner World publish this racing brief?
Runner World published this brief on September 7, 2026. The underlying Japan Running News report was dated September 5, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Japan Running News. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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