Overview
- Denso won the general division in 1:28:41, edging Kyocera by six seconds after a decisive final-kilometer surge by anchor Nakazawa Sakie.
- After starting seventh of eight on the first leg, Denso rallied through section-winning runs by Jesinta Nyokabi on leg 2 and Hori Ayaka on leg 4.
- The victory marks Denso’s third Senbatsu title and first in four years, offering a tangible rebound from its post-2022 slump and last autumn’s failed qualification bid.
- Osaka Kaunei captured the high-school crown in a meet-record 1:27:13, with Yabuya Yume seizing control on leg 3 and anchor Tsuzurahara Yuka setting a section record.
- The high-school champions finished 1:28 faster than the general-division winner, securing their fourth title and first in eight years on the Kitakyushu course.