Aoyama Gakuin runner Zen Kuroda makes his debut at Izumo Ekiden

Zen Kuroda, a third-year student at Aoyama Gakuin University from Okayama, made his debut in the Izumo Ekiden in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture.

The race is one of Japan's three major university relay races and covers 45.1 kilometres over six sections.

Kuroda had missed the major university races the previous year after an injury during summer training.

He had previously won second place in the 3,000-metre steeplechase at Japan's high school championships.

His older brother, Asahi, is also a runner at Aoyama Gakuin and set a section record in the Hakone Ekiden.

Kuroda said he had sometimes felt pressure from his brother's success, but wanted to be seen as an individual with his own style of running.

Aoyama Gakuin was 11th at the end of the fourth section, before Kuroda took the fifth section; no later result is given.