KGRR Suspends Kanto Regionals Point Score Shortcut to Hakone Ekiden Qualification

The Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto (KGRR), organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, announced on Apr. 1 that they will suspend the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships point scoring shortcut to Hakone qualification that was used for this year's 95th running.

The point scoring scheme granted a place at Hakone to the university that earned the most points at the Kanto Regionals meet in the five years from 2014 to 2018. Nihon University was the beneficiary, making the 95th Hakone without having to run the qualifying race but finishing only 14th. From 2002 to 2012 an earlier version of the scheme gave schools running October's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race a time handicap based on their points at Kanto Regionals.

A KGRR spokesperson commented, "The Kanto Regionals point qualification system was adopted to encourage schools to develop their overall track and field programs, not just their ekiden teams. In our view this goal has been sufficiently achieved, and as a result the point qualification system will no longer be used."

source article:
https://hochi.news/articles/20190401-OHT1T50131.html
translated by Brett Larner

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