Some Stats From Hakone

Part of Japan's success in the men's marathon last year was the focus on half marathon distance development in university for the Hakone Ekiden, a ten-stage race over two days with distances between 20.8 km and 23.1 km. This year's race was record-breaking across the board, boding well for the next generation's chances of matching the current one's achievements in the last year. Half marathon equivalents for the winning times on each stage of this year's race and numbers of runners in the field of 23 per stage under equivalent half marathon times:

First Stage (21.3 km) - 1:02:35 = 1:01:59 half marathon
1 under 1:02:00 half marathon equivalent
15 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
18 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Second Stage (23.1 km) - 1:06:18 = 1:00:33 half marathon
2 under 1:01:00 half marathon equivalent
7 under 1:02:00 half marathon equivalent
11 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
17 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Third Stage (21.4 km) - 1:01:26 CR = 1:00:34 half marathon
1 under 1:01:00 half marathon equivalent
5 under 1:02:00 half marathon equivalent
12 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
15 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Fourth Stage (20.9 km) - 1:00:54 CR = 1:01:29 half marathon
1 under 1:02:00 half marathon equivalent
1 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
6 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Fifth Stage (20.8 km, ~800 m uphill) - 1:10:54 CR = 1:11:55 half marathon

Sixth Stage (20.8 km, downhill) - 57:57 CR = 58:47 half marathon

Seventh Stage (21.3 km) - 1:02:18 = 1:01:42 half marathon
1 under 1:02:00 half marathon equivalent
2 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
8 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Eighth Stage (21.4 km) - 1:03:49 CR = 1:02:55 half marathon
1 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
4 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Ninth Stage (23.1 km) - 1:08:50 = 1:02:52 half marathon
1 under 1:03:00 half marathon equivalent
3 under 1:04:00 half marathon equivalent

Tenth Stage (23.0 km) - 1:09:57 = 1:04:10 half marathon

total field size = 230 runners
excluding mountain stages = 184 runners
total number under 1:01:00 = 3 runners / 184
total number under 1:02:00 = 15 runners / 184
total number under 1:03:00 = 43 runners / 184
total number under 1:04:00 = 71 runners / 184

© 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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