Saturday's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai half marathon was the official qualifying race for January's 100th edition of the world's biggest and best road race, and with it the 23-team field is set. Led by defending champion Komazawa University, the top 10 at the 2023 Hakone Ekiden auto-qualified for the 100th on Jan. 2-3, 2024. The other 13 teams came from the Yosenkai, led by Daito Bunka University, 3 more than usual in honor of the 100th running but absent the usual select team made up of top-placing individuals at the Yosenkai from schools that didn't make the cut as a team. The complete field:
58th appearance, 58th-straight appearance, 8 wins
most recent win: 2023
97th appearance, 7th-straight appearance, 14 wins
most recent win: 1996
29th appearance, 16th-straight appearance, 6 wins
most recent win: 2022
17th appearance, 8th-straight appearance, best placing: 3rd (2020)
65th appearance, 13th-straight appearance, 11 wins
most recent win: 2007
93rd appearance, 48th-straight appearance, 13 wins
most recent win: 2011
84th appearance, 9th-straight appearance, best placing: 3rd (1943)
7th appearance, 5th-straight appearance, best placing: 2nd (2021)
18th appearance, 2nd-straight appearance, best placing: 6th (2012)
82nd appearance, 22nd-straight appearance, 4 wins
most recent win: 2014
52nd appearance, 6th-straight appearance, 4 wins
most recent win: 1991
65th appearance, 6th-straight appearance, 7 wins
most recent win: 1949
25th appearance, 17-straight appearance, best placing: 4th (2020)
76th appearance, 76th-straight appearance, 10 wins
most recent win: 2013
90th appearance, 1st appearance since 2020, 12 wins
most recent win: 1974
29th appearance, 2nd-straight appearance, best placing: 3rd (1957)
50th appearance, 1st appearance since 2022, 2 wins
most recent win: 1997
52nd appearance, 8th-straight appearance, best placing: 3rd (1964)
22nd appearance, 1st appearance since 2022, best placing: 3rd (2008)
51st appearance, 11th-straight appearance, 1 win (2019)
72nd appearance, 1st appearance since 2014, best placing: 2nd (1977)
2nd appearance, 1st appearance since 2022, best placing: 19th (2022)
37th appearance, 4th-straight appearance, 3 wins
most recent win: 1995
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