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100th Hakone Ekiden Field

 

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

© 2023 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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