Skip to main content

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

Buy Me A Coffee


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Kobe Marathon Elite Field

Sunday's Kobe Marathon has announced its elite fields, finally. Japanese athletes have a shot at qualifying for next fall's MGC Race, the official trials race for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if they go sub-2:27 for the first Japanese woman across the line or sub-2:09 for the first 3 Japanese men to do it. There aren't a lot of contenders to pull it off. On the women's side, Kaede Hagitani , Ayaka Shimoyamada and Kotomi Tsubokura all ran 2:31-32 PBs in the spring and will need to step it up a couple of notches to get there. 2:23 Kenyan Antonina Kwambai is perfectly positioned to help. On the men's side, Keijiro Mogi is closest with a 2:09:06 at last year's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Hiroto Kanamori his closest domestic competition with a 2:10:01 PB in Osaka in February. The international trio of last year's winner Barnaba Kipkoech , Elisha Rotich and Goitom Kifle all have recent 2:06-7 times and should help set it up for someone to get there, wh...
1 comment
Read more

Kenyan Graduate Student Athlete Posts Job Hunt for Ekiden Team on Twitter

A Kenyan runner who had tried to help lead his team to the Hakone Ekiden has taken an unusual approach to finding a post-graduation sponsor. Last week Patrick Kamau posted his job hunt on his Twitter account , saying, "I am looking for a club team or a corporate team where I can run in ekidens. I would be happy to run for any team that gave me a chance. I would be grateful for any opportunity and take it on with a positive attitude!" Kamau was 5th at the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifying race half marathon in 1:01:10 last year during his 4th year at Jobu University . But despite his efforts, Jobu never qualified for Hakone during his 4 years there. He is currently working on a graduate degree while looking for "a team that will let me continue my competitive career." Fans responded to Kamau's job search posting, saying, "I hope it works out for you!" "Good luck comes to those who work hard" and "Kamau is going to graduate school? Given...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field (updated)

Another big race on the MGC qualifying calendar has posted its elite fields, the Dec. 6 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon . It looks like a good race for the single MGC spot up for women under 2:27, and the 6 spots for men sub-2:09. Yuka Ando is the favorite in the women's race with a 2:21:18 in Nagoya 2 years ago, with her only real competition coming from Ayumi Morita , who broke 2:27 in Hofu last year but missed qualifying by not being the first Japanese woman across the line. CR holder Workneh Derese is back after his 2:06:58 win last year, leading Kenyan veteran Bedan Karoki and 4 Japanese men with a solid chance at sub-2:09, Tatsuya Maruyama , Ryoma Takeuchi , Shuho Dairokuno and Kento Nishi . Takeuchi set his 2:08:20 PB at Gold Coast in July, and Dairokuno is fresh off a great run at the final Kyushu Corporate Ekiden. Masatoshi Sakata , Yota Ifuku , Madoka Tanihara and Daiji Kawai have both come close to sub-2:09 in recent races and could factor in. 57th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite...
1 comment
Read more