Hakone Ekiden Entry Lists

With 3 weeks to go entry lists are out for the 101st Hakone Ekiden on Jan. 2-3, 2025. Things keep going up and up. With 21 teams of 16 entrants and 10 starters each a quick crunch of the numbers gives:

15 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 14 minutes
3 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 13:45 led by 2024 Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University in 13:40.07
10 teams with an individual under 13:30 for 5000 m, AGU, Komazawa University, Chuo University, Tokyo Kokusai University, and Yamanashi Gakuin University with 2 each
2 teams with an individual under 13:15 for 5000 m, TKU's collegiate record holder Richard Etir at 13:00.17 and Komazawa's indoor NR holder Keita Sato at 13:09.45
17 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 29 minutes
4 teams with a 10-man 10000 m average under 28:30, led by Chuo's incredible 28:15.62
11 teams with an individual under 28:00 for 10000 m, AGU and Chuo with 3 each, and Komazawa, Josai University, TKU, Waseda University and YGU with 2 each
4 teams with an individual under 27:30 for 10000 m, TKU's Etir again at 27:06.88, Nihon University's Shadrack Kipkemei at 27:20.05, YGU's James Mutuku at 27:23.09, and Komazawa's Sato at 27:28.50
6 teams with a 10-man half marathon average under 1:03:00
3 teams with a 10-man half marathon average under 1:02:30 led by Komazawa in 1:02:01
13 teams with an individual under 1:02:00 for the half marathon, Komazawa with 4, and Izumo Ekiden and National University Ekiden winner Koku Gakuin University, AGU and Soka University with 3 each
6 teams with an individual under 1:01:00 for the half marathon
1 team with an individual under 1:00:00 for the half marathon, TKU's Etir yet again with a 59:32

We'll do a more detailed preview closer to the race, but it's no surprise that at the top of the heap are Izumo and Nationals top 3 KGU, AGU and Komazawa. 2nd at Hakone in 2024, Komazawa has the best half marathon average in the field, the most important statistic given Hakone's average stage length of 21.71 km, but with a lot of its people not having run 10000 m its average for that distance is slow and drags it down behind KGU and AGU in the rankings. If #1-ranked KGU wins it'll join both AGU and Komazawa on the very short list of schools to sweep all three university ekidens in one season.

The next tier down includes Izumo and Nationals 4th-placer Soka, ranked 4th here too, 2024 Hakone 3rd-placer Josai, solid programs Daito Bunka University and Toyo University, and, in via October's Yosenkai Half Marathon qualifying race, Chuo and Chuo Gakuin University. DBU, Toyo and Chuo are all missing big guns, DBU lacking its #3 half marathoner Peter Wanjiru, Toyo without 1:00:43 half marathoner Kazuki Matsuyama, and Chuo facing the loss of its #1 and #4 half marathoners Daichi Shibata and Kazusa Takanuma.

The next tier is where things start getting really interesting, with a top-10 placing at Hakone scoring teams places at the next season's Izumo and Hakone, and everyone 11th and lower missing Izumo and running the Yosenkai instead to try to get back to Hakone. You've got a mix of teams like Waseda, Teikyo University and Hosei University that always perform better than they look on paper and usually make the top 10, and teams like TKU, Juntendo University and Nittai University that made it through this season's Yosenkai.

The Kanto Region Student Alliance team, made up of top-placing individuals at the Yosenkai from schools that didn't make the cut as a team, leads the bottom tier, but for whatever reason, maybe a lack of team chemistry, it almost always performs worse than its ranking. Interestingly, the top 3 from the Yosenkai, Rikkyo University, Senshu University and YGU, are all down at this level along with bottom-half Yosenkai qualifiers Nihon and Kanagawa University. Conditions at the Yosenkai were hot, so it's probably best not to read too much into some of the better teams like Chuo and TKU running badly there, but it's likely that it was the peak of the season for Rikkyo, Senshu and YGU, and it'll take proper planning for them to replicate their performances next month.

Check back closer to race date for an in-depth preview and info on how to watch live.

Chinese Influencer Intrudes on Hakone Ekiden Fifth Stage to Shoot Video of Himself Running with AGU's Wakabayashi

A Chinese influencer ignored restrictions and race officials' directions and ran on the Hakone Ekiden course to shoot video during the race's uphill Fifth Stage on Jan. 2. He later apologized. The influencer, Shen Haoze , posts about running and marathons, and on the Chinese social media site Weibo has nearly 5 million followers. A clip of him running on the closed road course of the Hakone Ekiden's Fifth Stage alongside course record setter Hiroki Wakabayashi of defending champion Aoyama Gakuin University and shooting video went viral on social media. Race officials can be heard warning him to get off the course due to the danger to the competing athletes, but Shen ignored them, setting off a firestorm of criticism from users in both Japan and China. Comments included, "These athletes are putting their whole lives into the race. What the hell does he think he's doing?" and "He has no regard for the danger to them." Shen later posted an apology on...

February's National XC Named as Selection Race for 2026 World XC Team

The JAAF has announced that the 2025 National Cross Country Championships on Feb. 22 will act as the selection race for the senior teams for the 2026 World Cross Country Championships to be held Jan. 10 in Tallahassee, U.S.A. for both the senior men's and women's 10 km, up to 8 athletes will be selected, with 6 ultimately running. Team scoring is based upon each team's first 4 finishers. Member of the 10000 m team at September's Tokyo World Championships will be given priority in World XC team selection. The JAAF is planning a separate selection race in November for the U20 teams. Nominations to the 8 km mixed relay will be based on results in the 2 km race at the 2025 National Cross Country Championships, to be held at Fukuoka's Umi no Naka Michi Kaihin Park. source article: https://www.rikujyokyogi.co.jp/archives/158822 translated by Brett Larner

The 2025 Hakone Ekiden by the Numbers

It was another record-breaking year at the Hakone Ekiden . All 13 of the course records, the 10 individual stages, the Day One and Day Two courses and the overall course, have been set since 2019, and out of those 6 fell this time, 2 of them broken by multiple athletes or teams. All of them had performances in at least their all-time top 6, and 9 of them in their all-time top 3. First Stage (21.3 km) - all-time #4 Second Stage (23.1 km) - CR, all-time #2, all-time #3, all-time #9 Third Stage (21.4 km) - all-time #4, all-time #5, all-time #7 Fourth Stage (20.9 km) - all-time #2, all-time #7, all-time #8, all-time #9 Fifth Stage (20.8 km uphill) - CR, all-time #3 Sixth Stage (20.8 km downhill) - CR, all-time #5, all-time #9 Seventh Stage (21.3 km) - CR, all-time #4 (x2), all-time #7 Eighth Stage (21.4 km) - all-time #6, all-time #9, all-time #10 Ninth Stage (23.1 km) - all-time #6, all-time #10 Tenth Stage (23.0 km) - all-time #2, all-time #7 Day One (107.5 km) - all-time #2...

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