Kokugakuin University was ranked fourth before the October Izumo Ekiden but ultimately took the title; it was ranked first before the November All-Japan University Ekiden but finished fourth. Before the Hakone Ekiden Kokugakuin University is ranked first, and is the only team among the top ten whose half-marathon runners' average time is within 1:01:30, with four runners under 61 minutes. If they can win the championship, it would be Kokugakuin University's first Hakone Ekiden title.
Chuo University has a 10,000m average of 27:55.98, ranking second, and its 5,000m average is also the best among all teams at 13:33.10. The half marathon is a weakness for Chuo University, and with the average stage distance at Hakone being 21.71 km, this is undoubtedly a clear disadvantage.
But Chuo University's biggest problem is its lack of consistency. Chuo University, which was ranked first before the IzumoEkiden, ultimately finished only tenth, while at the All-Japan Collegiate Ekiden they lived up to expectations, showing runner-up form. And for most of the HakoneEkiden, Chuo University was unable to perform to the level expected of them for most of the race.
Last year's Hakone runner-upKomazawa University were sixth at the Izumo Ekiden and ultimately finished fifth. They then leveraged a third-place result at the All-Japan University Ekiden to claim the championship, a success owed in part to star seniorKeita Sato returning from injury. Komazawa University's half marathon average time is 1:01:33, ranking second, so they should be able to make the top three. Whether they can ultimately win the title, however, depends largely on Sato's condition.
The 2025 Hakone Ekiden championsAoyama Gakuin University finished seventh at the Izumo Ekiden and third at the All-Japan University Ekiden, and are currently ranked fourth. Since then their performances have improved, with five runners breaking the 28-minute barrier for 10,000m. Head coachSusumu Hara is also going all out to try to win at Hakone. However, Aoyama Gakuin's overall strength has slipped slightly, and they rely heavily on university marathon record-holderAsahi Kuroda. He is almost never off his game, but if he has an off day, Aoyama Gakuin can hardly maintain an advantage.
Ranked fifth,Teikyo University is the only team whose average among its top ten half marathon runners is under 62 minutes. ekiden is one of the most consistent teams, and it has sent its strongest lineup ever this time. So although the chance of winning the title is slim, a top-five finish is almost guaranteed, and if everything goes smoothly they could even crack the top four.
Finishing in the top ten at the Hakone Ekiden is crucial, because it will determine whether a team qualifies for next season's Izumo Ekiden and secures a spot in the next Hakone race.
Soka University、Nihon University、Toyo University和Waseda University都有望跻身前十。早稻田大学本赛季势头强劲，在出云驿传和全日本大学生驿传中均取得了超出预期的成绩，但全日本大学生驿传的赛程较长对其表现造成了一定影响。此外，与顶尖队伍相比，早稻田大学在 10000 米和半程马拉松项目上的实力相对较弱，因此很难想象它能取得比第五名更好的成绩。
The most thrilling part of Hakone Ekiden's second day is the battle for tenth place, and this year's competition is especially close. The qualifying racechampionsChuo Gakuin University,Daito Bunka UniversityandJuntendo University are closely matched on paper,Tokai University,Josai University andKanagawa University are close behind.The Kanto student alliance's selection team is on par with Chuo Gakuin University in strength, but because they don't conduct unified team training like other universities, they often underperform on race day.
Rikkyo University,Yamanashi Gakuin University,Tokyo International University,Nippon Sport Science University andTokyo University of Agriculture are placed in the latter half of the competing teams; apart from striving not to lose their tasuki in the second day's race, they are unlikely to have much impact on the competition. But considering the unprecedented strength of the leading teams, this will undoubtedly be a daunting task.
Which team do you back, and which athlete do you like?
