On December 25, the Hakone Ekiden organizing committee announced a reform plan for the Hakone Ekiden. The commemorative edition will shift from a five-year to a four-year cycle. In 2028 there will be 26 teams participating, selected from universities across Japan; from 2029 onward there will be 24 teams, and entry will again be limited to universities in the Kanto region. This change may give some elite university runners from outside Kanto a chance to take part in their dream Hakone Ekiden. The Japanese, who view the Hakone Ekiden as the backbone of long-distance running, hope that expansion will create a path from Hakone to the world and to the Olympics. Can that road succeed? Or, as Suguru Osako said, "Hakone is not Mount Everest." #Hakone Ekiden#Japan University Selection#Suguru Osako#long-distance running