Jan 3, 2021
Komazawa University showcased a historic comeback win as junior runner Takuma Ishikawa overtook then-leader Soka University with only two kilometers left in the 10th and final leg to capture its first Hakone ekiden championship since 2008 on Sunday.
It was the seventh-ever gold medal for the Tokyo-based team in Japan’s annual New Year sporting tradition, for which universities in the Kanto region are eligible to compete. Komazawa’s winning time was 10 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds.
“I’m extremely happy,” Komazawa head coach Hiroaki Oyagi said after the tournament. “We’ve struggled to win in this event and I was only hoping our team would give a good performance on the second day.”
Komazawa University Pulls Off Last-Second Come-From-Behind 2021 Hakone Ekiden Win – Brett Larner – Japan Running News
03
Where to start, really?
Yesterday in just its fourth time running the Hakone Ekiden since it first qualified in 2015 and its second season under head coach Kazutaka Enoki, underdog Soka University pulled off a seemingly out-of-nowhere Day One win.
Toyo University, 2020 National University Ekiden champion
Komazawa University and 2019 Hakone winner
Tokai University, enough to give it breathing room but not a margin of safety. With 109.6 km ahead of them, their lead translated to just over a second per km.
Soka’s leadoff Day Two runner
Masaki Hamano handled the Sixth Stage, 20.8 km with over 800 m of descent, well, but behind him Komazawa’s