Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is a premier collegiate road relay held annually on January 2 and 3. The term ekiden originates from the station-based transmission system of the Edo period. First established in 1920, the competition has evolved into a 217.1-kilometer round trip between central Tokyo and Lake Ashi in Hakone. The race begins and ends in front of the head offices of the Yomiuri Shimbun in Otemachi, the newspaper that sponsored the inaugural event. It features 20 university teams—including the top ten “seeded” finishers from the previous year—and a select team of runners from other institutions. Recent years have seen consistent dominance from programs such as Aoyama Gakuin University and Komazawa University.

The race is divided into ten sections, with five legs occurring each day. The outward journey on January 2 is 107.5 kilometers, highlighted by the grueling fifth leg involving a steep elevation gain toward Lake Ashi. The return journey on January 3 covers 109.6 kilometers back to the capital. Spectators planning to view the race in person should anticipate extreme cold and large crowds along the route. It is advisable to arrive at the roadside at least 90 minutes before the leaders are scheduled to pass, as popular vantage points near the start, finish, and relay exchange points reach capacity early. While the race begins at 8:00 AM, the atmosphere in Otemachi is active hours in advance. Real-time updates and course maps are available on the official site.