It is this university that threatens the champion Komazawa..! Hakone Ekiden: A Complete Guide to the “Gods of the Mountains” in the run-up to the 100th Ekiden!

Komazawa University (Komadai), the absolute champion in its quest to win the Triple Crown of Student Ekiden for the second year in a row, continues to gain momentum.

In the Izumo Ekiden in October, Koutaro Shinohara (3rd year) jumped out of the gate in the first section, followed by Keita Sato (2nd year), who won the sectional title. 39 seconds separated them in the second section, and the captain, Mebuki Suzuki (4th year), won the sectional title for the second consecutive year in the final six sections.

In the All-Japan University Ekiden in November, Sato broke the section record by 11 seconds in the 2nd section, and Shinohara was the top Japanese runner in the 3rd section, comfortably winning his 4th consecutive championship by a 3:34 margin over 2nd place.

He was the top Japanese runner in the third section, and he finished 3:34 ahead of second place. Atsushi Fujita, 47, who has been in charge of the team since this season, is also eager to win the Triple Crown.

On the other hand, Chuo University (hereinafter referred to as “Chuo University”), which lined up ace-class runners in the first half of the race with Komaba University in mind, was not successful. The team’s strategy of leading the race with an absolute ace failed, and they sank to fourth place.

In the Hakone Ekiden, Komadai is the clear favorite to win. They have a strong lineup of athletes, with Takuma Yamakawa, a sophomore, finishing 4th in the 5th section and Aoi Ito, a sophomore, finishing 1st in the 6th section in the last race. There is no need to worry about the mountains. The three aces, Shinohara, Sato, and Suzuki, are too fast. Especially in Izumo and All-Japan, Sato’s overwhelming speed seemed to decide the races.