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.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.