Hakone Ekiden Champs Toyo University Win 2012 Hood to Coast Relay

by Brett Larner

Making their U.S. debut at the invitation of team sponsor Nike, 2012 Hakone Ekiden course record setters Toyo University won the U.S.' premier road relay, Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay, on Aug. 24-25. Running a team of mostly first and second-year students, Toyo had little trouble dispatching 2011 Hood to Coast winner Knoxville Track Club and 2011 runner-up Bowerman AC, covering the roughy 320 km, 36 stage course in 17:14:37 to Bowerman AC's 17:56:00. Defending champ Knoxville TC was 3rd in 18:14:17.

2012 Hood to Coast Relay
320 km, 36 stages
Oregon, 8/24-25/12
click here for complete results

1. Toyo University - 17:14:37
2. Bowerman AC - 17:56:00
3. Knoxville Track Club - 18:14:17
4. Icebreaker Lund - 18:35:45
5. Univ. of Portland Alumni - 19:18:40
6. Google1 - 19:24:08
7. GE Meatballs - 19:27:14
8. Tarahumara - 19:41:42
9. Black Flag - 19:47:07
10. Willamette Dental - 19:47:25

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

Comments

Hermes said…

On the team that ran on the 2nd place corporate team, I have to congratulate Toyo on a great race. We averaged 40 sec/mi slower than them and thought we ran great. I talked to Sakai coach before the race and he told me the team was made up of just freshman and sophmores, so all the better the result. Just wondered why they ran in the corporate division. Really put a damper on our race as all of us are working full-time in jobs and they are running full time.....

September 2, 2012 at 11:21 AM

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