The 103rd Hakone Ekiden (a university relay race) takes place on Saturday, January 2, 2027 (the outbound leg) and Sunday, January 3 (the return leg). Both the start and the finish are in front of the Yomiuri Shimbun building in Otemachi, Tokyo. For watching in Tokyo, the most useful preparation is to know the road-closure times in advance. As of October 27, 2026, neither the Tokyo Metropolitan Police nor the official race site had announced the 2027 road-closure times. This page lists the Tokyo closure times of the previous year (the 102nd race in January 2026) and the race’s official spectator rules.
In short
- Dates: January 2 (outbound) and January 3 (return), 2027. Start and finish: in front of the Yomiuri Shimbun building, Otemachi.
- 2027 road closures: not yet announced as of October 27. Last year, near the Yomiuri Shimbun building they were 6:00–9:00 on the 2nd and 12:00–15:00 on the 3rd.
- Last year’s official notice asked people to avoid going out by car, so plan to move by train.
- TV coverage runs from 6:45 to 14:05 on Jan 2 and from 6:45 to 14:18 on Jan 3, and TVer streams it live.
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time).
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1. Schedule of the 103rd race and what has been announced
According to the Kanto Student Athletics Association (the official race site), the course is 10 sections, 217.1 km in all: 5 outbound sections (107.5 km) from the Yomiuri Shimbun building in Tokyo to Lake Ashinoko in Hakone, and 5 return sections (109.6 km). The 1st outbound section is 21.3 km and runs along a flat straight road, with the Rokugo Bridge just after 17 km. The 10th return section is 23.0 km and finishes via Chuo-dori and Nihonbashi.
| Item | 2027 (103rd) | Previous year (102nd) |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound day | Saturday, January 2 | Friday, January 2 |
| Return day | Sunday, January 3 | Saturday, January 3 |
| Outbound start time | Not yet announced | 8:00 |
| Road closures in Tokyo | Not yet announced (the official closure page covers only the qualifying race) | See the next table |
On October 27, 2026, the official page on traffic regulations and requests to spectators (Japanese) showed only the Tokyo road-closure notice for the October 17 qualifying race. For the main race, wait for this page and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police announcement.
2. Road closures in Tokyo (last year’s record) and where the runners pass
Last year, near the start and finish at the Yomiuri Shimbun building, the closure was 6:00–9:00 on the 2nd and 12:00–15:00 on the 3rd. The outbound start was at 8:00, and the closure of Hibiya-dori began around 7:50. Closures along the course were planned to last about 10 minutes each as runners passed. On the return leg, runners go from Babasakimon along Kajibashi-dori and Chuo-dori toward Nihonbashi, and the Nihonbashi area was expected to close from around 13:15 for 40 to 45 minutes. The times were said to shift depending on the race.
| Point | Outbound (Jan 2) | Return (Jan 3) | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the Yomiuri Shimbun building | 6:00–9:00 | 12:00–15:00 | Otemachi |
| Near Otemachi Station | 7:50–8:05 | — | Otemachi |
| Near Mitsukoshimae Station | — | 13:15–14:00 | Mitsukoshimae |
| Near Mita Station | 8:10–8:20 | 13:00–13:45 | Mita |
| Near Samezu Station | 8:25–8:35 | 12:45–13:30 | Samezu |
| Near Keikyu Kamata Station | 8:40–8:50 | 12:25–13:05 | Keikyu Kamata |
A “—” in the table means no closure time was announced for that point on that day.
The 6 points are the main points for which the Tokyo Metropolitan Police published closure times, and they give a rough idea of where runners pass. On the outbound leg, runners go from Otemachi onto Daiichi Keihin (Route 15) toward Shinagawa and Kamata.
The basis is the notice posted on the official race site last year, “Notice of traffic regulations, the 102nd Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race” (PDF of the Kanto Student Athletics Association and the Metropolitan Police, web archive of December 26, 2025) (Japanese). The point names (nearest stations) are from a Travel Watch article of January 1, 2026 (Japanese) that reported the police announcement.
3. Things to know about watching the Hakone Ekiden in Tokyo
Last year’s traffic notice (race organizer and police) asked people to avoid going out by car. Closures centered on the areas around Hibiya-dori and Daiichi Keihin (Route 15), so plan to move around Tokyo by train.
The road closure as the runners pass lasts about 10 minutes, so rather than waiting long in one place, plan to arrive a little before the expected time of passing.
Watching is not limited to the Yomiuri Shimbun building in Otemachi. Cheer from the sidewalk, and since runners run close to the sidewalk, you are asked not to stretch out your hands or lean into the road.
On the Hakone side, last year’s official notice expected Kazamatsuri, Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto stations to be very crowded, with a risk of missing the runners as they pass and of entry restrictions inside stations. That crowding notice is for the 102nd race. For the relay points and closure times in Kanagawa, see the article on watching the 2027 Hakone Ekiden in Kanagawa (Japanese).
4. Official rules at the roadside
The Kanto Student Athletics Association’s page on watching the Hakone Ekiden safely (Japanese) asks for the following.
Refrain from using stepladders, banners, drones and selfie sticks, and from cheering from vehicles. Also refrain from bringing large numbers of small flags or banners.
Within 100 m before and after the start point, the finish point and the relay points, and on bridges and at intersections, do not display items showing a school or any signs.
Tying banners or flags to public property along the road, such as guardrails and bridges, is prohibited. Flying unmanned aircraft (radio-controlled planes and drones) near the course is also prohibited. If you bring a pet, take care that it does not go onto the road.
5. Watching on TV or online
TV coverage runs from 6:45 to 14:05 on January 2 (outbound) and from 6:45 to 14:18 on January 3 (return), according to the official viewing guide. On smartphones, both the outbound and return legs are streamed live on TVer. As of October 27, 2026, radio coverage of the main race was undecided, and the organizer will announce it when it is decided.
6. If you stay in Tokyo the night before
The outbound start last year was at 8:00 in the morning, and the closure near the Yomiuri Shimbun building began at 6:00. If you want to reach the Otemachi area early in the morning, one option is to book a hotel in Tokyo the night before. The race dates are fixed, so checking for rooms early makes it easier.
Frequently asked questions
When will the 2027 road closures be known?
As of October 27, 2026, neither the police nor the official site had published closures for the main race. Last year, the PDF of Tokyo road closures was posted on the same official page in late December. Wait for the main-race notice to appear on the official page on traffic regulations and requests to spectators.
Can I go to watch by car?
Last year’s traffic notice asked people to avoid going out by car. This page assumes you move around Tokyo by train.
Where can I watch the broadcast?
On TV and on the TVer live stream. The official site has details.
Address: Otemachi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (in front of the Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Head Office) · Google Maps
Schedules and road-closure times may change.
Sources
5 pages we checked
- official page on traffic regulations and requests to spectators
- “Notice of traffic regulations, the 102nd Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race” (PDF of the Kanto Student Athletics Association and the Metropolitan Police, web archive of December 26, 2025)
- a Travel Watch article of January 1, 2026
- page on watching the Hakone Ekiden safely
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on October 27, 2026 (Japan time).
