Kansei University
Promises of Economic Cooperation
Boso Uni Wins First Half Racing With Only 10 Members
Starting in last place Brakes Last place Insufficient members
Inexperienced Inadequate Strengths and weaknesses
Difficult race
Good morning.
Go back to bed.
Did it snow overnight?
We're all in the same boat.
Go to sleep.
I'm worried.
Will I trip on the slope?
Will my shoelaces break?
You'll be fine.
You could even win your section.
Can't you be more realistic in your encouragement?
You always do what you say you'll do.
That goes for both the bar exam and the Hakone Ekiden.
The exam and the Ekiden are different.
Tell me you'll try to win your section.
Okay, okay.
I'll go for it. I'll try to win.
I promise I'll try.
Good. Then you'll be fine.
If only I could've supported you like this yesterday...
Huh?
I'm useless.
Run with the Wind
There's a 60% chance of rain in Kanto,
Utsunomiya 4ºC/Cloudy Yokohama 2ºC/Snow, cloudy later
Tokyo 3ºC/Snow, rain later Kofu 1ºC/Snow
and it's snowing out on the plains.
The current temperature in the city is 2º below zero.
There's a strong northeasterly wind,
and we expect temperatures to remain below 5º this afternoon.
Out for a jog? You're up early.
Where's Haiji?
In his room, probably. Why?
It's unusual for him not to be running at this time.
Oh, right...
But he's Section 10.
Prince and Hana said they're getting ready right now.
Hana?!
Wh-Who—
Who was that guy?!
We're in a hotel!
What are you talking about?
He just came out of Haiji's room.
What?
He's my sports doctor.
It's your leg, isn't it?
Did something happen? How long has it been feeling off?
There's nothing wrong with it. I was just being careful.
Haiji!
Focus on yourself.
Aren't you going to run the best you ever have?
Goodbye, Beautiful World
New Year Sports Special Hakone Ekiden
After finishing second in the first half,
Fujioka Kazuma
it's no surprise that Fujioka Kazuma's running for Rikudo.
Kurahara Kakeru
They must be hoping their captain will lead them to a comeback.
Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race First Half Runners
Well, that's hardly surprising.
I'll tell the others.
Sure.
As far as Rikudo's concerned, it's all going according to plan.
Haiji and I will go to Tsurumi.
Kakeru and I will go to Totsuka.
I'll be waiting at Otemachi.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Nine,
Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race
eight, seven, six,
five,
four,
three,
two, one.
Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race
It's 8:00 AM. Boso Uni, who won the first half, has started.
Second place finisher Rikudo will start 1:39 later.
Rikudo
Universities who finished more than ten minutes behind Boso
1 Boso Rikudo Daiwa Kitakan Kino Saikyo Do Yokohama Kofu Academy Nihonbashi Tech Tokyo Sport Manaka Teito Ake Jonan Bunka Kanagawa OP Student Association Eurasia Tokyo Academy Shinsei Kansei
will be starting together ten minutes from now.
This year's simultaneous start includes Eurasia, Tokyo Academy,
Shinsei, Kansei, and the Kanto Student Association.
We finished 11:53 behind Boso.
We may be starting simultaneously ten minutes later,
but that doesn't erase the 1:53 difference.
Our rank will ultimately be determined by the sum of our first and second half times.
Odahara Relay Point
In other words, your apparent position at the end of the second half
can be different from your time-based rank.
Members running the second half have to do tedious calculations
while trying to improve their position.
Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race
The simultaneous start is soon!
All teams to the starting line!
See you in Otemachi!
The final five teams have started at once.
All 21 runners are now engaged in the battle ending in Otemachi.
They're speeding ahead.
Can they keep up that pace with today's road conditions?
Section 6 Final Entrants
Among Section 6's final entrants,
only Rikudo runs a 28-minute 10k.
You'll be able to keep up with them.
You're the only one who can ride down Hakone.
Don't be scared.
Five kilometers in 13:45?
That's too fast.
But didn't Haiji say it's normal to run the five kilometers of Section 6 in thirteen minutes?
If you're an experienced runner.
It's not easy to control your speed on the downhill once you get going.
If you're not careful, you'll start running at short-distance speeds.
Let's trust him.
All we can do is trust Yuki.
Hana said the same thing: “Just trust him.”
Hana did?
Yeah. Hana—
Oh, uh...
Hana said, uh... what was it?
We don't have to talk about it.
What does that mean?
H-Hey, listen.
Just so you know, I like Hana.
Don't screw it up for me.
I know.
What?
How do you know?!
We just received the teams' five-kilometer times.
New Years Sports Special
This is a rather fast pace. Right, Seto-san?
Yeah. When it comes to running downhill, you need guts.
Manaka and Kansei are on record pace.
We can't get a broadcast car to them yet.
Get a bike on Kansei.
Follow them on the fixed cameras.
Running downhill is like taking your hands off the handlebars
while riding a bike down a steep slope.
But if you have the courage and guts for it,
you could go for the record.
Manaka's Fudemura and Kansei's Iwakura are running particularly quickly.
These past five kilometers, I've run each kilometer in 2:45.
It's unbelievable.
I could never run this fast on a flat track.
No one can run that fast.
There is one.
Oh, right.
This is the world Kakeru runs in.
Kakeru...
Do you always run this fast?
If I keep running like this, can I be like you?
No, don't!
It's too dangerous for me.
Today's my last day.
I have my own life to live.
Hey, Kakeru...
Don't go too far.
The place you're going is beautiful, but it's too lonely.
Too lonely for any living human to endure.
Shoot.
Focus. Focus, focus.
Yukihiko! Yukihiko!
Brother!
You can do it!
Yukihiko!
Yukihiko, I'm thinking about getting remarried.
And you're going to have a little sister.
I'm sorry,
Mom...
Yuki!
I knew you'd do it!
Yuki!
That was amazing!
You're amazing, Yuki!
Two seconds faster, and you would've won!
Just two seconds!
Two seconds?
That's amazing! You're amazing, Yuki!
That two-second gap will never close.
It's me.
Are you calling to tell me Section 7's strategy?
No. Just run to your heart's content.
That's all.
That's simple.
Keep a pace of three minutes per kilometer.
That would be ideal.
That won't be easy.
Roger that.
Sorry I couldn't let you take it easy.
Haiji, if I wanted to take it easy, I wouldn't have run.
The same goes for dieting and quitting smoking.
There's no such thing as an easy path.
I knew that when I made my decision.
I understand.
Watch me. Just don't expect too much.
Must be nice...
...being so skinny.
If I'd been born that skinny, I—wait...
I caught up?
Maybe he's off his game.
What position am I? What's my time?
I screwed up. What should I do?
Should I match his pace?
Of course he won't make it easy.
Fine, then. Let's do this.
Damn, this is fun.
This is it. This is how I wanted to run.
Run to your heart's content.
Haiji, you truly are amazing.
Hirata,
why don't you give up on long-distance and try something else?
I think you'd be better at a throwing event.
It's not his fault.
He said that because he'd been observing me carefully.
Since the numbers decide the race, it's only natural that body type matters.
But I liked running.
I wanted to keep running if I could,
but...
I lost my passion.
Hey.
You're not a child anymore.
Smoke if you want to.
You used to run track?
A long time ago.
In high school? What events?
I don't remember anymore.
Why? Are you a track fan?
I was a runner.
What?
Long-distance, throughout middle and high school.
Then why'd you choose Kansei?
This isn't a school for running.
Why? You slow or something?
Not slow, just weak.
What?
I'm weak.
You're not the slightest bit weak.
No, you've spent four years getting stronger.
Nicotine! Can you hear me, Nicotine?
That's just my addiction, old man.
You're currently in 13th place.
When you include Kansei's first half time, your current total position is
16th place.
Hiratsuka Relay Station
Even after how fast Yuki ran?
This year will be your last year at Hakone.
After all, you won't earn a seed.
Isn't that good for you, though?
You don't have to worry next year.
You think we'll take that lying—
You don't know that.
Tokyo Sport's barely in range for a seed, too.
I'll pass them all.
I'll crush everyone in front of me.
I've been running since middle school, believing that I'd be standing here.
You run for fun. You wouldn't understand.
It's not for fun!
Yesterday, our teammate practically gave his life to pass along our sash.
Who suffers that much for fun?
You should know that, but you...
Play fair and square. Show how strong you are by running.
Musa.
Sakaki, what are you doing?
Start by trying to have fun.
Our Kiyose tells us all the time that just being fast isn't enough.
Lip service.
Winning is everything.
There's no one here.
There's no target.
I don't know where or how I'm running.
I don't know if I'm fast or slow.
I don't know anything.
Keep a pace of three minutes per kilometer.
That would be ideal.
Thanks for letting me run again.
But that means you were frustrated, right?
That's why you told me.
It means you can't give it up.
Thanks for telling me the truth.
Tenth, Kansei University.
Kansei University
Yes!
Thanks for running with me.
This is my last day.
This world is too beautiful.
But that's okay.
My love hasn't changed. Never has, never will.
I like running.
I love it.
I'll leave all my lingering attachments on this road!
Yeah! Nico-chan Senpai!
Let's do this!
Don't lose.
You improved our rank!
You improved our rank, Nico-chan Senpai!
Tastes like iron.
1 Boso 2 Rikudo
Boso remains in first place.
They've pulled ahead of Rikudo
and, once again, achieved greater than a 1:30 lead by the Hiratsuka Relay Station.
Even for Rikudo, not everything goes according to plan.
There's no fun in running a race when you know how it ends,
but there is an end I'm determined to reach.
Kurahara, I'm going to break the section record.
We're obliged to win.
Athletes, contacts, coaches, facilities, funds.
Champions in everything, we're expected to win.
Do you think it's hard?
You get used to the difficulty, eventually.
But it's heavy. So heavy.
The past four years, I've endured that weight and ran with it...
...to become even stronger.
Then I'll break your record.
You'll probably only be the record-holder for about ten minutes.
Rikudo will win!
At the same time, I will beat myself and beat you, Kurahara.
What will you show me?
Kakeru!
King is...
Tokyo Sport first-year Sakaki Kosuke puts on a tremendous burst of speed.
He's pulling ahead of Kansei, who passed their sash before them at Hiratsuka.
What a striking debut for this rookie.
Damn! Damn, damn!
Damn, damn!
Next time, “Embrace Your Loneliness.”
Next time: Embrace Your Loneliness