The "Hakone Ekiden" (Hakone Ekiden) is taking place today and tomorrow (January 2-3) in Japan. If you've seen the anime "Run with the Wind," you'll definitely be familiar with it. Held annually, the race starts from the Yomiuri Shimbun's Tokyo headquarters, turns around at Lake Ashi in Hakone, covering approximately 108 kilometers one way. This year marks the 102nd edition.
On the first day of this year's race, three-time defending champions Aoyama Gakuin University (Aogaku) shattered the course record with a time of 5 hours, 18 minutes, and 8 seconds, securing their third consecutive first-day victory. What's mind-boggling is that Aogaku started in 16th place in Section 1 and relentlessly chased down the competition. Their ace, Asahi Kuroda, in particular, made up three and a half minutes in Section 5 alone, earning him the nickname "New God of the Mountain" from netizens.
Starting from a distant 16th place in Section 1, they clawed their way forward section by section, ultimately achieving what can only be described as a historic comeback victory. Even netizens watching at home were stunned: "I woke up and they were still in 16th place..."
Second-year student Haru Ogawara, who was a last-minute replacement in Section 1, finished 16th in his section, putting Aogaku at a slight disadvantage early on. However, the team launched a full-scale counterattack from Section 2:
Second-year Shota Iida in Section 2 overtook 5 runners, bringing them up to 11th place.
Fourth-year Shunya Udagawa in Section 3 passed another 3 runners, moving them to 8th place.
Third-year Kyosuke Hiramatsu in Section 4 also overtook 3 runners, pushing them to 5th place.
The crucial Section 5 was handed over to ace Asahi Kuroda (fourth-year), who unleashed a record-breaking pace, first passing Josai University, Kokugakuin University, and Chuo University. In the final stretch, he even overtook Waseda University's Shinsaku Kudo (third-year), crossing the finish line first and completing an incredible comeback to win the first day's race.
Aogaku's ace, Asahi Kuroda, was 3 minutes and 25 seconds behind when he took the sash in Section 5, but he ran as if he wasn't climbing a mountain at all, treating it like flat ground.
Kuroda Asahi is already a formidable athlete, holding the Japanese student marathon record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 5 seconds. In the past two Hakone Ekiden races, he was responsible for the ace's Section 2, setting a section record in his first attempt and breaking his own record in his third year.
In his final year, he was naturally assigned to the mountain section, which everyone had already said "suited him perfectly." The decision proved to be spot-on, as he blazed through with a new section record of 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 16 seconds, earning him the title of "New God of the Mountain."
▼ The moment Asahi Kuroda overtook Waseda's Shinsaku Kudo, who was in second place.
The Hakone Ekiden is truly a grand event during Japan's New Year, with top athletes showcasing outstanding performances on various courses each year. This year, Asahi Kuroda, in his final appearance, showed everyone the prowess of the new generation's "God of the Mountain."
If you want to experience the charm of the Hakone Ekiden, in addition to watching the race, we also recommend checking out the anime "Run with the Wind." It will definitely help you understand why Japanese people are so passionate about this event.