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<97th Hakone Ekiden> ◇ 3rd ◇ Return ◇ Hakone-Tokyo (5 sections 109.6 km)
Hakone Ekiden was held in the new Corona Sorrow. Toshihiko Seko, leader of Japan’s Rikuren Marathon Strengthening Project (64), who was also in charge of commentary on TV broadcasts, recalled the unusual tournament while taking action against infection.
While he praised Soka University’s great fight, he also applauded Koma University’s unwavering career. We thank the people who contributed to the event and commend the players who showed the splendor of the sport at the start of the Olympic year.
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In the end, something unexpected happened. I thought that the difference of 3 minutes or more in the 10th district, 90% or more, was the victory of Soka University, but it was a setback. This is Hakone Ekiden. I do not know what will happen. It made me feel a bit complicated because development was development.
Soka University really did its best. There is no player who stands out. However, they all wielded 100% power from the exit route. The top is mentally comfortable and uplifting. There is also the advantage that the relief vehicle is a windbreaker. The players ran with a happy smile. You would have thought you would win. That’s why I wanted you to win. I wanted to win. It is surprisingly difficult to win the championship. Looking at past tournaments, many teams have won the championship for the first time with the momentum of any brand. In that sense, I wanted to win this year and I wanted to win.
However, Komadai is also true. You knew that both the coach and the players were difficult. Still, I pursued without giving up until the end. On the return trip, the gap widened twice in Districts 7 and 9. No wonder it’s not good, but I was able to reverse it because I thought something would happen and ran. Director Oyagi has tried trial and error in order to revive the old man. The way we interact with players has changed with the times. I think communication is considerable. I believe that God was observing the difficulties of such a director.
Seigaku University, which was the number one candidate for the championship before the tournament, stalled on the way out. I never expected to be 12th. However, it was wonderful to trade the goal for the comeback win and achieve it. It is the strength of the team that has won the championship. After all, next year it will be Komadai, and together with Sokadai, who gained confidence and repented this year, he should be a candidate for the championship.
All the teams I thought were championship candidates were in the top spots, but only Meidai finished with a disappointing result. I couldn’t get all the strength out. I saw victory for the first time in 72 years, and on the contrary, I became stronger. He was in contrast to Sokadai, who was selfless and ran freely.
The flapping of many teams is due in part to the new Corona. I was not able to practice satisfactorily because I was unable to receive guidance from the director and coach throughout the season. Some teams couldn’t even camp in the summer. When practicing alone, the sweetness comes out by all means. It is difficult to drive alone. Due to the time change, the Japan Championship was held in December. For the best players who appeared there, it was difficult to match with Ekiden a month later. The player with a record of 27 minutes (10,000 meters) finished almost without power. That is also the reason why it did not turn out as expected.
Did you say in the TV commentary in District 5 that “what controls Hakone controls the mountains”? That is an error. “What controls the mountains controls Hakone”, doesn’t it? No, I understand (laughs).
With the cancellation of Izumo Ekiden in October, everyone should have thought Hakone would be difficult. However, we were wondering if we could somehow secure a spot for players to advertise. The people around me and the people involved pushed for the effort of the players. Certainly there was a different loneliness than usual due to the rigorous measures against infection, such as the fact that friends could not meet at the finish line and the number of personnel was limited. But the players appreciated being able to run. I am also grateful to the people who contributed to the event and would like to say that I had a hard time.
Of course, there are opinions against the event in the current situation. I called a lot on the broadcast, but the audience gathered along the way. There will be criticism about it. However, I would like to believe that many people thought that “sports are good” on their home television, even though they had a feeling of obstruction. I understand that there are various ideas, but I hope that Hakone Ekiden will lead to other sports and lead to the Tokyo Olympics. What you have done will lead to the next. If you don’t, nothing will connect. I think this tournament marked the beginning of the Olympic year, 2021.
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