To Achieve What Was Lost and Beyond / Hakone Section Entry Announcement | Waseda Sports

It’s been a year since the seed dropped on New Year’s Day, and it’s that time of year again. Section registrations for the 99th Tokyo-Hakone Round Trip University Ekiden (Hakone) have been announced. Waseda University finished 4th overall in the preliminary round. To obtain the seeding rights for the first time in two years and to achieve the goal of “within 3rd place on one leg and within 5th place overall”, what kind of section organization will Katsuhiko Hanada do , manager of Ekiden (Heisei 6 graduates =) for the main race? Shiga Hikone Higashi) we’ll see if they chose.

Rookie Junpei Maseta (Sport 1 = Tosu Kou, Saga) entered the first section, which is the start of all 10 sections. Section 1 is a section where various developments of the race are expected and responsiveness is required. How will you handle decisions on key points, such as party placement and response to gimmicks from rival players? Maseda raced in the first section of the All Japan Collegiate Ekiden Inter-School Championship (All Japan) in November, and proceeded calmly with each school’s ace class. It can be said that the appointment should give Hakone momentum.

Maseda runs in the first section of the All Japan. Can he quickly build momentum with a new run in Hakone?

Each school’s ace got together and entered the 2nd ward, also called “Flower 2nd Ward”, by Yoji Ishizuka (Teacher 2 = Tokyo, Hayami). Ward 2 must have the strength to compete with each school’s ace class, as well as the strength to tackle the tough Gonta-zaka climb, which is the last stage. Ishizuka rode well last year, finishing sixth in the fourth section. It can be said that he was hired not only because he has improved over the last year, but also because he doesn’t have to worry about going uphill.

3 districts from the city to the sea. Tatsuto Igawa (Sports 4 = Kumamoto / Kyushu Gakuin) was nominated in the third district. The greatest enemy in the third district is the sea wind. As the course of the race can change completely depending on the weather conditions of the day, you need to be strong enough to resist the wind. Section 3 is most likely to be run on its own and is a section that requires constant running. I want to make sure that Igawa, who has a lot of experience so far, can connect the armband to the upper ranks. It will be Igawa’s first run in the 3rd district since he was in first grade. The person himself wants to clear up the 3rd ward frustration in the 3rd ward. I’d like to expect a ride that gives momentum to the team and clears up my frustration.

Igawa running in the 96th district of Hakone 3. At the time of freshman year, he dropped to 14th in the section

Rinta Miyaoka (Commercial 1 = Kanagawa / Kamakura Gakuen) was placed in the next 4th ward. Section 4 is the shortest section among the flat districts and is often frequented by beginners to gain experience. Sure, he’ll be racing with a strong rival, but he’ll be an important touchstone.

Two experienced riders were assigned to the two sections of Hakone no Yama. Taishi Ito (Sport 2 = Nagano, Saku Chosei), who was appointed to the 5th section, finished 11th in the section last year, showing a run that can be judged to some extent even though it was his first time climbing a mountain. Hopefully this year will show more improvement. Hikaru Kitamura (Spo 3 = Gunma Jutoku) has been nominated for the sixth section of the descent from the mountain. Even though he couldn’t run last time, he came down the mountain in 58 minutes even though he was a rookie last time. In recent years, Waseda University has been struggling in the Hakone Mountains, so we want to capture the mountain, which can be said to be a demon gate, with two experienced players, and build momentum to the goal ranking.

Taishi Ito, who finished fifth in the seventh section of the All Japan Championship. Can you leave a record that surpasses last year’s mountaineering?

Takuya Little Finger (Sports 4 = Fukushima, Gakuho Ishikawa) is appointed to the seventh ward, which has to respond to sharp changes in temperature. Pinky ran well in the 9th section of the tournament two years ago and finished fourth in the section. Section 7 is a section with small ups and downs after the middle stage. Although the section is different, it can be said that the good run in the 9th section shows the aptitude for ups and downs. Depending on the development of the 6th ward, it may become an important section following the front, so I want to show the power of 4th graders.

Yota Ifuku (Politics and Economics 2 = Kyoto, Rakunan) was appointed to the 8th constituency. Ifuku has no university ekiden experience but is in fine form, scoring 62nd in the Ageo Half Marathon in November. The high level of road suitability is demonstrated in practice and a fierce ride is expected in the opening race.

Little finger racing in the 5th district of all Japan. He finished 11th in the All Japan section, which is a disappointment, but will Hakone be able to finish the race?

Atsushi Ayame (Sport 3 = Yamaguchi/Saikyo) was named in the ninth section of the “back ace section”. Section 9 is a difficult section with a lot of ups and downs in the early stages. And the section where you have to run a long section by yourself and the strategy is hard. However, with Ayame’s high leg strength and intelligent running, we expect him to gain momentum in the final section.

Fumiya Tsuji (Ped. The 10th ward is responsible for transporting the tasuki to Otemachi, where his friends are waiting. On the other hand, it is also a section that reaches the climax of the battle for the ranking. It depends on how it plays out, but if you can deliver a sash to Otemachi in a higher rank.

The above is the layout of the 10 sections, but we have enough implications for section changes that can be done by up to 6 people and we have strong members as backup. How to use experienced seniors like Captain Soji Suzuki Ekiden (Sports 4 = Shizuoka / Hamamatsu Nitai) and Koki Sato (Sports 3 = Miyazaki Nihon Univ.) and Tomoki Yamaguchi (Sports 1) who have raced well all over Japan =Fukushima/Gakuho Ishikawa) will also draw attention to which section will be Hakone’s debut.

Captain Suzuki leads a group ride in a joint interview. He hasn’t raced an Ekiden yet this season, but his condition is improving.

Players have not forgotten this year’s New Year’s frustration. And Hakone’s frustration can only be erased in Hakone. Considering the change of section during the day, we still don’t know who will race, but if each of them gives their best, the results will surely come. I would like to pay attention to the change of section in the day and the rush of players. The battle has already begun.

(Article by Hiroki Deguchi)