Team member selection is always tricky and difficult.

Around March, I received the invitation from the organizers to take part in this Ekiden, which meant it was time to start thinking about the team selection. Having participated in the race three consecutive times, this year I decided to step aside, yield my runner’s seat, and be a substitute and the team’s coach.

From my experience, I have gained a better sense of the physical demands of the race and the kind of runners to look for. For me, selecting members should not only be about physical ability. There also needs to be team spirit and a sense of cohesion. For that reason, I would favor runners who are already friends rather than total strangers, as I believe team bonding is an important part of the equation.

Even though nobody is competing for the Olympics and the event is ultimately just for fun, everyone on the team takes it extremely seriously. Since this race is mostly by invitation and we can only send one team to represent the club, each of us can’t help but feel immense pressure to perform.

Road Runner Selection

This year again, Corey and Graham came to mind immediately. They are both running sub-75 min for a HM / low-16 min for a 5k, without major setbacks and with relatively consistent training all year long.

Cal has been breaking his PBs for the past two years and has been in fantastic shape.

The three of them know each other well and are good friends.

Although you cannot “win” the race on the road, you can compromise it very easily. It’s a bit like the swimming part of a triathlon.

Trail Runner Selection

Legs 4 and 8 need a runner with strong climbing ability, usually someone with a high VO₂max / a fast 10k runner. As Leg 8 (downhill) isn’t extremely steep except for the first 500m, it is more forgiving in terms of descending ability.

Sabri naturally came to mind. He recently ran a 2:32 marathon and is also strong over shorter distances. He averages 2:55–3:05 for 1000m during our Wednesday sessions.

Legs 5 and 7 are the most crucial. They are the hardest and take the longest time to complete. They require someone who is not only very strong at climbing and at high altitude, but also very strong going downhill during the “Grand Sand Run – 大砂走” of Leg 7. That section is not particularly technical but requires the ability to run at a vertical speed above 6000m/h, or faster than a 3:20 min/km pace.

Ewan had recently run a 2:35 marathon and 15:50 for 5km. He is also a very fast descender and, as a triathlete, has a very consistent training schedule all year long.

Leg 6 is the trickiest and most difficult when it comes to athlete selection. Because the downhill part is very technical, it requires someone with good climbing ability—not necessarily top-notch—and excellent technical descending skills, while also being able to run at altitude. A runner with a very high VO₂max but poor descending skills is a no-go.

Hanah is not the strongest climber in the club; she has decent/respectable ascending speed. But her descending skills on technical terrain are excellent, to say the least.

Moreover, if we made it before the kuriage cutoff, we would probably be the only mixed team to achieve that, which is, quite frankly, badass.

Last but not least, I was confident that each one of them would take the task and responsibility very seriously and would train properly for it.

Let’s just say I was not disappointed, to say the least!!

Target Time Assignment

As the team coach, I am aware of the pressure that comes with assigning a target time to a runner. So I always try my best to assign a realistic and attainable goal.

Cal — Target rating: Slightly optimistic

I assigned him the same time as last year’s runner, Sean. Cal had run 16:50 at a parkrun “without trying,” so he was potentially in 16:30 5k shape, which was Sean’s shape last year.

Graham — Target rating: Fair / Realistic
Corey — Target rating: Slightly optimistic

Both Corey and Graham were assigned the same target times as last year. I was confident about Graham, but I was a bit concerned about Corey, as his splits on the track were a bit slower compared to last year, and he confirmed that he wasn’t feeling in great shape either.

Sabri — Uphill target rating: Conservative
Sabri — Downhill target rating: Realistic

I’ve found that Leg 4 performance is highly correlated with the athlete’s 10k road race time.

I estimated that he could run at least sub-33 min for 10k, but since he had never raced on that type of terrain, I kept his target time at 33:30.

On the downhill, having personally run 8:20, I was confident he could beat that and also go under 8 minutes.

Ewan — Uphill target rating: Conservative
Ewan — Downhill target rating: Realistic

Leg 5 is probably the toughest of the race. Our course record, held by Tom in 2024, was 54:52. Ewan, on one hand, is significantly faster than Tom on the road and is also an accomplished cyclist. Tom, on the other hand, is an extraordinary climber. So I estimated that Ewan could run under 56 minutes without much issue.

On the 3km downhill Leg 7, I originally set a target of 10:30, thinking it could be a bit optimistic/aggressive, having never seen him run downhill. Our course record, also held by Tom, is 8:50. The only information I had was that Ewan loved descending.

On a team reconnaissance run, I saw him flying downhill at a sub-2:40 min/km pace—faster than 8000m/h of vertical speed.

Then I changed the target time to a realistic sub-10 minutes.

Hanah — Uphill target rating: Realistic
Hanah — Downhill target rating: Realistic

I estimated that Hanah should be able to run 59 minutes for Leg 6: 42 minutes on the climb and 17 minutes on the descent.

Our course record on the ascent was held by Derder in 40 minutes, who at the time was around an 18:20 5k runner.

Hanah’s 5k PB was around 20–30 seconds slower than Derder’s, so it seemed realistic to set the target at 42 minutes.

On the descent, Derder’s time—also our course record—was 14 minutes. Having run with both of them personally on numerous occasions, I knew Derder’s ability on technical descents was on another level.

Hanah is very strong on technical downhill, but there was still a gap. So I estimated that she could run 17 minutes.

Once I shared the target times with everyone, all six of them took their task extremely seriously, and I was quite impressed by their dedication.

I was confident we could come back with the yellow Tasuki this year.

Leg 1 – Cal – Wrecked

Firstly, huge thanks to our supporters and the Otaku (Harrisson) for organizing. We had such a wonderful crew covering all legs of the race. Everything was well organised, and it made a big difference.

Secondly, YESSSSSSSSSSSS! We did it! Proud to be part of such a strong team — the first mixed gender team for Namban in this event — and to finish with the yellow tasuki after we didn’t in 2025. I have so much respect for these runners and the effort they put in. We looked at the tasuki after, and all the sweat had nearly washed away the stamp from the summit.

Thirdly, I cannot get over those images of Sabri’s face covered in dust, looking a little confused but also excited like somehow he dived headfirst into a chocolate cake. Love it!!

The Race

Gah. I tried my best, but it wasn’t my best. I was in pretty good shape after a recent 5K PB, and while I thought Harrisson’s estimate was rather optimistic, I was pleased he had faith in me to tackle this section. However, I didn’t have the stamina for it on the day. In the heat, that hill is relentless, and I ran out of energy halfway. I didn’t think I’d need to carry a gel in a 6km race lasting 25min, but in this instance it could have helped prevent the dizziness I felt towards the end. Nonetheless, I pushed on — trying not to be bothered by the TV cameras following my struggle — stumbled to Graham at the checkpoint and collapsed.

My partner Yumié said she’s never seen me like that after a race.

I was wrecked. It took about 10-15min to regain composure and get my breathing under control. After the disappointment of 2025, I was really hoping we had enough time to beat the cutoff, but still confident in the team to pull us through. So I did my best to rehydrate, rest, and refuel as cleanly as possible to be ready for the final leg.

Leg 2 – Graham – 満足

I was determined to give it my all on the uphill since our estimated times put us only 2 minutes ahead of the kuriage start. It felt longer than the 23:44 I ran due to the steep hill, but I was happy I beat my time from last year!

Leg 3 – Corey – Crawling

Leg 4 –  Sabri – Brain switched off

Leg 5 – Ewan – In The Zone

I’m usually OK with climbing, and I love descending. But I had an issue as my main goal for 4 months was a triathlon with a super flat running leg. It left me with 4 weeks to build up climbing skills. Harri added to my homework some reading about previous Namban participation in the race. It became obvious that it was also mandatory to recon the specific racing conditions: Gotemba trail’s sand is a bad b***h.

In 4 weeks I managed around 13k elevation, including 2 key sessions on Mt Fuji.

Ekiden leaves you so much pressure on race day.
Even though you feel fresh and trust that the job is done, the fact that the team and the crew are putting so much effort themselves and rely on you for your part of the job is creating a crazy mix of nervousness and excitement.

So, of course, when Sabri surged his leg and handed me the Tatsuki, I took off way too fast.

I was saved by chats with Cal and race recaps (Tom: “With one of my long strides for every two of the runners ahead”).

From then on, I stayed in my zone and kept pushing my feet in the sand. I received so much support along the way: ACG members first and then Aurel. I’m afraid I didn’t pay them back even with just a look… I owe you!

Closing to the end, I had to dig deep to keep up the pace and run in flatter sections. I didn’t know exactly where the relay station was… I felt so relieved when I saw the last ramp, on top of which Hanah would deliver me from the burden of that Tasuki. She took off fast, and I figured out she wasn’t gonna leave me much time to rest before leg 8…

Leg 6 – Hanah – 全集中

“59 minutes”

This was the target time Harrisson had given me for my leg.
This is to run 2.5 km uphill starting at 3100m all the way to 3700m, get the tasuki stamped at the summit shrine, turn around, and charge back down.

That number haunted me for weeks leading up to race day. I knew any slip-up could cost us the tasuki deadline, and I’d be letting down the entire team.

I have summited Mt. Fuji via the Gotemba route several times a year since moving to Japan four years ago, so I knew the course fairly well. But I had no idea what this “59 minutes” meant, apart from the fact that it sounded pretty ambitious. I decided I needed to recce the route. I went once to get used to the high altitude (the first Fuji of the year is never easy!) and a second time to run a time trial. It turns out it’s very difficult to replicate race day conditions when it takes hours of climbing just to reach the start of your leg. During my test run, it took me about an hour just to finish the uphill section. That certainly didn’t do much for my confidence!

Fast forward to race day. I was tracking live updates in the Namban group chat, seeing everyone hit their target times and keeping us on track. As my estimated start time approached, I started getting ready. Suddenly, I heard a race official yell out:

“No.29! NAMBAN RENGO!”

Ewan was running waaay ahead of schedule and reaching the transition zone much earlier than expected. I threw everything I was holding onto the ground and sprinted to the start line.

Then I saw him. HOLY!! HE REALLY IS HERE!!!!!! The excitement instantly kicked in.

Ewan handed off the tasuki, and I will never forget that exact moment.

The sash was so soaked with everyone’s sweat that I probably could have wrung water out of it. It made the emotional weight of the team I was carrying feel so real. Hanah, do not screw this up!

I stuck strictly to my strategy – power hike the steep ascents and run the few flat sections (mostly in front of mountain huts and near the summit). As I neared the peak, the strategy paid off. I passed two runners who had burned themselves out.

Reaching the summit, I ran the final flat stretch to the shrine and got the tasuki stamped. My heart was pounding out of my chest – there is 30% less oxygen up there compared to sea level.

I turned around and began the descent.

That’s where I hit a bump. With my heart pounding and my head feeling light, I had to slow down to catch my breath. I got overtaken by a few guys (they were nuts, FLYING downhill at breakneck speed!) Once I felt slightly better and tried to kick back into gear, I twisted my ankle, which set me back again. I was frustrated, but I focused on descending. After all, my sole mission was to get back down and pass the tasuki back to Ewan.

Fortunately, the weather was on my side. With clear visibility, I could see the handoff zone getting closer and closer. I carved around the last turn, spotted Ewan waiting, and handed off the sash.

I looked down at my watch.
“58 minutes”

p.s – special thanks to Rie, Yuki and Aurelien who helped support me in my leg!

Leg 7 – Ewan – Diving

I had done 2 proper recons of the descent and had even managed an interval with 2’27/km and -9000m/h, which is only possible thanks to Fuji-san’s sand. At that speed it’s difficult to bring back the legs fast enough to the front; that’s why falls are usually face-first…I had “practiced” face planting as well. It allowed me to realise it wasn’t that bad. 

I was confident and ready to push it.

After a refuel powered by Namban crew, it was time to go again.

As I reached the soft sand section, I dived into a deep fog… this, together with the speed and the muscles’ fatigue, made me dive, but in the sand this time… I picked up my stuff, took off again, only to crash a minute later! Fortunately, soon after I could see Sabri appear through that fog.

So maybe the key to a good descent is to practice falling! (I cannot be liable for any accident following this advice, please). Better advice would be to recommend Ekiden races; they’re a super experience, bringing Namban members together.

PS: I clocked a good time, but still 40 seconds (7%) behind Tom’s 8th leg record. I guess he’s a bird.

Leg 8 – Sabri – Ash in my eyes

.

Leg 9 – Corey – Grateful

Before the start

Leg 10 – Graham – Negative split

Being with supporters during the >3hr wait between legs helped me relax instead of nervously checking our team’s results every 5 minutes. And once we saw how well the team was doing, I felt motivated to compete for places.

Unfortunately, I got passed by 1 general qualification runner, but I was happy that I ran a negative split even though the second half was a bit slower and much hotter. It was a very fun weekend spent with Namban members, and big thanks to Nike ACG for the partnership!

Leg 11 – Cal – Final Surge

Weeeeeeeeeee. That was more fun. Knowing we had the yellow Tasuki, I was free to run more comfortably. Every step felt like a reward for the pain going uphill.

Of course it wasn’t — this leg is still tough. After 2 km, the midday heat kicks in, the throat starts to burn, and I was wondering “when is this hill going to end?” Then it does, and you’re hit with a punishing uphill section just before the stadium. When I finally arrived, I was happy to finish with a strong Final Surge, meet my target time, and cross the line for the team with the coveted yellow tasuki proudly embracing my Namban shirt.

Learnings

Having run legs 1 and 5 now, I can say that no matter which leg you do, this race is incredibly demanding. And it demands specific preparation. You can be fit, you can be fast, but unless you are Yuta-san, it almost certainly helps to spend a significant amount of time training on the mountain, in the hills, in the heat, or whatever it takes to be ready for Fuji-san, including fueling and nutrition as Ewan did. His performance was phenomenal. Massive congrats also to Graham, Corey, Sabri and Hanah for outstanding runs. On reflection, I am genuinely humbled to be in the same league as you.

Result Summary

(Rotate your screen if reading from your smartphone)

Legs 1 to 5: uphill, Leg 6: uphill and downhill (summit), Legs 7 to 11: downhill
Number of teams in the general category: 78
Number of teams to pass the Kuriage (繰り上げ) cutoff: 26

From the runner to the support team: Big “Thank You”

In alphabetical order:

• Alaric (Ewan’s little brother)
• Alexis
• Aurelien
• Ayumi
• Meghna
• Stephanie
• Rie
• Taeko
• Weifang
• Yoko
• Yumie
• Yukiko

Last but not least:
ACG Tokyo for the partnership with Namban Rengo and providing us with amazing support!!

The post 51th Fuji Ekiden – STYLISH FALL appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Venue: Oda Field
Approximately 80 runners
Conditions: 24 degrees, feels like 24, clear, 74% humidity

NAME	Time	M/F	COMMENT
Ewan Rochard	15:50	M	PB
Callum Fitzhardinge	16:55	M	Honestly I don't know; my watch didn't start at the start. Coros said I did 16:12 lol. Reality could be somewhere between 16:45 and 17:05
Noah Swaine	17:13	M	Ate too much beforehand
Gary Wilberforce	17:15	M
Kengo Torigoe	17:41	M	First run on the track in a month
Harrisson Uk	17:47	M
Keita Suzuki	17:50	M
Majid El Tayeb	17:51	M	PB !!! Thanks to Aurélien and Harrisson for the pacing
Andy Blakely	18:02	M	PB. Held just behind the 18min pacers - big thanks! (Ran 12 laps + 20m in lane 3. Unfortunately my watch was set to lane 1 running so distance looks short on Strava.
Yutaka Nakamura	18:16	M
Chih Liew	19:03	M
Miku Tashiro	19:18	F	PB! First time trial with the club. Thanks!
Jay Johannessen	19:22	M
Colin Hickey	19:30	M
Nikhil Gupta-Iwasaki	19:37	M	Still chasing sub 19
Antonio De Rosa	19:50	M	The plan was a easy threshold
Chadwick Miller	19:50	M	New PB
Sebastian Tiittanen	19:54	M	PB!! Thanks to Hanah for pacing!
Robin Wu	19:54	M
Hanah Fjelddahl	19:58	F	Pacer
Belmas Pascal	19.49	M	PB
Taeko Katano	20:52	F
Greg Rozitis	20:54	M
Jim Ellinger	20:57	M
Pier Guillen	21:03	M
Rio Kimura	21:37	M	I tanked very hard after first mile. Need to learn how to pace myself.
Takeshi Sugiura	21:46	M
Ai Nitta	21:49	F	More than 30s slower than PB. Already affected by humidity and scared for the summer. But it was my first time to run such an even paced 5000m.
Tyler Popp	21:59	M	pacing
Charlie Parkman	22:02	M
Hil Viado	22:03	M	13s faster than April TT
Meghna Jakhar	22:10	F	Fitness has dropped
Nikhil Aerodynamic	22:35	M	With few seconds of walk of shame
Rumi Okura	22:40	F	PB. Big thanks to pacemaker Tyler!
Rie Onodera	23:14	F
Manas Rawat	23:18	M	4s short of PB because had to walk in 10th lap
Mika Tokairin	23:21	F	I tried…
Alexis Marivoet	23:25	M	Pacing 24' group
Cala Charles	24:30	M	First Timer
Yasuo Hayakawa	25:01	M	As a 25minutes pacer
Sadykova Diana	25:03	F	PB!! thanks to Hayakawa-san for pacing
Manny Cabingan	28:37	M	First Timer
Taeko Okamoto (T3)	DNF	F	DNF but I am happy that I finally came to the track

The post May 27th, 2026 — 5km Time Trial appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Venue: Oda Field
Approximately 50 runners
Condition: 17 degrees, Feels like 15, clear, 76% humidity

The post April 29th, 2026 — 5km Time Trial appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Venue: Oda Field
Over 50 runners
Condition: 13 degrees, Feels like 9, clear, 54% humidity

Post run impressions on on our INSTAGRAM

The post November 26th, 2025 — 5km Time Trial appeared first on Namban Rengo.

This year again, we received an invitation to participate in the Fuji Ekiden, which meant that I needed to think about the recruitment process. However, this year, I did not intend to take part in it, just being on the sidelines as the team’s coach and supporter. I did this for two reasons: 

1. I was not mentally prepared to make the heavy training commitment again
2. I wanted to give the opportunity to other club members to take part in this unique and prestigious challenge

I wasn’t concerned about the road sections since Namban is not short of very fast road runners. I recruited Corey, Graham, both sub 75min for half marathon, and Kengo, who had recently broke 16min for 5k.

A long shot?
Now I needed to find someone for the 4th, 5th, and 6th legs, the mountain sections. For the 4th leg, I thought about Sean, as he was in his early 20s, and although he did not have any experience of Mount Fuji, I thought his speed would carry him both on the climb and on the descent.

For the 5th leg, we needed someone both strong on climbs and on fast descent (3km on a 35% slope, sandy course), I asked Cal, as he was both a strong road runner and used to running technical trails.

Lastly, for the grueling 6th leg, it took me more time. As Derder was out his year, a strong trailer and descender came to my mind: an OG from Namban, Martin, that I met 15 years ago. He seemed a bit surprised when I called him,  “Why me? You know Harrisson, I’m an old man now, in his 50s…” were his words. Somehow, I had the gut feeling that he’d be fully committed and would not disappoint. Martin is a 2:50 marathoner and an ultra-trail runner.

Mental Switch

Kengo messaged me on Thursday night (T-3) at 23:00 and said he was hit with a fever and would not be able to run. Finding a strong runner 2 days before the race, willing to spend the night in Gotemba, was close to mission impossible. I quickly came to realize that I had no choice but to step in. I really did not want to race, but there was no other way around.

Our goal to make the stringent four-hour cutoff at the end of the eighth leg and return home with the Yellow Tasuki was uncertain, but we were all ready to give our best.

一生懸命頑張るしかない

Leg 1 – Sean – I Saw Her

Five days or so before the Fuji Tozan Ekiden, my race changed. I had trained and mentally prepared for the punishing uphill ascent of the 4th leg and the absurdly fast, almost dangerous descent of the 8th leg with loose volcanic stone and shifty sand. But a sudden dropout due to illness meant I would now run the 1st and 11th leg instead. This time, only road, no less difficult, just different.

The start line and the surrounding area were a stage of chaos. Crews stretched and massaged their runners, handed out water, Pocari, and fuel, said words of encouragement, and strategy. 

Harrisson’s voice echoed in my head: Don’t get swallowed by the starting group. I let the pack surge ahead, and eventually left the track after 800 meters, close to the back third of runners, then began pulling back positions on the climb.

Approximately 4 kilometers in, lungs burning, legs aching, I saw her.
A border collie barking on the roadside. My dog, or the closest I could hope for. She had been with me since I was four years old and passed away soon after I moved to Japan. For a moment, it felt like she was there, cheering me forward as she barked at the passing runners. That, the weight of the tatsuki, and the rest of the team waiting further up the mountain carried me to the 2nd leg exchange about 45 seconds faster than I had planned for.

Leg 2 – Graham: Hill training

The excitement from seeing Sean coming through earlier than I expected, and executing a great final surge, helped me put down a solid 1st kilometer up the mountain. But things got tough quicker than I expected, and I ended up struggling to the finish. I was disappointed in my result, slower than last year by 40 seconds, because I thought I was in better 5k shape, but I think I was lacking the uphill-specific training (short hill sprints aren’t enough!).

Leg 3 – Corey

Appreciated the chance to try a different leg this time. Need more uphill training, but it was a great experience, even the last super steep 1k!

Leg 4 –  Harrisson – Mental switch

Since Friday—two days before the race—I had been dreading this leg. I wasn’t mentally prepared to compete. After finishing the Fuji Tozan (a 21km climb to the summit just a week earlier), I had already switched off from racing mode. This leg was originally Sean’s, and I didn’t feel confident about jumping into the first mountain section. The only upside: I had run it more than ten times last year, so I knew the course well.

Still, I knew from the start that I wouldn’t be able to match last year’s pace—neither on the climb nor the descent. But there I was, standing in the heat, anxiously waiting for Corey.

Corey arrived one minute ahead of schedule, running strong and handing me the yellow tasuki—soaked in sweat—after an impressive Final Surge up the brutal 15% slope.

From that point, the plan was simple: run as hard as possible until my body gave out.

I wasn’t as confident as last year, so I focused on damage control—minimizing how many runners passed me (in the end, just two). In the final 200 meters, I heard Meghna cheering, but I had no energy left to respond—my heart rate was peaking at 187 bpm, and I was completely dialed in. I spotted Cal waving, heard Yumie’s voice too.

I handed off the tasuki and collapsed into the sand.

Leg 5 – Cal – The race before the race

To me, most of the drama happened before the start. 

After my marathon PB in Feb (yay), I had no races planned and lacked motivation (boo). So when Harrison offered the opportunity to represent Namban at the 50th Fuji Tozan Ekiden, I jumped at the chance. Not only was I honoured to be even considered, but I was also motivated again. 

Then I watched the video of the 48th Fuji Tozan Ekiden What the hell?!!! This thing is brutal. I actually got a little bit scared. 

Then I heard I was running the 5th leg What the hell?!! This is the most brutal leg of all, run previously by club legends Gary and Tom,  who fractured his in the process, creating an iconic moment in Namban history. How could I follow that? 

I realised I couldn’t. I could only do the best of my ability. So I reached out to both of them — thanks fellas!! — to learn from their experience.

Then, while putting that into practice, I SPRAINED MY ANKLES FIVE TIMES What the hell?!!!! 

I had to be careful. I couldn’t run in the mountains for most of my training. So I did the only thing I could: STAIRS. A LOT OF STAIRS. 

I stopped using the elevator and walked or ran up and down my 13-story building every day. Sometimes for hours, equivalent to up and down the Burj Khalifa twice. It was hot. It was boring. It was draining. But it was good training. In the end, sadly, not enough for Fuji-san. 

During last-minute logistics, we messed up the race day timing (nobody’s fault, it was a group decision). When I got to “Taro-bo” @ 5th Station, I had very little time to get up the mountain for registration. It was a race just to get to the start. 

Thankfully, I made it. I arrived literally the moment they were calling “Ju san. Ju san.” 

The irony is, I felt great doing this. I was in tune with the mountain, and my unofficial time for leg 4 beat many other runners in the race itself. Unfortunately, even after a one-hour break, my legs were trashed.When Harrison arrived, looking like some kind of Zombie Terminator, I got inspired and took off strong. After about 1km, though, I couldn’t find the drive I needed and knew I was gone. So I gritted my teeth and plowed upwards, repeating my mantra “Nam. Ban. Nam. Ban” every time my feet hit the sand, until I finally reached Martin waiting eagerly @ Niggo-Hasshaku (7.5 station).

Leg 6 – OG Martin – Back into the game

Before the race

When Harrison contacted me in May, asking if I was interested in running leg 6 of the Fuji Tozan Ekiden, my first reaction was surprise: « What? Who? Me? Why? »

I could not really grasp why he would ask an old man like me to tackle this mission and even more dubious when I heard his main rationale for it that I was a « strong descender » and that this was needed for this 6th leg (with my close to 80kg, I never considered myself a good descender on trails).

However, I do like stretch goals, and having climbed Fuji so many times and been to this race to cheer on a friend 6 years ago, I was excited at the idea of giving it a try and started to train for it, hitting the mountain as many times as I could in the 3 months I had to prepare.

My goals for the leg were to climb the 600m in 40 minutes and go down in 15, which sounded aggressive, but it is not like I had a choice if we wanted to have a chance to come back with a yellow Tasuki; there was not a single minute of margin in the plan.

As training progressed, I started to feel like  40minutes up was possible (in the end, that is « only 900m per hour », even thinking that I could maybe shave off another minute or two on that. For the downhill, though, it was the other way around; the more I thought about it, the more I believed that descending the rocky and steep trail full steam on was a recipe for a fall and was not confident at all (and my hike to the summit the day before the race only seemed to confirm this).

So with all this and while I had a nice evening at the hut chatting with a number of the other runners and their supporters (many of them strong people running the skyrace tour or Skimo season), I can say that the pressure was mounting and confidence was not at the top. To make things even better, I had a light headache from altitude despite having spent many nights at 2500 to 3000m during training and never feeling anything.

The Race 

The atmosphere at the start was electric with all runners pumped up and serious speed to be witnessed. The weather was a little cloudy at lower altitude, but full sun was on up there, so it was warm, but luckily, a nice breeze was blowing. 

Waiting for our turn felt very long, even though the guys had done great and Cal was only a couple of minutes later than scheduled. I remember thinking Cal was moving up very well in the last section, where we could see him, and wondering how he could possibly be later than scheduled, climbing that fast.

I got the Tasuki and started my run.
The guys had told me about how wet it would be from everyone’s sweat, but I immediately felt that and the responsibility that comes with it. I did my best to avoid getting carried away and stick to the plan I had just discussed with Eric who had nicely climbed up in the morning to support and cheer for us: start conservatively only running the short and not too steep part right after the hut, then walk up with a good pace but not putting myself in the red for the first third, pick up the pace in the second third and then finish as hard as I could to try to break 40.

I was quickly overtaken by a train of 5 guys who were running at a pace that did not seem sustainable so did not really bother and indeed managed to pick up the pace catch back 3 of them (still walking while most other runners were alternating run and hike) encouraged by the countless « go Namban go! » and the filming TV crews. 

My breathing was getting really hard,
and I could feel the muscles in my legs (especially the calves) were crying for oxygen and borderline cramping. I was clearly in the red and in the end, lacked the stamina to finish stronger in the last section. One guy overtook me before reaching the tori at the top, but at last I was there getting the Tasuki stamped in almost 42 minutes at the post office. 

No time to think about that time 2 minutes slower than the target, I had already turned back, trying to and struggling to clip the strap of my helmet before reaching the steep part.

I believe I was the only runner with a helmet, but I thought it was worth it as the chances of taking a fall were pretty real (at 50, my reflexes and goat index are not what they used to be). 

I had dreaded the descent.
Not that I was scared of it, but more that I would be unable to approach my target time, but in the end, it felt like I descended pretty fast, and I passed 3 guys on the first section before the flat at the half. Passing runners and the helmet gave me confidence to push and take more risks. The limiting factor at this point seemed more the cardio side than anything else. Another fast guy approached me from above, and I could hear him breathing down my neck. I tried to push to stay ahead, but it was clear he was just faster, so he passed me and finished 20 seconds ahead of me.

A last push and I was already there, ready to pass the Tasuki to Cal, having transformed that team’s upward motion into a crazy downhill movement… Not without dropping that Tasuki first, right in front of the line, and losing yet another half a second to pick it up and pass it to Cal, who started like a rocket. « Go-go-go catch them! » 

After thoughts

In the end, my downhill was 15:39, almost right on target, and the race went exactly the opposite of what I expected, struggling and 2 minutes on the uphill that I thought was my strong point, and running strong and almost on time on that feared downhill section.  Now I want to come back to run stronger so I can cut 40 up and 15 down, and also improve the ranking (I lost one place for the team getting the tasuki in 34th position and passing it back as 35th…)

Leg 7 – Cal – Face plant

I knew it would be difficult for us to make the cutoff. So I rested as best I could — thanks, Eric! — and got ready for the downhill, where I hoped to make up lost time. 

After Martin did a fantastic time coming down, I took the tasuki and set off again. I was in a nice rhythm — as much as you can be sprinting down a 25 ° slope, dodging rocks and hikers in shifting sand and mountain mist — and overtook 3 runners pretty quickly. Then, when the famous Osunabashiri opened up, I had a massive face plant in the gravel What the hell??!!! 

I slid face-first for I don’t know how long and lost all my momentum and confidence. If you saw a dip on Strava, that’s why. So I picked myself up and went as best as I could down to Harrison at the handover. 

Where I stacked again What the hell??!!! 

I was exhausted, wounded, and disappointed cause I knew we’d miss the cutoff. Nonetheless, I was elated. This is one of the most epic and memorable races I’ve participated in. 

On reflection, I was humbled. By the mountain. By my teammates. By other incredible competitors.
By the epic feats of Namban in the past. And by the supporters who made a huge effort to provide supplies — thanks Rie-san / Yuki-san!! — plus medical attention and encouragement. It was a race for some to reach the start of Leg 5 too! Thanks Yumie / Meghna!!!

I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. So I see our result as a positive. 31st place in a field that strong is a great achievement. And while it’s no shame whatsoever, we are now the first Namban team to receive the red tasuki in this event. This gives me, and I hope the club, extra motivation to do better next year. 

Nambatte!

Leg 8 – Harrisson – Self-disappointment

The two-hour wait flew by. The first hour was all about recovering—physically and mentally. The second was spent glued to the radio, the group chat, the live results website… which, as always, stopped working somewhere around the 6th leg.

From 11:40 onwards, I was checking my watch every 30 seconds. If Cal didn’t return by 11:52, we’d miss the kuriage cutoff. Meghna did her best to stay positive, repeating, “Anything’s possible—you can do it!”

But at 11:50, we still had no updates in the group chat.

It slowly dawned on me that I wouldn’t see Corey again for a while.

Then, at 11:52, Eric finally sent word: Cal had left at 11:47. That meant the chances of receiving the tasuki before 11:58 were slim. Very slim.

Still, I was determined to run as hard as I could. Kuriage start or not, our team ranking was still at stake.

I hadn’t practiced that downhill section at all this year, so I knew I wouldn’t be in top form—but seeing that I was nearly a full minute slower than last year hit me hard.

When I reached the finish line, I was completely drained. 

It was just a 9-minute run, but mentally it wiped me out. Normally, the adrenaline rush of passing the tasuki would override everything else. This year, that moment never came.

I couldn’t help but feel I had let the team down. Everyone had given their best.

Kate and Taeko were there to welcome me back—warmly, graciously—grounding me again.

Now, looking at my performance on both the Fuji Tozan and this Ekiden, I am determined to make both of them my main goals of focus for next year!

I would like to express my gratitude towards my teammates, who proudly wore Namban’s colors and gave it everything they had on race day—and to our incredible support crew. You made the day smoother, not just logistically, but mentally as well. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Leg 9 – Corey

Leg 10 – Graham – No give up

The team’s support was great this year, making sure every runner got taken care of once they finished their 1st leg! It was a comfortable rest spot, but the whole time I was nervously watching my phone for updates from the team and whether or not we’d make the 4-hour kuriage start cutoff. 

Everyone did a great job, but we still couldn’t make it Despite knowing we’d take the red tasuki, the team never gave up, and we gained 3 places on the downhill sections! The kuriage start made the leg 9/10 handover tough, but Corey did a good job running out towards the front of the pack and executed a great handoff! This propelled me to a good result on the downhill, 18th place on the leg!

Leg 11 – Sean: Sayonara さようなら

From the second leg’s waiting area, I listened to the radio as clouds rolled in, covering the mountain in minutes. The radio commented on the wind picking up above. Our team missed the yellow tatsuki cutoff by about eight minutes. Corey started the 9th leg in the red tatsuki group.

My goal shifted as we could no longer get the yellow tatsuki to the finish line, but switched to getting the best finish we could hand next year’s team.

When I got the tatsuki for the final leg, Corey and Graham had carved out a gap on the other red teams. I ran down the hill, letting gravity work, but saved something for the final 500 meters or so uphill run. 

My only thought was “please, no one Final Surge me”. No one did.

This was my last race in Japan, at least for the foreseeable future. I leave for graduate school in America soon, but this race will stay with me. The intensity, the camaraderie, the mountain hidden in clouds. To me, this Fuji Tozan Ekiden was more than a race; it was a farewell written in sweat and memory.

To my teammates, thank you for sharing the road, the mountain, and the tatsuki with me. This was a brutal, brutal race that demanded something special just to even think of attempting, and I am grateful to have run it alongside everyone. To the supporters, your work before, during, and after the race made everything run seamlessly, from organizing the logistics of moving everyone around to taking memorable pictures and videos of everyone. The Namban community has been a very welcoming group during my time in Japan, and I hope to run with everyone again someday.

 Until then, thank you for everything, and may no one fall victim to a Final Surge

Sean is leaving Tokyo, wishing him good luck!

Result Summary

(Rotate your screen if read from your smartphone)

Leg 1 to 5: uphill, Leg 6: uphill and downhill (summit), leg 7 to 11: downhill
Number of teams in the general category: 75

From the team:

Big “Thank You” to our support crew team (alphabetical order)

• Alexis
• Ayumi
• Eric
• Kate
• Meghna
• Rie
• Taeko
• Yumie
• Yuki

”

The post 50th Fuji Tozan Ekiden – It ain’t over till it’s over appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Venue: Yumenoshima Athletic Stadium,
Over 30 runners
Condition: 18 degrees, clear, 88% humidity

Post run impressions on on our INSTAGRAM

NAME	Time	M/F	COMMENT
Sean Tayui	16:42	M
Cal F.	17:47	M	Went for it. Blew up. Fun tho. Nice track!
Harrisson Uk	17:47	M	I feel so out of shape
Aurelien Kenji GdB	18:20	M	PB, start too fast, finished in pain
Antonio De Rosa	18:44	M	Happy anyway for that
Colin Hickey	18:46	M	stop to tie shoelace
Chih Liew	18:52	M
Jay J.	18:53	M
Andy Blakely	19:23	M
Tyler Popp	20:09	M	Not bad, a place to build from
Kenichi	20:54	M
Jim Ellinger	20:54	M
Taeko Katano	20:58	F
Sylvain Dufros	20:58	M	Pacer 21:00
Zac Campbell	21:03	M
Josh Schroeder	21:12	M	PB!!!
Charlie Parkman	21:27	M	PB !!
Meghna Jahkar	21:35	F
Yu Hang	22:05	M
Yu Hang	22:05	M
Yuka Rayner	23:06	F
Norah White	23:35	F
Tania Callaghan	23:38	F
Yumie Suzuki	23:47	F	PB
Dries Verhaaq	23:54	M	Yee
Naoko Hanakawa	26:06	F
Marat V.	27:21	M
Surya	DNF	M
Jork Geraets	DNF	M
Ashley Kayser	DNF	M
Jung Hyub Lee	DNF	M	Mayber later

The post April 23rd, 2025 — 5km Time Trial appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Yoyogi Park,
30 runners
Condition: 18 degrees, clear, 74% humidity

NAME	Time	M/F	COMMENT
Harrisson Uk	17:18	M
Yutaka Nakamura	17:30	M
Graham McAllister	18:15	M
Antonio De Rosa	18:45	M
Thomas Finet	18:45	M
Matt Setterfield	19:23	M	New PB I was a few yards behind Andy Drought but Garmin time was 19:23…
Andy Drought	19:27	M
Sakiko Matsumoto	19:41	F
Chih Hoe Liew	19:46	M
Ivor Cammack	19:54	M
Nikhil Taiyo Gupta-Iwasaki	20:05	M
Niklas Norberg	20:08	M
Richard Harris	20:28	M
Matt Granger	20:40	M
Mark van Wouw	21:29	M
Taeko Katano	21:30	F
Jim Ellinger	21:34	M
Yu Hang	21:48	M
Nik Airbone	21:54	M
Jamie McCormick	22:02	M
Ai Nitta	22:18	F
Tania Callaghan	23:06	F
Yuka Rayner	23:30	F
Takeshi Sugiura	24:07	M
Yasuo Hayakawa	24:11	M
Josh Schroeder	24:31	M
Vincent Chiu	24:50	M
Bob Poulson	30:46	M

The post October 30th, 2024 — 5km Time Trial appeared first on Namban Rengo.

When I set out to assemble a team to represent Namban Rengo for our second participation in this prestigious Ekiden, I quickly came to think that we would never make it.

Derder informed me that our club had received an invitation to participate this year, but as I reached out to potential runners, I realized that most of last year’s team was unavailable. Gary was still injured, Yuta was not free, and Kengo was recovering from an injury. Gary and Yuta are our club’s fastest runners, and Kengo ranks among the top 5k runners in Namban. From last year’s team, only Derder and I were returning.

I wasn’t concerned about the road sections since Namban is not short of very fast road runners. I recruited Corey, Graham, and Marco, who boast impressive 5k times of under 16:10 and under 16:40, respectively.

For the trail sections, I decided to tackle leg-4, which Vincent had managed brilliantly last year, especially the downhill portion. The technical leg-6 was assigned to Derder, our best technical descender, in whom I have complete confidence. However, I needed someone strong for leg-5, the longest segment with over 1000 meters of ascent. With our fastest road runner Gary sidelined, Tom immediately came to mind.

Tom was our wild card.
While his road running speed doesn’t quite match that of our three other road runners, his trail climbing ability is “abnormally” strong. However, I had two concerns:

1. He was on vacation in the Philippines until ten days before the race, leaving him with just over a week to prepare.
2. He had never climbed Mt Fuji.

But I trusted him and my gut feeling.
I was counting on Tom to run three minutes faster than Gary did last year, compensating for Yuta’s absence on the road sections. I estimated that the boys would be three minutes slower than last year’s squad on the first three road legs.

One week before the race, I shared the estimated timetable with my teammates, accounting for a one-minute buffer. Last year, we made the cutoff by a mere 29 seconds.

From the start, it was never about the ranking, let alone winning. Our goal was simply to make the stringent four-hour cutoff at the end of the eighth leg and return home with the Yellow Tasuki.

Leg 1 – Corey: In control

Given the gradually increasing gradient on the hill, I tried to go out controlled. It was tough, I slowed more than I expected between the 1st km and the 6th. Thankfully, there were lots of water stations, something the other legs didn’t have. The last climb to the handoff was tough, you can see it for a while, but it doesn’t get much closer

Leg 2 – Graham: Reality check

After my practice run, I knew this was going to hurt despite a short distance of 4.6km. I felt great at the beginning and passed through the first kilometer at 4:11. From there, I was just hoping to keep a steady 5:00 pace the rest of the way, as the road got steeper. However, it didn’t turn out to be so easy, and I couldn’t keep myself from gradually slowing down and dipping below that. It was a struggle to the end, but I was able to put on a small surge the last 500m.

I thought I was relatively strong on uphills, but after this race, I realized that it was just on undulating hills. A true climb like this is a different challenge, I will have to train more for next time!

Leg 3 – Marco: The Fear of Walking

When Harrisson asked me to join the ekiden I made my usual mistake: I said “Yes!” before even knowing what I was getting myself into. But since it was my last race in Japan, I could not refuse.

The start of the third station was a simple forested area by the side of the road. Our number 16 was called amidst a rush of numbers, and I stood at the starting line ready. When I received the bright Yellow-Orange tasuki from Graham, it was already wet with the sweat of our first and second-leg runners. I knew I’d be adding a great deal more in the August heat. 

 The leg was more or less a steady incline with almost no flat sections, ramping up towards the end to reach the base of Mt. Fuji where the Gotemba trail starts. The first 3km were tough, but relatively uneventful. Keeping my expected power steady knowing the tough part was just about to start. By the last steep incline of the leg, however, I saw two strong runners in front of me begin to walk. One part of my brain invited me to do the same. Even in my two mock practice sessions in the weeks leading up to the race, I had never been able to finish the uphill without stopping for rest. 

It was this fear that had haunted me the entire week before the race. 
But seeing Lauren and Kengo cheering and running alongside me, and then Harrisson waiting for me, looking determined to make the cutoff time, convinced me to squeeze out every last drop of energy and finish the last leg of my journey running, arriving within 24 minutes. 

I checked my watch, it was exactly 9:11 AM, I had made the strict time limit carefully calculated by Harrisson. We were on target!

Leg 4 –  Harrisson: Till I collapse

From the outset, I felt a heavy and overwhelming sense of responsibility.
As a road runner, trail running has always been an off-season activity for me. However, I knew my climbing skills were solid, and I only needed to focus on the downhill section to ensure I didn’t slow the team down.

The uphill section was 2.9 km with a 650-meter ascent, primarily on soft, unstable sand, rising from 1,400 to 2,050 meters in altitude. 

My target was 34:30.
I waited patiently for Marco and for our number to be called: Juu Roku (16). I expected the team to complete the road section in 71 minutes, with Marco passing me the Tasuki at 9:11 AM. At 9:10 AM, the announcer called our number, and moments later, I saw Marco. He was clearly in great pain, struggling up the 18% slope to hand me the Tasuki. At 9:11 AM sharp, I took the sash, now heavier with the sweat of my teammates. As I charged up the hill, I could hear Marco’s voice, a mix of pain and relief echoing behind me.

Now it’s my turn to dig deep into the pain cave.
Fighting my way up the relentless hill and through the energy-sapping soft sand, the fog thickened as I neared the end. My legs and lungs were burning like hell, and, much like last year, I tasted blood in my mouth. When I spotted Tom waiting and cheering me on, I summoned my last ounce of strength for a 30-meter Final Surge to pass him the Tasuki before collapsing onto the sand.

Photo courtesy @gunki_kyosyo

Thankfully, the military staff quickly carried me aside, and a few minutes later, I was warmly greeted by Shiori, Taeko, and Yuri who had kindly come all the way to support us.

Leg 5 – Tom: Discipline

This is the longest leg by time, and I felt the pressure that my performance could be the difference between タイムリミット ok desu! and a Red Tasuki later in the race. 

The game plan was simple: control the pace until the second half of the leg where the trail becomes more secure and runnable. 

Watching other teams begin the leg at full speed, it took all the discipline I had been taught from years of running at Oda track to stick to the plan and be the first person to begin the 5th leg by walking.

With one of my long strides for every two of the runners ahead, by the halfway point I had gained 10 places.

The second half was just a question of getting the job done. As the visibility dropped to barely 30 meters, each bend in the zig-zag path became the goal. And then the next, and then the next. It flattened out towards the end and I gave one final push before handing it over to our summit specialist Derder at the 7th station.

Leg 6 – Derder: Rusty Body

My Second time running the Fuji Tozan relay. Same leg, same s*ht.
This time, however, the COVID-19 virus decided to join the party just five days before the race, making things a bit more difficult. Plenty of excuses were at my disposal: my heartbeat never calmed down, phlegm was stuck in my throat, my breath became heavy easily, and my legs felt rusty from hardly any running all week. Even though I knew I might be able to run by the weekend, I was really hoping someone could replace me instead.

As always, the 6th leg runners stayed the night in the hut up there. Mountain life is simple: all-you-can-eat curry, observing atmospheric phenomena like anti crepuscular rays, and sleep.

Woken up by the hut staff to see the sunrise, I had breakfast and went back to sleep. I wasn’t as energetic as last year when I even took a walk to the top before the race started.

When I tried warming up at 8 AM, I quickly found my breath becoming heavy, forcing me to stop. I was already imagining I might blow this race.

When I received the sash from Tom, I was extremely calm and could even tell him where my bag was so he wouldn’t be helpless for 50 minutes. I focused on controlling my legs and breath, pushing but not overexerting myself.

The top always seems so far away when you’re struggling, even though it’s only 400 meters.
I got the stamp on our sash in front of the shrine and brought it back down on my rusty legs, with a sudden flank pain. I was relieved I could pass it back to Tom.

Leg 7 – Tom: Epic Improvisation

Dropping 1000m in less than 3km, there wasn’t really a plan for this bit.
I just ran on wild and crazy instinct. Some singing, some screaming, and relentless pursuit of any runner I could see ahead. The makeshift tape shoe cover did its job, without too much of Mt Fuji in my shoes I managed to keep a strong pace. 

Homemade gaiters by Tom

All was going well until…
I was so excited to spot Harrisson as he appeared out of the mist with a few meters to go, I made the mistake of speeding up when I should have been thinking about slowing down. I tripped, bounced off my knee, and slid down the mountain just far enough to reach Harrisson for the handover. We had practiced a technique for passing the Tasuki from right to left. We hadn’t thought to plan for handing it from below but luckily the improvisation went well.

I was carried off by the SDF medics.
Lesson learned. Although I had experienced a painful case of Fuji burn, I felt pumped from taking part in such an iconic race and strong performance from our team.

Leg 8 – Harrisson: X-Force

I knew Tom was a wild animal, but I had no idea just how wild he truly was.
We were right on schedule until I finished my leg (#4). After that, it was mostly guesswork, as I wasn’t entirely sure if Tom could hit the predicted time. Despite this, I felt confident and trusted he could pull it off. As I anxiously waited in the cold, thick fog for his finishing time on leg 5, Shiori, Tom’s personal cheerleader, suddenly shouted to me: he made it, 54 minutes!

That son of a b*tch was more than 3 minutes faster than his target time!
There was one last unknown variable in the predicted time equation: Derder. He’d tested positive for COVID-19 just five days before the race and wasn’t feeling his best. Despite this, I felt confident that the adrenaline and sheer determination would fuel him to greatness. Sure enough, the live update came in: Derder finished a minute faster than predicted.

I was totally pumped. With more than a four-minute lead, there was absolutely no doubt—we were going to crush it.

I was a bundle of nerves, my heart racing at 120 bpm, and I wasn’t even running yet—I was just waiting for Tom.
The memory of Vincent’s fear last year haunted me: rushing to Marco, only to watch him helplessly take off before I could hand him the Yellow Tasuki.

So I practiced this downhill section over eight times in the past four weeks leading up to the race. During these sessions, I improved from an average pace of over 4 minutes per kilometer to a sub-3-minute pace in my last practice. I discovered that lengthening my strides, landing on my heels on the soft sand portions, and lowering my center of mass were key to increasing speed while maintaining control. Now, with everything on the line, it was time to put all that practice to the test.

Things didn’t go according to plan at all.

The thrill of seeing Tom and the shock of watching him take a spectacular tumble right before my eyes as he handed me the Tasuki made me forget everything I had meticulously prepared. The thick fog limited my vision to just 20 meters, so I had to rely entirely on instinct.

Photo courtesy @gunki_kyosyo

In the chaos, I forgot to start my watch, leaving me clueless about my pace. But deep down, I knew the cut-off was no longer a concern. All I could think about was passing our Tasuki to my friend and teammate Marco. As I neared him, a huge smile spread across my face, despite my heart rate going through the roof. It was his last race in Japan and I wanted to make sure he would remember it.

Faithful to my style I yelled his name “Marcoooo” as if there was no tomorrow
“Allez Marco Allleeeeeeeezzz” 

I shouted so loudly that other runners and staff turned to stare, unsure whether I was screaming out of joy, agony, or sheer madness.
Moments later, I realized that Tom had run his leg nearly 3 minutes faster than the initial target.
That bastard did it again!

Leg 9 – Marco: Feet on Fire

The downhill leg began with a near-catastrophe. With little to no phone connection, getting information on the times of our team’s runners was difficult. We’d heard the brilliant news that both Harrisson and Tom had finished faster than their predicted times, but information after that had cut off. We guessed to expect Harrisson a little earlier, but not 8 minutes quicker than our predicted time! At that moment, I was sitting a bit confused on a bench and very nearly missed the call for our number –  it was Kengo, Taeko, and Yuri who had heard (thankfully making up for my lack of Japanese comprehension).

The “shameful” red Tasuki for those who couldn’t make the cut-off time was chucked into the designated cardboard box as I rushed to the start line and I was very quickly brought back into racing mode by Harrisson arriving at full speed and screaming my name “Marcoooooo!!”

The first thing I noticed when I received the Yellow-Orange tasuki from Harrison was that the once sweat-drenched but clean sash was now filthy and stained. I felt motivated and I thought :

“Wow, this is coming back not only with the runner’s sweat but also the dust they had breathed during the run”.
The reality was much simpler. The dirty Tasuki was simply evidence of one of the most memorable falls into the black volcanic gravel of Mt. Fuji. 

I can certainly say that I have never run so fast in my entire life, my feet were literally on fire. At each curve, I was looking for the endpoint, and when I finally passed the Tasuki to Graham, I sat and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment for not having given up that only sport can give us.

It was a memorable experience for my last days in Japan and I want to thank Harrisson for giving me the opportunity to run it, the team for going all-out, and the supporters for offering their precious time to watch us suffer.

Written by Marco
Dramatized by Lauren, aka Pinciona

Leg 10 – Graham: Redemption

Running two 5k effort races with a 4-hour break in between was a new experience for me. I did take a 30-minute nap, but most of the time was spent listening to music and thinking about my disappointing performance on the uphill.  Our team’s time estimate was 1 minute under the (繰り上げ) cutoff, and I already spent 30 seconds of that on Leg 2. I also didn’t have cell reception, so I couldn’t get updates on the team. I was ready to race 15 minutes before our estimate, but was totally surprised when Marco came in almost 10 minutes ahead of schedule!

Seeing Marco and all the other runners come flying into the handoff got me fired up to run fast.
I went through the first kilometer in 2:54–this is typically my Final Surge pace at Namban workouts, but I felt I could keep it up! I somehow kept that momentum until the finish, but near the end, I was so tired and my arms were flailing everywhere so I was surprised Corey and I had a smooth handoff

It’s rare that you can race so soon afterward to make up for mistakes or regrets, but that was my favorite part of this race format!

PS: Thanks for organizing everything (I guess some credit goes to DerDer too)!

Leg 11 – Corey: Car Chasing

I felt pretty well rested after 4+ hours in the shade. Graham came in earlier than expected, so I was surprised when they called our number. Downhill was very different, almost completely alone, with few spectators, and the sun was pretty brutal. Thanks to Rie-san and Ayumi-san who walked all the way down the mountain and gave me a boost with a couple of km to go. Got passed on the downhill just before the turn, but managed to pass 2 people in the last 1km. Unfortunately, one of those runners got me 10m before the line.

All in all, it was a tremendous experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to run with a great team from Namban, to participate in such a historic event, and even to spend 4 hours lying on the concrete in the shade with all my fellow Leg 1/11 runners. This ekiden is such a unique experience, something I tried and likely failed to convey in the broken Japanese interview I was asked to give right after finishing

Result Summary

(Rotate your screen if read from your smartphone)

Leg 1 to 5: uphill, Leg 6: uphill and downhill (summit), leg 7 to 11: downhill
Number of teams in the general category: 75

Post-race

The whole team: runners and support crew

The post 49th Fuji Tozan Ekiden: A Wild Card Story appeared first on Namban Rengo.

Our club did not disappoint as we placed 5th overall, behind 3 elite university teams and “Team Paris Marathon” – a club of Japanese runners in London who can never get a place in the London Marathon, so cross the channel each year.

A big thank you to Yumi, for her tremendous effort on the organization and for making our team shine abroad!

Below are the write-ups from each of the team members.

Leg 1: Andy Robinson: 13.5k in 58:31

It was a great honor to lead off Namban Rengo, in my first race for the club since 1989!  This race connected up so many parts of my life, as a former student in Oxford as well as with Namban in Japan.  It was lovely to see and chat to Mara Yamauchi (the UK’s most successful female marathoner, who I knew as an undergraduate) who turned up to the start and the finish.

I had been hoping for 4:20 pace – 7 min miles, my best recent 10 – but that assumes perfect terrain – and it was already hot at 8am.  I have not raced beyond 5k in a while so started easily down the paved towpath – as for an 800m – safest to start last and pick it up!

After the paved path ended 3k in, we suddenly hit tougher dirt sections and a bunch of swing gates; I very nearly “took out” the Financial Times editor with one such gate, as he was riding with us on his Brompton bike!

I found myself in a group of three Oxford students – one current student for Momiji, one 24-year-old running for Arcus, and one “old fart” – and it stayed that way for most of the course, running at about 4:30 pace. I’d never been down the towpath past Sandford Lock before – the run to Abingdon is a delight, although there are plenty of tough rutted dirt sections which are very narrow, a lot of long grass and nettles, and some uncertain moments where we wondered if we were on the route.  From time to time one pops out onto a beautiful lawn by the riverside, and there’s a beautiful park and lawn coming to the finish at Abingdon Bridge, where Pat O’Grady was waiting impatiently

A liter of Poccari Sweat was waiting at the finish, and logistics were eased by the express bus from the finish back to Abingdon, allowing me to grab a cheeky shower!  My Japanese aunt, who lives 200m from the course in Marlow, then made a lovely lunch for Pat and I, with sashimi, miso shiro and chicken Kara-age, and we strolled to the river to watch the lead Oxford runner on stage 9.  Then onto Windsor for festivities!

Leg 2: Patrick O’Grady (63) – 14k

Editor’s note: on the Friday before the Ekiden, 63-year-old Pat recorded the fastest time in the world for an over-60 in the 5k – 16:13
It was such a great event and I’m delighted to have been part of it. I ran the 2nd leg which was just over 14km.
At the hotel we were treated to a taiko drum performance as we were dispatched to our respective changeover points. The sun was shining and you could feel the day warming up. I was glad I was on an early leg. After about 45 mins , the shout went out “runner coming” snd the first team appeared through a tunnel next to the river. Everyone on the 2nd leg was now focused on the tunnel in anticipation of which team would come through next.

“Runner coming” rang out and Andy appeared from the tunnel with a very sweaty sash . Off I went and after a km I passed 1 runner, can’t remember the team but he seemed more interested in his phone than the Ekiden. After a couple of km the ground became extremely rough under foot. It felt dangerous so I decided to pull back on the pace as I was afraid I’d twist an ankle. Eventually I started to see my finish point in the distance, it wasn’t hard as it was a big hill with trees on top. Anyway it seemed quite far away but I pushed on .My last km approached as and boy was it hard . The run to the top for the changeover had a 23% hill , it nearly killed me. On the top was a smiling Yumi who was looking forward to her. 8k with a 1 k downhill start.
I was happy at the end and delighted to have participated in my first Ekiden in 30 years.
After my leg, I was picked up my Andy who brought me to his aunt’s house in Marlow for sushi and beer.

What a super day

Leg 3: Yumi Asada 8km in 37:56

I am extremely glad that Namban could take part in this great initiative. Ekiden is a unique running culture in Japan, and thanks to Namban, many non-Japanese runners have enjoyed participating in it for the last 40 years! As soon as I heard about this race from Bob, I contacted the organizer to secure a spot for us. It was my honor to be involved in this as a Namban runner, team organizer, and race organizer too. Everything worked out great, and I am so grateful for that.

I ran leg 3, which was initially 9.5 km but was shortened to 8 km, making it the shortest distance among the other legs. It started at the top of a big hill in Little Wittenham, so I began with a steep downhill. A big thanks to Patrick, who endured the uphill at the end of his hard run before passing the tasuki to me! My route was beautiful, going through flat fields and then along the Thames. There were some tricky sections, and I would have easily gotten lost if I hadn’t done a practice run a few weeks earlier. There were some gates and blocked paths, so it wasn’t a typical road race; it was more like a trail or adventure run. After running in the field, along the Thames path, and on paved roads, I passed my tasuki to my next teammate, dear Renaud.

It was amazing to bring Namban members in the UK together! I probably would never have met them if this hadn’t happened. Everyone was so great! Namban rocks!

Leg 4: Renaud Isman – 12.8k in 1:02:34

The runners of the first four legs, Andy, Patrick Yumiko and myself stayed in Oxford the night before the race. We were joined by Adam, who was running the last leg, for a light diner and a few drinks. It was an amazing opportunity to meet Namban runners from different era, Andy and Patrick from the late 80’s early 90’s Adam from the early 2000’s, share anecdotes about the club, our respective memories of Ekiden racing, especially Okutama (Bob’s favorite) and running in general. The next morning Patrick, Yumiko and I were dispatched by bus to our respective starts.

My leg was leg four, 12 kms between Wallingford and Goring. All runners of leg 4 were waiting in the gorgeous setting of the perfect lawn of an English Manor House, on a blue sky sunny morning. While waiting for the arrival of our teammates of leg 3 we mixed and chatted with the other runners providing again a great opportunity to meet wonderful people from all walks of life, keen runners or more occasional one, brought together by their passion for running and desire to experience the comradeship and team spirit of the ekiden. We also learnt that our leg had been extended by 2kms – I secretly admired Yumiko’s wisdom for picking up leg 3 !

The university runners arrived in short order followed by the Mizuno runner then the Paris marathon one. I was waiting in the relay zone nervously when I saw Yumiko dashing through the lawn looking very strong. I grabbed the tasuki from her and started my race. The first 2.5 km were exclusively road so I settled in a stable 4mn per km pace under a sun that had turned extremely strong. I then reached the path – an uneven mixture of grass, dirt, mud with holes where I had to constantly look at the ground and carefully figure out where my feet should land. My pace started to drop 4.10, 4.15, 4.20,4.30 4.40 … and I was thinking to myself how low can it go! Another unexpected challenge proved to be the opening ( and closing) of the many path gates – there were about 15 in total – with 3 or 4 different opening mechanisms latch, lever, pulley …- I wished I had trained as an engineer!

One was closed with a padlock which meant I had to climb over it, giving a slight Spartan twist to the race…somehow I managed to gather a bit more momentum towards the last 3 km, where the terrain became more even. I finally reached the road and the bridge in Goring – I could see the Mizuno runner about 300 m away from me – I must have managed to catch up a bit of time with him. I reached the end of the bridge and then … disaster struck! The path to the finish was not particularly well signaled … I took a wrong turn, ran about 400m and ended up in the middle of a church graveyard … (literally and figuratively I guess). I realized my mistake , cursed myself and swore (in French) loudly… I retraced my steps in panic and somehow managed to get back to the right path.

I sprinted as fast as I could to the handover zone where I could see Tony waiting for me with a very worried look. I handed over the tasuki to him and sat down on the ground in a pool of sweat, cursing myself profusely for letting my teammates down! Later on I was joined by Yumiko and we drove to Henley to watch Jon handing over to Ed and then to the finish where we gathered with Kelly, Tony Andy and Patrick to watch Adam blasting through the finish line under a blistering sun…Altogether it was an amazing experience, with great bonding with old and new friends … on what would probably turned to be the best day of English summer… I am already looking forward to next year second edition!

Leg 5: Anthony (Tony) Collins: 11.1k in 53:46

My day started early morning and an arrival at Reading station at 8. We had a few false starts, 10 people waiting at the wrong registration point and a bus that took us to the finish point rather than the start. But I made it to the Goring on Thames handover ready for my 11.1K leg around midday.

I waited in anticipation for Renaud gauging arrival time on a What’s App location share. In he came, looking rather stressed and apologizing for a wrong turn….. Sweaty sash in hand and I was on the road, or rather on the trail.

Most of the path was hard mud / grass with a fair number of gates and one ascent that looked perpendicular…. I marched up as fast as I could and quickly understood that my fitness wasn’t great. I was on my own but waiting for an Oxford University student to appear on my shoulder at any time.

Navigation wasn’t something I had considered, just follow the signs or river path, I thought. Alas I missed an arrow and resorted to shouting at a random person on the high street if he had seen any runners. ‘You’re going the wrong way’ he confirmed. Running with me and shouting directions I slowed to a respectful pace, but fast enough to try not to lose further time.

After a 0.5K detour I was back on the Thames, a beautiful section, like the Tama the river has such a different feel away from the city.

Finally I arrived, hot and pretty exhausted for the handover to the incredibly cheerful and friendly new Namban member Kelly and off she went.

My average pace was 4:38. Not brilliant but like other members we had to bear in mind the sun, trail, roots, grass, gates, the occasional dog walker and wrong turn.

The day concluded in a beautiful field where the finish line held views of Windsor castle one way and Taiko drummers the other. What an incredible day, where the memories and friendship spread in the heat of a sunny day. The Namban team consisted of newer and older members and showed the international dimension of the club in a warm Japanese context. Special thanks to Yumi for all her hard work and making it happen.

Leg 6: Kelly Willis – 12.2k in 1:02:09

The First UK Ekiden along the lovely Thames Path was a wonderful experience and I am so happy to have been a part of it with Team Namban Rengo! My day began in Reading with teammates Tony and Jon. We wished Tony well as he left first and then Jon and I boarded the bus for our respective starts. We had a nice chat and wished each other a great race!! The social club was a wonderful place to wait, but Tony was too quick and I was soon off and running!

The beginning of Leg 6 is in a quaint neighborhood and it is uphill. I felt the heat, but tried to not let it get to me. I was happy when the hill was over and I saw the entrance to the canopy covered Thames Path. For several kilometers I enjoyed running along the lovely dirt path in the shade of the trees. Trying to make up some time I lost on the hill. Upon entering Reading, there was a path closed sign, but the yellow sign with the red arrow said to continue straight, so I did. A minute later, a gentleman told me I had to turn around and go back out and around. It was during this time that I noticed the Oxford Team 2 runner. Unfortunately, she passed me and I did my best to keep her close. She was a local and knew the way, so at least I was happy to know that by following her I would not get lost, we ran in an open field for a couple kilometers which exposed us to the sun and was tricky for running, but beautiful and exciting. Soon we were closing in on the end of our leg. I turned up a steep path and was delighted to have cheerleaders and Jon waiting for me at the church in Sonning. I passed the sash to Jon and knew my team would eventually catch us up. I did my very best and I was exhausted, but happy.

Leg 7: Jon Morrell: 13.8k in 1:02:43

Leg 7 was mostly flat and I was hoping to run about 4:15 pace, but I under-estimated the terrain and heat, and over-estimated my ability. I set off 3 minutes behind the Oxford Uni B team and hoped to catch him, but for 14k I didn’t see another runner in front or behind me. My pace started at 4:10 but slipped with every passing km. I finished with a 4:32/km average in the same position. The route was fun, it was great to meet up with some Namban faces (old and new) and I really enjoyed the event…but hopefully it will be a bit cooler next year!

Leg 8: Edward Louth: 14.3k in 1:03:03

It was a warm and sunny morning while we waited under a bandstand in Henley for the previous leg runners to come in. Rather than read my book, I ended up chatting to some bemused locals and tourists, doing my best to explain what a Japanese Ekiden is. While the fastest university teams were far ahead, I was able to see on the online tracker that Namban had been jostling with the Oxford second team for the last few legs. I was waiting in the start pen with my opposite number, but when the time came he got a three minute head start. Somewhat optimistically I shot off at high speed, hoping to catch a glimpse of him on one of the straighter sections. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, and the heat out in the open fields of Henley got the better of me, as I progressively slowed down over the 14 or so kilometers. Overall it was a lot of fun and a beautiful part of the countryside to run in on a fabulous day, even if a bit less sun would probably have helped me run a little faster.

Leg 9: Jürgen Wittstock (V65) – 13.9k in 1:06:19

I really enjoyed participating in the inaugural UK Ekiden. The race was well organized, despite some occasional signs of inexperience. I especially liked the well-provided handoff locations and the sponsorship; there was enough food and drink available, and the people were incredibly friendly. The course was a bit tricky, with some animal gates and stairs when crossing the Thames, so I was happy to average 4:48 minutes per kilometer. This was a bit slower than planned, but still solid. I encourage the club to join the event again next year, and I will consider coming over if I have the time.

Leg 10: Adam Osborne – 10.3 in 38:27

Leg 10 meant a long wait to run but most of it was spent in air-conditioned buses and hotels, which was a blessing in such a hot day! Once I started, I instantly gained a place as the 5th place team’s runner, who Juergen had reeled in, was, impressively, running legs 9 and 10 and stopped for some well-deserved water. Leg 10 made its way past some huge Thames-side mansions before heading under the welcome shade of the tree-lined river path, a bit rutted but decent running. I set off like it was 2002 and I was still racing in Tokyo, but soon settled into a more sensible pace. The last mile took in a big open field and the heat rose again but by then I could almost hear the taiko drums at the finish line! Great to be part of a Namban team again and to meet several generations of the club, as well as a reminder of how much I always enjoyed ekidens! Hopefully the event will go from strength to strength and we can return!

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Okura Track,
9 runners
This month: First time in Okura track and on a Saturday
Condition: light rain 21 degrees, 100% humidity

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