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Interview with Ekiden captain: “The 100th Hakone Ekiden is a turning point. I want to run with gratitude.”

Ekiden captain School of Sport Sciences 4th year Shobu Atsushi Shobu Graduated from Saikyo Prefectural High School

--What are the strengths of the racing club this season?

The three main ace players... Taishi Ito (3rd year School of Sport Sciences), who is also a mood maker, Yoji Haruto (3rd year, School of Education), who has a sense of stability, and Tomonori Yamaguchi (2nd year, School of Sport Sciences), who has explosive power. This year's strength is that in addition to having players who can compete with the aces of other universities, we also have a solid middle class that follows them.

For example, not only Yota Ifuku (3rd year, School of Political Science and Economics) and Yuta Kanno (3rd year School of Education), who ran the Hakone Ekiden in January 2023, but also Rinta Miyaoka (2nd year, School of Commerce), who ran the Hakone Ekiden in January 2023, did more than anyone else at summer camp. He has been gaining strength and has become a threat to the recommended admission group. It is often said that ``When Waseda is strong, the players who are not in the sports recommendation group are strong,'' so their further growth is the key.

--What is the current status of the team in preparation for the Hakone Ekiden?

This season, my goal is to ``definitely finish in the top 5 in the three major relay races (*1), and then aim for a top 3 finish.'' However, for the Izumo All-Japan University Ekiden, due to poor health and other reasons, not all members were present, leading to an unsatisfactory result. In response to this, we have had another team meeting in Hakone, and everyone is practicing with a different mindset.

It's going to get colder and colder now, so it's easy to get injured and get sick easily, but I think we'll see results if we have enough runners to run in each of the 10 sections in the entry lineup.

Shobu runs in the 9th ward at the 2023 Hakone Ekiden. At 23.1km, the 9th ward is the longest and longest on the return trip, and like the 2nd ward of flowers, there are many universities that appoint captains and ace-level athletes ©M.Okazaki

(*1) Refers to three events: the Izumo All-Japan University Relay Race (Izumo Ekiden), the All-Japan University Ekiden Championship (All-Japan University Ekiden), and the Tokyo-Hakone Round Trip Relay Race (Hakone Ekiden).

--Once again, what is the existence of Hakone Ekiden?

I ran in the 9th district on my return trip in the last race, and there was constant cheering along the way throughout the 23.1km section, and I felt that the race was attracting more attention and expectations than I expected. . This year, I would like to express my gratitude for your support.

Ito, Ishizuka, and Yamaguchi, who I introduced earlier, have the ability to aim for the Olympics and world championships in the future. Even if you are not familiar with Ekiden, you will be able to get to know the athletes by watching this Hakone race, and afterward you will have the pleasure of looking back and thinking, ``Oh, that's the person who ran in Hakone.'' think.

Additionally, this year's Hakone Ekiden is attracting more attention than previous years as it is the 100th edition of the event. In addition, vocal cheering, which was limited due to the pandemic, will be back in full swing. I've heard from my seniors that their ears hurt after they finish running.In order to respond to the cheers from people along the way, as a fourth-year student and captain, I want to show as many people as possible that I'm running well.

Honest conversation with three ace-rated people: “The aim is to run a notch higher through ‘individual strength’ x ‘group strength’”

School of Sport Sciences 3rd year Taishi Ito from Sakuchosei High School
School of Education 3rd year Haruto Ishizuka (Ishizuka Haruto) Graduated from Waseda Industrial School High School
School of Sport Sciences 2nd year Tomonori Yamaguchi Graduated from Ishikawa High School

(From left) Yamaguchi, Ito, Ishizuka

--Please tell us how you view the three people who lead the team.

Ito: Ishizuka's worldview is unique, as if one screw is missing. For some reason, when we go on a trip together, we find bagworms and become obsessed with them. Even in practice, Ishizuka can do the 20km run starting at 6 a.m., which is tough for everyone, with no problem. I think that is also a factor in its strength.

Yamaguchi has a strong sense of being the youngest child. Maybe that's why he's so good at getting along with his seniors. Also, you can participate in competitions without any hesitation. His attitude and feelings toward the competition are unmistakably genuine.

Ishizuka: Ito is really talkative, and he always talks before he thinks.

Ito: I won't deny that (lol).

Ishizuka: However, when it comes to competitions, he thinks things through on his own, have a clear vision, and know what he needs to do. I feel that it is a very good place.

I get the impression that Yamaguchi is very clear about what he likes and what he doesn't like. I think that strong will leads to a strong competitive spirit in competitions. He has speed and is able to compete with other athletes when running side by side. He's the type of person I don't really see at Waseda these days, and I trust him.

Yamaguchi: Taishi is the next captain, so I would say he is solid. He is a reliable senior who makes plans for everything when we go on an expedition together. However, I think there are some areas that are missing.

Speaking of  Ishizuka, he is known for his sense of stability. In my first year, I was not able to run as much as I wanted due to poor health and was very worried, but after working with  Ishizuka, I started to feel more stable, so I decided to follow  Ishizuka's example. I think it was good.

Ito: I want you to learn from me too!

At the 2023 Izumo Ekiden. The moment the sash is passed from Yamaguchi (left) to Ishizuka (right) (Photo provided by Waseda Sports Newspaper Association)

--What do you think are the strengths of this year's team?

Ito: I think this is a team that has begun to combine individual strength and group strength. For example, the current 4th graders are all strong individuals and dependable seniors. Also, the second-year students below me, Yamaguchi and Junpei Maseda (second-year student School of Sport Sciences), are strong individuals.

On the other hand, for us third-year students, I am the only one who recommend sports. Almost 90% of the students in this grade are in other grades, so the group as a whole has a strength in that regard. I think this year's team has these two strengths.

Ishizuka: The team's level has been raised by the motivation of the members who are not in the sports recommendation group.

Yamaguchi: During the last Hakone Ekiden, we went through a period of stagnation in the process of gaining seeding rights for the first time in two years, and I think that a high level of awareness is starting to permeate the team. I think we are a team with a high level of individual awareness, able to take action on our own without someone telling us what to do.

Ito: When we were freshmen, Katsuhiko Hanada was appointed as coach at the same time we experienced the qualifying round for the Hakone Ekiden, and he was able to reorganize the team's management and practice style, saying, ``Let's start from the basics again.'' That was a big factor. I think I've been able to steadily improve from the base, and I think I'm now at the stage where I'm on the right track.

Ito runs in the 5th ward at the 2023 Hakone Ekiden. With a height difference of over 800m, it is said to be the toughest of all sections and the most symbolic of the Hakone Ekiden ©M.Okazaki

--What have you been focusing on this past year?

Yamaguchi: As much as I struggled and struggled in my first year, this year, my second year, I approached the track season with a focus on stability at a high level, and was able to achieve results.

However, the Ekiden season started in the fall, and I couldn't keep up with the Izumo Ekiden. Taking advantage of that experience, I tried my best in the month leading up to the All-Japan University Ekiden, and as a result, I felt I had improved even more than my 4th place finish in the race.

At the Ageo City Half Marathon, which was held immediately after this interview, Yamaguchi recorded a time of 1 hour, 1 minute, and 16 seconds, beating the Waseda University record held by alumni Suguru Osako (graduated from School of Sport Sciences in 2014). He became the top Japanese runner, beating out the favorites from Komazawa University and others. (Photo provided by Waseda Sports Newspaper Club)

Ito: I also evaluate myself as having become much more stable over the past year. However, this is also an issue, and although I am able to run with a sense of stability, my current problem is that I am not able to run with impact. I don't think I can move up a notch as an individual or as a team unless I can become a "game changer" within the team.

Ishizuka: Personally, the best thing that happened to me this year was being able to run the 10,000 meters in under 27 minutes (proof of being a top-level student runner). However, just because you break into the 27 minute range, it is not the goal; it is the starting line for you to aim for the world in the future. I think building up from here will be important in the future.

Also, up until now, my strength has always been to not miss, but I think this year was a turning point as I started to run more aggressively. During my overseas expeditions, I focused on how much I could hold out at a faster pace than I expected, and I want to work hard from now on so that this will bear fruit in the Hakone Ekiden.

――Now, please give a message to the students who come to support you.

Ito: Since we had an unexpected result at Izumo and All Japan, I think we need to show that Waseda's long-distance running club is still far from what it is.

Ishizuka: The Hakone Ekiden is a tournament that gets a lot of attention, and at the last tournament, we were encouraged by the messages that many students wrote on the banners, and the feedback after the race was amazing. This year, vocal cheering will be lifted, so if possible, please call me by my name so I can run at 120%.

Yamaguchi: Although it is a special event that will be broadcast on TV during New Year's Day, I want people to understand that we are not idols, but rather students from around the world running. In that sense, I would also like you to call me by my name. Whether it's "Yamaguchi!" or the SNS hashtag (*2) " Norinori Tomonori" (lol). I would like you to support me as if you were calling out to your close friends from the same university.

Ishizuka: Well, I'd be happy if you could shout out my name, "Harto!"

Ito: Even the club members didn't call me (lol). What is the hashtag “Harabare Haruto”?

Ishizuka: Hashtags are embarrassing... If you are not comfortable with the name, "Ishizuka" is also welcome.

Ito: Well then, I would also like to say my name. When I hear someone say, ``Do your best,'' I just go, ``Oh!'' I will do my best!

(*2) The racing club is also focusing on disseminating information on SNS. Particularly popular during the Ekiden season is a project in which participants use hashtags determined through public recruitment to support participating members. It will be an encouragement to the players, so please feel free to post!

Website: https://waseda-ac.jp/
X (old Twitter): @Waseda_Kyoso
Instagram: @waseda_kyoso
YouTube: @user-fp9fd3ot3m

Interview and text: Naoto Oguma (Graduated from School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in 2002)
X (old Twitter): @oguman1977
Photography: Nanako Ono

[Next Focus Preview] “Scholarship Special” to be released on Tuesday, January 9, 2024