At Sunday's National High School Ekiden in Kyoto, Hiroshima's Sera H.S. boys will be aiming for their tenth victory in fifty appearances. In their last win five years ago, the Sera boys set the current course record of 2:01:18 for 42.195 km in seven stages. With a 5000 m average time that makes it the fastest Sera team in history, can Sera mark its 50th National High School Ekiden with a milestone achievement?
3rd-year captain Konosuke Shintani and 2nd-years Cosmas Mwangi, Shota Morishita and Shota Shiode have all broken 14 minutes for 5000 m, the benchmark for a top national-level high school time. The average 5000 m PB of its seven fastest runners, 14:01.64, is the best in its fifty appearances to date. "The entire team has raised its level," commented head coach Shoji Shintaku. "There is no weak link. All they need is strength to go with their speed."
But Sera's main rivals are just as strong. Defending champion Sendai Ikuei H.S. of Miyagi ran the fastest time in the regional qualifiers, 2:02:41. Nagano's Saku Chosei H.S. also has a top seven 5000 m PB average in the 14:01 range. The dawn of thick super shoes has brought in a new era of speed, and team captain Shintani is conscious of what that means. "The level is really high this year," he said. "I don't think we can win unless we break the course record."
For some team members there's also a competition of sorts against Sera alumni. In 2015 with a lineup featuring current corporate and collegiate stars like Shiki Shinsako (now Chugoku Denryoku) and Keita Yoshida (now Aoyama Gakuin Univ.), the Sera boys achieved the "Holy Grail" of high school running and took 14 seconds off the National High School Ekiden course record. Current 2nd-year Hibiki Yoshikawa watched that race live on TV when he was in elementary school and had his mind blown. "That was an incredible record," he enthused. "We have to be ones to break, not some other school."
Last year Sera got off to a slow start on the 10.0 km First Stage and finished only 12th. The First Stage will be critically important to the team's chances this year too. Morishita, a candidate along with Shintani to run it, said, "If you run first, you're responsible for putting the team in a position where they can go for the win. That and the course record." The battle to become the best in history is about to kick off.
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translated by Brett Larner
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