Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR named Yuito Yamamoto (4th yr., Josai University) MVP of this year's 100th running on Jan. 2 and 3. On the uphill Fifth Stage peaking at 874 m, Yamamoto broke the course record for the second year in a row, playing a key role in Josai University achieving its best-ever placing of 3rd. In explaining the reasons for Yamamoto's selection for the award, a KGRR spokesperson said, "He was the only person to set a new CR at this year's race. Setting a new record in cold and rainy weather is something we rated highly."
Yamamoto told reporters, "I'm very grateful to have been given this award. It was a great experience that will have an impact on my future career in running." After graduating, Yamamoto will join the Subaru corporate team in April. "I want to do the marathon," he said. "I want to build myself up to be ready for the next MGC Olympic marathon trials and to make the podium in Los Angeles."
This season Josai placed 3rd at October's Izumo Ekiden and 5th at November's National University Ekiden, both school records. Powered in part by Yamamoto's CR run, their 3rd place at the 100th Hakone Ekiden improved on Josai's previous best placing of 6th at the 2010 and 2012 editions. "We were able to come this far because every runner on the team was serious and gave it their best," said Yamamoto. "That's going to have a good effect on the younger guys on next year's team and beyond. I couldn't be happier."
When Yamamoto broke the Fifth Stage record last year, head coach Seiji Kushibe gave him the nickname "Mountain Fairy" in homage to previous athletes' monikers like God of the Mountain and Mountain King. This year his time of 1:09:14 just missed the historic 1:09:12 set on a slightly different version of the course by the original God of the Mountain, Masato Imai. "I trained an entire year to be ready for this," Yamamoto said. "I had a better feel for the Fifth Stage than anyone else. Even if I'm not going to be one of the Gods of the Mountain, I'm glad to break the CR and leave behind a run that will live in people's memories."
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
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