On Jan. 8 Aoyama Gakuin University held a victory celebration at the school's Aoyama Campus in Shibuya, Tokyo for its win at the 102nd Hakone Ekiden, the 9th win for AGU in the last 12 years and its second threepeat. AGU's 4th runner at Hakone, Kyosuke Hiramatsu (3rd yr.) took 3rd on his leg and set up Day One anchor Asahi Kuroda (4th yr.) to run down the leader on the uphill Fifth Stage and take the Day One win. At the celebration he revealed that he had been suffering from a rare disorder, acquired idiopathic generalized anhidrosis.
This disorder, which the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimates to afflict only 100 to 200 people nationwide, primarily men aged 10 to 30, impairs the function of sweat glands throughout the body. As a result those affected have difficulty regulating body temperature and are highly susceptible to heatstroke. The cause is unknown and no established treatment exists, but according to the National Intractable Disease Information Center in about half of the known cases patients show improvement through steroid pulse therapy, which involves IV injection of corticosteroids.
Hiramatsu ran the half marathon for AGU at the important Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships his 1st and 2nd years but was a DNF his 2nd year. His 3rd year he was among the leaders until near the end of the race, when he suddenly slowed and finished 27th. He had other races where he dropped out as well. Head coach Susumu Hara suspected that Hiramatsu was suffering some kind of illness and had him undergo detailed testing, which revealed the anhidrosis problem.
In July Hiramatsu was admitted to a hospital to start undergoing treatment. "It was hot the day I got out of the hospital," he said. "The minute I stepped outside I started sweating and my shirt got soaked." He continues to undergo regular blood testing and check-ups to monitor his condition. "I owe it all to Coach Hara for suspecting I was sick," he said.
On Feb. 1 Hiramatsu will run the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon along with Kuroda. "I'm targeting sub-2:10," he said. He and the other 3rd-years have never lost at Hakone since entering Aoyama Gakuin. In his 4th season Hiramatsu is expected to be one of the team leaders in its quest for a 4th-straight title. "I have no intention of letting someone else take the Fourth Stage," he said.
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
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