Kokugakuin University members aiming for their first HAKONE EKIDEN victory.

Yoshida ran the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon in October to gain experience. This was her first race of 21.0975 km, and she did a fair job. Then came the Ageo Half Marathon in November. Two weeks prior to the race, Maeda had set a clear standard for the race: “To make the entry list of 16 runners,” he said.

To make the 16-member entry list, you must run at least 1 hour and 2 minutes, and the 10 regular runners must run under 1 hour and 2.5 minutes.

Yoshida achieved a perfect result in the trial race, which also served as a selection test for the Hakone team members. She showed the results of her training by working hard to keep up with her seniors, and marked a time of 1:02:29, the fastest time by a first-year student at Kokugakuin. He was able to gain a solid response, and was able to make the entry list.

I was able to break my goal of 1 hour, 2.5 minutes,” he said. In my case, the longer the time, the more strength I can bring out. I can push at a steady pace.

His brisk tone of voice exudes confidence. With the race approaching, he was expanding his image of running on the Hakone Road. The memory of watching the race with his classmates from Saitama Sakae High School is also vividly etched in his mind. The overflowing crowd of spectators and their enthusiastic cheering. I still remember the feelings I had along the way.

I thought, “I want to run here, too. My family would come to cheer me on no matter which section, but I wanted to show them how cool I was.

The 9th section, an important section of the return leg of the race, is a big responsibility, but he has already experienced the pressure of being the anchor in the 2022 National High School Ekiden. He has the same guts as his father, who sang on stage in the spotlight. He will not shrink away in front of a large crowd. He is looking forward to the stage of his dream race, even though he can’t sing,” he says with a wry smile.

I’ve been practicing to compete over long distances. I want to contribute to the team’s goal by running like a first-year runner. I want to contribute to the team’s goal by running like a freshman. I am aiming for the sectional award.

Yoshida plans to make the Hakone course, watched over by his father, a singer, an unforgettable memory of winter, not a memory of summer.