Lead the team with your own running,
I want to give back in Hakone.

College of Arts and Sciences 4th Grade
Track and Field Club Ekiden Team
Graduate of Chukyo Gakuin University Affiliated Chukyo, Gifu Prefecture *Currently Chukyo High School

Daichi Shirakawa

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Having fun, but being serious. A team where you can grow together with your teammates.

I started track and field in fifth grade. It all started when I was invited to join a local running club. This club has produced many runners who have participated in the Hakone Ekiden, so naturally, I wanted to run in the Hakone Ekiden myself. After that, while continuing to compete in junior high and high school, I was scouted by J. F. Oberlin University coach Shinyaka, coach Fukunaga, and manager Takeda. Among all university ekiden teams nationwide, only J. F. Oberlin University have Kenyan coaches, a powerhouse in long-distance running. I thought I could learn the secrets of speed unique to Kenyans, so I decided to go to J. F. Oberlin University.

J. F. Oberlin University The characteristic of the ekiden team is that while running happily, they practice seriously as a team, working together in a bright atmosphere. Club members communicate with each other regardless of grade level, and maintain close communication with the coach and coach. We also work on new things while consulting with the coach and club members, and recently, we have been doing image training where we meditate to imagine ourselves feeling well, and sometimes picture ourselves eating delicious food. Surprisingly, it has been effective, and the entire team feels a mental improvement.

A personal best achieved through the accumulation of steady and persistent effort.

In high school, I thought that if I joined the university's track and field team, I would be doing special training, but in reality, it's been much more steady and grittier than high school training. I compete in speed races with Kayouki, a classmate who is exceptionally talented, and I put in a lot of training every day. Through this accumulation of effort, in my second year of university, at the Hokuren Distance Challenge Abashiri, I was able to improve my personal best in the 10,000m race by more than a minute. Furthermore, at the 294th Nippon Sport Science University Athletics Meet in April 2022, I was able to run at a steady pace without worrying about the stares of others even when leading the race, and I feel that I have grown both physically and mentally.

Currently, as vice-captain, I am also dedicated to nurturing the next generation. Together with the captain, we want to improve the team and are working on various things. Of course, I speak with my abilities, but I also encourage younger students to focus and work hard. I want the juniors who will carry the future of J. F. Oberlin University to have a strong desire for improvement and to gain a wealth of experience without injury.

With the pride of being the ace in his heart, he will head to the grand stage of Hakone with his teammates.

Unfortunately, in the "Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Round 2021" held last year, we finished 29th out of 39 universities and were unable to secure a ticket to the Hakone Ekiden. Other universities are getting stronger every year, making the situation tough, but every team has its weaknesses. We believe it is necessary to keep working hard to exploit those weaknesses and raise the overall strength of the team.

Personally, this is a crucial year for me. Coach Shinya and Coach Fukunaga have high expectations of me. I'm very happy to be seen as the ace, and I've been able to grow this much thanks to the coaches. With the desire to repay their kindness on the big stage of Hakone in mind, I want to show a performance that lives up to expectations. The slogan for 2022 is "EVOLUTION that changes history <Evolution, Passion, True Value, Trustworthiness, New Splendor>". As these words suggest, my goal is to change the team's history by participating in the Hakone Ekiden. With pride as the ace, I will lead the team with my running so that I can graduate leaving a lasting legacy for the new generation.

Interview date:
This was done in April 2022 for the "Obirin Sports" website.

Lead the team with your own running,I want to give back in Hakone.

Main content

Having fun, but being serious. A team where you can grow together with your teammates.

A personal best achieved through the accumulation of steady and persistent effort.

With the pride of being the ace in his heart, he will head to the grand stage of Hakone with his teammates.

Related content

Lead the team with your own running,
I want to give back in Hakone.