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[Director Kazuki Yamaji's Comment]

"A Sense of a Massive Explosion"

On Saturday, April 4, 2026, the 17th Bond Record Challenge Tournament was held at Machida GION Stadium.
With the aim of switching from the winter road race season to the spring track racing season for the new fiscal year, eight of our university athletes participated in this race.
Among them, the player who delivered the best MVP performance in this tournament was the new second-year student, Joo Usuro!

Thin rider is skilled in road races, and in road training and racing, he performs at the top level of the team. He is so strong that he has been a team representative in the Hakone Ekiden qualifiers since his first year.
However, I had a strong aversion to track racing.
Specifically, in road training, he can run two consecutive 5km (5000m) distances in about 14 minutes and 40 seconds!! Yet, his official personal record for the 5000m (5km) track race is "15 minutes 03.21 seconds."
Even without any adjustments, you can easily run 5km in the 14-minute range on the road, but even if you adjust and run in perfect condition the moment you hit the track, it still takes 15 minutes to cover 5000m.
As you can see from this, for Usui, the 'fear of the track' was extremely strong, and as a result, he has repeatedly experienced feelings of frustration and helplessness.

However, this time, the "Bond Record Challenge" was very different from before!
During the adjustment phase, athletes aiming for track racing usually practice on tracks, but Thin Rider deliberately built up road training to approach this event.
Since it was his first track race, he set the phrase, "Let's go all out!" and set a remarkable personal record of 8 minutes 28 seconds in the 3000m (3km) race!!
This time is an impressive record where, if you keep running 2000m (2km) and run a total of 5000m, no matter how slow you estimate, you can predict a time of around 14 minutes 30 seconds!

At this 'Kizuna Record Challenge,' Thin Rider began to overcome his aversion to track racing.
I feel that because I failed many times, faced setbacks, and even when my heart sank, I never gave up and stood up, confronting the parts of myself that I struggled with was the opportunity to overcome myself!
However, from my perspective as a coach, I believe the potential of a thin player is beyond this!
I hope he grows into the next ace of J. F. Oberlin University!
With this event as a good opportunity, the 2026 track season promises to be a huge hit and explosion not only on roads but also on track!!
We sincerely ask for your continued support and great expectations for the explosive success and success of Thin Clothes players this season.