Great novel. I loved the anime too. A pity that it was so short. Also, ignore the rating and just give it a shot.

first off: the tl is so good omg. Xoxo translator, what a beast. Same thing with the author and their way of writing about sports.

started reading this because the manga piqued my interest. Currently on ch8 pt4, and I have to say I quite like the development of all of the characters. Author really takes time to mention MC's thoughts, and a lot of it is somewhat methodical (MC kinda thinks in a very distant/detached ways at times, making a very interesting internal dialogue), and contrasts it to other characters... more>> who have very opinionated/clear views, or with haiji who's honest but feels very vague. I think a lot of the charm comes from how the author gives insight to these characters, particularly haiji.

I'm not entirely sure why the rating is so low, but I'm guessing it's because for a sports plot, it doesn't suit peoples' preferences? Like they might find it too slice-of-life or boring, since author goes with a very realistic pace. Andtbh I prefer more action-based plots, so this plot felt a little slow to me, but it certainly was very well written and the author and TL did really well with this! The tempo and flow of the plot is honestly really well-matured and done, I just happen to have the attention span of a goldfish cracker so that's why I can't find the motivation in me to complete this. <<less

Found it from the anime. It's a really interesting novel as a rag-tag group of students from disgraced national champion, injured athlete, otaku, high-achieving law student, foreign exhange student and etc. Are arranged with grueling practice in the hopes of qualifying to the prestigious Hakone Ekiden. The Prestigious & Televised Collegiate Two- day Relay Marathon in Japan that with a total course distance of more than 200 km.

This novel was published 15 years before I write this review and it still resonates until now. I think what I like the... more>> most is how these group comes together despite the conflicts and friction. They go in depth with the training regimen and the math that involves calculating for the time in Hakone Ekiden.

Give it a read! <<less