Why do you like Ekiden? Asked no one in particular. But it's a question I reflect on quite often. Sure, it’s a running event, and I’m a runner, so on the surface it makes sense. But I was drawn to it long before I started running seriously. Maybe it’s tied to the memories I associate with the New Year holidays: going to my father-in-law’s place in the mountains of Wakayama, spending two cozy days under the kotatsu with the Hakone Ekiden on TV, peeling one mikan after another.

I've long been a fan of Ekiden, and my passion for the long-distance relay race grew even more when I started running a couple of years...