Kakeru, a former elite runner at high school, is chased for stealing food. He is saved by Kansei University student Haiji, who is also a runner. Haiji persuades Kakeru to live in the old apartment "Chikuseisou" where he plans to team up with fellow residents to enter Hakone Ekiden Marathon, one of the most prominent university races in Japan. Kakeru soon finds out that all of the residents except for Haiji and himself are complete novices.
Episodes
Kurahara Kakeru runs through the city streets at night. A single man chases after him on a bicycle. That man’s name is Kiyose Haiji. When Haiji catches up to Kakeru, he asks him a question: "Hey, do you like running?" Led by Haiji, Kakeru arrives at the Chikusei-so student dorm. He meets the strange residents living there. Haiji behaves in a peremptory manner. Kakeru is bewildered by the sudden development. No one at the dorm is aware of Haiji’s ulterior motive. That night, the residents hold a welcoming party for Kakeru. At the party, from Haiji’s mouth comes a grand and reckless plan. How will Kakeru respond…?
"The residents of the Chikusei-so will run in the Hakone Ekiden together." Kakeru responds strongly to Haiji’s rash suggestion. All the residents are amateurs when it comes to long distance running. Nobody takes Haiji’s words seriously. The residents attempt to carry on with their college lives, but Haiji’s shadow approaches. Threatened by Haiji’s mysterious pressure, several tragically fall to Haiji’s hand. Kakeru tries to leave the Chikusei-so, but he runs into Nico-chan in the city. Meanwhile, the Chikusei-so’s bath breaks for unknown reasons, and they decide to go to the "hellish" public bath instead…
When their hot water contest ends in a tie, Kakeru participates in the dorm’s morning jogs while continuing to rebel against Haiji. His plan is to make the other residents give up. The next morning, several of the residents decide to boycott the jogging. A young girl wearing a school uniform runs up to Kakeru and his cool attitude.
"It’s been a while…" Sakaki smirks fearlessly. He and Kakeru are old acquaintances. Kakeru is unable to hide how shaken he is by their unexpected reunion. Swirling inside Kakeru was the loneliness he experienced as a high school student due to his talents. Kakeru runs as though fleeing from shadows, when before him appears "the other Kakeru." It is the desperate man he used to be before he met Haiji. Kakeru glares resentfully at his past. Just as he’s about to lose hope in himself, someone with a kind voice reaches out to him. It’s Prince and his friends…
After being challenged by Tokyo Sport University’s Sakaki, Kakeru and the other residents of Chikusei-so have grown closer. As they celebrate the renewal of their resolve, King comes home wearing a suit for a change. Meanwhile, Kakeru voices his objections to participating in a track meet so soon. What point is there in forcing the amateurish residents to face reality? In response to Kakeru, Haiji asks his own question. Kakeru’s doubts remain unresolved as Haiji begins holding proper practices. However, King refuses to participate because he’s busy looking for a job… Under a cloud of anxiety, their proper training begins.
King rebels against Haiji’s escalating demands. His job search continues to go poorly, causing him to close himself off to even Shindo, who is concerned for him. Eventually King begins acting independently. The other residents are also unable to hide their befuddlement at being told they can’t work. Meanwhile, Kakeru goes to Nico-chan in order to dispel his doubts about Haiji, but he’s unable to find a definitive answer. While this is happening, Shindo has an idea and suggests it to the other residents, but…
The residents of the Chikusei-so go to Tokyo Sport University in order to attend their first track meet. While there, Kakeru is reunited with his old teammate Sakaki Kosuke. Sakaki persistently attempts to provoke Kakeru. When Haiji tries to stop them, a man calls out to him. That man is the champion of Hakone and Rikudo University’s ace, Fujioka Kazuma.
The residents of the Chikusei-so experience a crushing defeat at the track meet. When Kakeru sees his teammates complain and praise one another for their powerlessness, he explodes. While trying to calm down Kakeru, Nico-chan reveals his feelings towards running that he’s been hiding. Kakeru advises him to try as hard as possible. The next morning, Kakeru and Nico-chan abandon Haiji’s coaching and begin training alone. Meanwhile, in order to regain the comic reading time that was taken from him by practice, Prince plans to have a certain item delivered to the apartment…
Kakeru asks Prince to quit the team depending on his performance at the next track meet. Though Haiji says Kakeru’s words are ineffective, Prince asks if he’ll be able to achieve an official record. But there’s something else bothering Haiji: there’s one leftover portion of food.
Haiji suddenly faints. The residents realize how Haiji has been supporting them, and Nico-chan encourages Kakeru and Prince to reconcile. However, the stubborn boys refuse to bridge the gap. The next day, Shindo suggests that the team pick a temporary captain. When all the older members refuse, Kakeru agrees to do the job. Desperate to do something about Prince, Kakeru follows him around while nagging him. Prince’s opposition increases in response. As the residents are unable to even feed themselves, someone comes to extend a helping hand…
The twins and Musa achieve official records, and the residents of the Chikusei-so feel there’s hope for them. However, Shindo and Yuki begin to panic as they fail to beat their personal records for close to a month. Haiji tries to reason with them, but words alone aren’t enough to save them. Meanwhile, the heavy rains continue, impeding the progress of the residents. The other residents grow concerned as Shindo continues to work hard at practice and his studies. Meanwhile, Kakeru and Haiji spot champion Fujioka Kazuma in a track and field magazine…
Kansei University’s battle to achieve official records formally begins. Having already achieved their official records, Musa, Jota, and Joji watch the race with Hanako. Kakeru joins the lead pack and competes with exchange students from strong schools. Meanwhile, the stagnating Shindo and Yuki utilize their strengths to make a strong effort towards achieving an official time. During the final lap, Haiji’s words cut through Kakeru’s mind. "Do you like running?" In that moment, something inside him opens, and Kakeru bangs out an astonishing time. After the race, a lone reporter approaches Kakeru, and…
The Kansei University track team runs into Tokyo Sport University at Lake Shirakaba, where they’re holding their training camp. Sakaki insistently provokes Kakeru over his past actions. Pushes to his limit, Kakeru grabs ahold of him, but his friends come between them before anything can happen. Later they begin their grueling practice, but Kakeru can’t stop recalling heavy memories from his high school days: a cruel past that pushed a group of elite runners to their breaking point. Recalling how he chose his own destruction, Kakeru agonizes over his past. That night, the sky is full of stars. Haiji appears next to Kakeru as he’s hanging around by himself…
The Kansei University track team accepts Kakeru’s past and begins running once again. Their hellish training camp continues, and once they return to the city, they busily engage in recruiting for the fan club, fundraising, and job hunting. The last traces of their amateurism fade as every one of them swells with the strength of a true athlete. The ten of them sprint through a single fleeting summer. As Hanako watches over their brilliant progress, they begin to see a certain path leading towards their future. A single man’s dream passes from one man to another. Nico-chan and King draw ever closer to achieving official records. Only one man remains…
The entire team achieves offical records. Having earned the right to compete in the qualifier, Haiji reports their progress to Coach Tazaki. Though they still have many challenges to face before they make it through the qualifier, the expections of everyone around them continue to rise. They even receive an interview request from a TV station. While the others are excited, Yuki alone seems unhappy.
A runner from another school trips and falls right in front of Haiji. Fortunately, he’s able to avoid crashing into him, but he puts all his weight on his right leg. The fall causes a commotion at the water station. The cold rain mercilessly pounds down on the runners and the fans watching over them. Eventually the races moves into the city streets, and the runners’ race for survival accelerates.
The Kansei University track team miraculously makes it through the qualifier. The team is inundated by club applicants and interview requests. Despite them, Haiji calmly focuses on preparing for the race. However, Jota and Joji suddenly begin to oppose him. "Haiji’s fooling us, isn’t he?" What misgivings weigh heavily on their minds?
While walking home with Musa, Kakeru runs into reigning champion Rikudo’s Fujioka Kazuma. When Kakeru can’t let go of the inconsiderate remarks made by some passers-by, Fujioka methodically and without faltering shows him the answer. Then Fujioka tells them about his shared history with Haiji. The burden Haiji has borne alone. The response he gave to Fujioka. In Fujioka’s words, Kakeru begins to sense the meaning of the "strength" Haiji once described to him. Meanwhile, Haiji is at a consultation with his doctor. His eyes are glued to the harsh reality they see…
The Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race finally begins. Haiji was right, and Section 1 moves at a slow pace while the teams try to feel each other out. Prince, who bears the heavy responsibility of starting the race, takes up his position behind the other runners and conserves his strength. It’s all part of Haiji’s plan to take the top. Haiji also sends a message to Prince through Tazaki in the coach’s vehicle and heads to the Tsurumi Relay Station where Musa waits. The group raises its pace. Prince desperately hangs on. And in the back of his mind, he recalls a conversation he once had with Haiji…
Hanako cheers for him on the sidelines. Pieces of memories run through his head. Finally realizing his romantic feelings, Jota accelerates and climbs in the standings. As the older twin passes the sash to his younger brother, Joji is informed about Hanako’s feelings and becomes distracted. The sudden Hanako panic leaves the other members of the team disconcerted as well. In order to get the race back on track, Kakeru asks Tazaki to deliver a message. Meanwhile, Haiji calls Shindo, who has arrived at the relay station. Their time feels simultaneously too long and too short. A tragic resolve spreads through Shindo’s burning, feverish body…
His teammates faced death to pass the sash along. Bearing that weight in his mind, Yuki prepares for the race. Shindo approaches him. Turning his overflowing anxiety and regrets into strength, Yuki waits for the race to start. Meanwhile, in Yokohama, Kakeru and Haiji wait for Sections 9 and 10 to start. However, when Haiji is nowhere to be found, Kakeru grows uneasy. As though confirming his concerns, a sports doctor exits Haiji’s room. Kakeru interrogates Haiji, but Haiji remains the same calm Haiji he’s always been. It’s 8AM. The second half begins!
Sakaki’s fighting spirit verges on tragic. As though dragged along by it, King loses his pace. He thinks back on a conversation he had once with Haiji. The words he can’t say, the reality he can’t escape. Will Haiji’s words free him from the doubts that cling to him? King’s thoughts eventually arrive at the day he arrived at the Chikusei-so. It was the beginning of a lonely but also dream-like time. That small disappointment, that small pride. Carry all of it with you as you run. The men continue to fight to find themselves…!
Kakeru is bewildered by this new experience. His speed overwhelms the other competitors. Meanwhile, reigning champion Rikudo’s ace Fujioka breaks the section record as promised and pushes his team into first place. Fujioka finds Haiji. What answers wait for them at the ends of their roads? They reassure one another as they exchange words. Prince’s smile pushes Haiji’s quiet resolve forward. Kakeru eventually appears at the relay station, running at shocking speeds. Their dream lies before them. Kakeru passes to Haiji. Their sash unites them and their entire team. At what peak will the Kansei University track and field team arrive?
