Looking Back on the 2024 Race④, Part 4: The 2.5 km Race

For our final reflection on the 2024 race, we’ll focus on the 2.5 km event.

Participants: 245 (131 men, 114 women)
Elementary school students and younger: 192 (97 boys, 95 girls)
Middle school students and older: 53 (34 men, 19 women)
Completion rate: 100%!
This race is one that people of all kinds participate in and enjoy every year.

In the elementary school and younger category, almost all the students from the local Oguni Elementary School took part, along with various sports club teams from across Niigata Prefecture. Of course, there were plenty of individual participants as well!”

　In the middle school and older category, we had participants like the team from Ōkubo Kōsan, whose chairman is originally from Oguni. Every year, they travel all the way from Kanagawa Prefecture to join the race. Another group that always catches my eye is ‘TEAM Isetatsu’ from Tokyo, who participated in all three events! It’s clear that they not only enjoy running but also appreciate the unique atmosphere of this event. Incidentally, Isetatsu is a long-established company founded in 1864, specializing in Edo chiyogami (Japanese paper) and toy prints.

　The 2.5 km race requires preschoolers to be accompanied by a guardian, and running with a companion is optional for 1st and 2nd graders, so the start is always quite crowded.
The front row is usually occupied by enthusiastic upper-grade elementary school students, while the children from Oguni Elementary School tend to step back a bit out of modesty. At the back, you’ll find groups of adults, with the very last row consisting of preschoolers and safety-conscious adults.

　One of the characteristics of this race is that runners come back so quickly after the start that it’s almost impossible to capture their progress along the way.

　As expected, I missed capturing photos of the top runners crossing the finish line again this year.

　This year’s youngest runner in the race was just 3 years old. At that age, simply walking the 2.5 km without getting bored is quite an achievement. Watching them carry large leaves in both hands or walking hand-in-hand with their older sibling is truly heartwarming. So cute…