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"Runners from Africa: Kenyan Runners in the Hakone Ekiden" (by Shuichi Izumi)
https://amzn.asia/d/8mEJYP8

Program Overview
The theme of this episode of "+SESSION" is the 102nd Hakone Ekiden and Kenyan Runners. With the new year approaching, we'll explore the true nature of international student runners, who hold the key to success. Our first guest is Kazuyoshi Tokumoto, a former Hakone Ekiden runner and head coach of the Shibaura Institute of Technology Ekiden Club. Our second guest is Shuichi Izumi, former editor-in-chief of NewsPicks and non-fiction writer. After leaving NewsPicks, Izumi has continued to cover track and field, and in December, he wrote "Runners from Africa: Kenyan International Students in the Hakone Ekiden," based on extensive international reporting. In Part 1, we asked the two to predict the 2026 Hakone Ekiden.

Table of Contents
0:00 Opening
0:59 Start
1:58 Highlights of the 2026 Hakone Ekiden
2:38 Why is Aoyama Gakuin University so strong?
12:04 Running Styles to Win the Hakone Ekiden
19:16 Increasing Athlete Speed
23:07 Which University Will Win This Year's Championship?
32:03 Continued in Part 2

Guests
Kazuyoshi Tokumoto | Head Coach, Shibaura Institute of Technology Ekiden Team
Born in 1979 in Hiroshima Prefecture. While attending Hosei University, he competed in the Hakone Ekiden for four consecutive years. He placed 10th in the first section in 1999 (75th race), 1st in 2000 (76th race), 2nd in the second section in 2001 (77th race), and withdrew midway through the second section in 2002 (78th race). He was active in the Nissin Foods Group, a corporate team, primarily in long-distance running and ekiden relay races. He will assume his current position from 2025.


・Shuichi Izumi | Former NewsPicks Editor-in-Chief and Non-Fiction Writer
Born in 1990 in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from the Department of Sociology at Kansai University in 2013, he joined Diamond Inc. After working in the Weekly Diamond editorial department, he joined NewsPicks in 2017. He became Editor-in-Chief in 2022. He became independent in 2024 and is a freelance non-fiction writer. His recent publications include "Runners from Africa: Kenyan Students in the Hakone Ekiden" (Bunshun Shinsho).

MC
・Satoru Yamashita | Bungeishunju PLUS Editorial Department
Born in Suginami Ward, Tokyo in 1989. After graduating from the Department of Commerce, Faculty of Business and Commerce at Keio University, he joined Diamond Inc. in April 2012. He worked in book editing and advertising sales before joining Bungeishunju mid-career in April 2019. He worked in the non-fiction publishing department and the monthly "Bungeishunju" editorial department before assuming his current position. His hobby is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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