MONTHLY NEWS
December 2002

The Thirty-One-Legged Race

Have you ever run a three-legged race? In Japan there is a similar sport in which teams of thirty - yes 30! - people tie their legs together and run for 50 meters. It's called the "thirty-one-legged race" (site is Japanese only). There's even a national thirty-one-legged race championship for teams of elementary-school students. In 2002 the championship was held on November 23 at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa Prefecture. About 1,000 kids took part, made up of members of the 29 teams that came through regional qualifying competitions. They were cheered on by crowds of spectators.

The arena is now in a frenzy of excitement. Three teams have won through the first round, the quarter-finals, and the semi-finals and are now about to contest the final. The teams are from grade six, classes one and two of Higashi Elementary School, Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture; grade six, class one of Iwata Elementary School, Yamaguchi Prefecture; and grade six, class one of Sugikami Elementary School, Kumamoto Prefecture. The final is a time trial in which each team has just one chance to run the fastest time. If someone falls over, or the string tying their legs together comes off, that team cannot try again. So everybody has to concentrate very hard on staying together and keeping in rhythm.

Parents, friends, and supporters have hung banners from the stands with messages of encouragement written on, such as "Come on!" "Do your best!" and "Run!" Shouts of "Higashi! Higashi! Higashi!" can be heard from the supporters of Higashi Elementary.

The Elementary School Thirty-One-Legged Race Championship began in 1996, and 2002 marked the seventh time the event has been held. Until this year, the record for the best time ever was held by the kids of Ogori Minami Elementary School, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a time of 9.12 seconds, set at the 1999 championship. The thirty-one-legged race was officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2002, and Ogori Minami is listed in the 2002 edition of the Guinness World Records book as the current record holder. But in the semi-finals of this years competition Sugikami Elementary clocked an incredible time of 8.94 seconds - easily a new record!

The final starts with the team that was slowest in the semi-finals, Higashi. They complete the 50 meters in 9.24 seconds, so this is the time the other two teams must beat. The kids from Iwata Elementary go next. They finish in a lightning-quick 8.98 seconds to take the lead. This leaves only the Sugikami kids, who must beat 8.98 seconds to win. The 17 boys and 13 girls in the team stand on the start line . . .

Their first start is a false one. It's clear they are feeling a lot of pressure. But at the second attempt they get cleanly out of the blocks, and they are into their stride in no time. "They're speeding up! They're really flying along!" screams the commentator. They cross the finish line and collapse onto the cushions just past the goal. They ran their hearts out, and the second half of their sprint was especially impressive. In fact, all of the teams were so quick it's impossible to tell who has won.

Everyone is nervous as they wait for the time to be displayed on the scoreboard. It's not only the Sugikami kids who are watching the board; the Iwata kids have their eyes fixed on it too, knowing the numbers that appear will decide the winner. After about 30 seconds, the time appears . . .

8.97 seconds! Sugikami Elementary wins! They beat Iwata by just 0.01 seconds. The whole team is leaping up and down in delight. "Yes! You did it!" exclaims Mamoru Shiraki, the team's homeroom teacher. The kids scream in reply: "Yeeaaahhh!"

"It's a victory for smiling," comments Mr. Shiraki. "For a long time the students have practiced really hard for 20 minutes every morning. I often got angry at them, so they must have been very nervous. That's why we all decided they would just smile and do their best today. In the final, especially after that false start, I told them, 'Third place would be fine. Just relax and have fun.' That was when they smiled the most."

One of the Sugikami team, Manami Ogata, cries "I'm so happy!" before emotion gets the better of her and she can't speak any more. Team captain Takuya Takahama is clearly excited about the win, saying, "This is the best!" Misaki Teramoto, meanwhile, thanks Mr. Shiraki for training the team: "We won because of all the practice we have done. Thank you, Mr. Shiraki."

Photos: (Top) Kids running in a thirty-one-legged race; (Middle) Parents and friends cheer from the stands; (Bottom) The students of Sugikami Elementary discover that they are the winners. (TV Asahi)