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The story
At the first exchange zone of the Kansai Corporate Relay Championship (a qualifier for next year’s New Year Ekiden) held in Wakayama Prefecture on the 15th, a bizarre disqualification occurred after a runner handed the sash to his teammate well before the designated exchange line. Footage of the incident spread on social media, and on the forum thread, some pointed out that “it was obvious he was waiting way before the line,” while others questioned whether the relay-zone staff had failed to guide him properly. Meanwhile, speculation about the nationality of the runners involved also circulated, leaving the discussion divided.
[Video] Baton Handoff “Violation” — The Actual Scene From the Corporate Relay Disqualification Incident
Shocking Disqualification Hits Corporate Relay — Baton Handoff “Violation”… Broadcast Booth Groans “Ohh…” as Fans Lament “This Had to Be a Disqualification”
The Kansai Corporate Relay Championship, doubling as a qualifier for next New Year’s Day’s All-Japan Corporate Team Ekiden (New Year Ekiden), was held on the 15th over seven legs totaling 80.45 km from Wakayama’s Ryujin Administrative Office to Ryujin Gymnasium. A shocking incident occurred at the first exchange zone, leaving fans in an uproar.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
You could also say it's his own fault for not running it all the way to the line.
"So you know of it too… Raideen?" (a classic 2ch/5ch copypasta format riffing on the old anime Brave Raideen)
You guys only care about the Hakone Ekiden anyway, don't you?
The Hakone Ekiden is more than enough.
Do people outside the Kanto region even enjoy watching the Hakone Ekiden?
He was running with both arms stretched out, basically begging to be grabbed,
and the teammate waiting ahead of the line reached out and snatched it from him.
It creates a massive gap (in the results).
and maybe produce some unconventional runners too.
a Black exchange student from Kochi Chuo
did the exact same thing
and got disqualified.
I mean, there's literally a line drawn, and he's waiting way out in front of it.
Basically, once roll call's done, their job's over anyway.
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2121768682020085760/vid/avc1/1206×666/I_Yv8cg6iPNK5AFo.mp4
Someone nearby could've just told him sooner.
The staff around him are totally panicking.
Just checked Twitter/X and this happened this morning but it's still trending.
Apparently he's not some newbie who just joined — sounds like he's actually a veteran runner.
He was even checking his footing carefully, so maybe the rain threw off his read of the line, or he got confused thinking he had to stay on the inside.
Especially over the past decade or so.
Feels like the quality of organizers and staff has really gone downhill.
Blaming the staff is off-base.
Being late for roll call is a problem, but otherwise guiding him isn't their job.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
In ekiden races, the rule is strictly enforced that the sash can only be passed to the next runner after crossing the designated exchange line (the takeover zone) — handing it off too early results in immediate disqualification. The Kansai Corporate Relay Championship serves as a qualifier for next New Year’s Day’s New Year Ekiden (All-Japan Corporate Team Ekiden), so a disqualification on the very first leg was a serious violation with direct consequences for the team’s overall result. On the thread, opinions split between those blaming the disqualified runner himself for not checking his position carefully, and those faulting the relay-zone staff for being slow to guide him — with no consensus on where the real fault lay. The discussion also touched on how much less well-known the corporate relay is compared to the Hakone Ekiden, highlighting a gap in how much interest people have in the event itself. Note that the original article does not state the nationality of the runners involved, so any claims on that front in the thread remain pure speculation.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Athletics] Shocking Disqualification Hits Corporate Relay — Baton Handoff “Violation”… Broadcast Booth Groans “Ohh…” as Fans Lament “This Had to Be a Disqualification”“.
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