NEWS

ICU student team won at the relay road race "SQUARE MILE RELAY"

Update: June 7, 2018

On Thursday, May 17, the "SQUARE MILE RELAY*," a relay road race hosted by Bloomberg L.P. in the financial districts around the world, was held in Marunouchi, Tokyo. A total of 61 teams participated from various organizations, including corporate enterprises, government organizations, NPOs, and universities. From ICU, a total of three teams participated: two student teams and a mixed team consisting of students and faculty members. Among the 18 teams participating, a student team in the male & female mixed division won the title.

*A relay running race hosted by Bloomberg L.P. in ten cities around the world, including Tokyo, London, New York, and Singapore. The teams consist of ten runners each, and each team member runs one mile (about 1.6 km).

Comment from Saburo Takano (4th year student, Majors: Business and Psychology), the captain of the winning team:

Professor Kaneko contacted his seminar students saying, "There's a marathon taking place in Marunouchi in a week, so why don't you take part in it?" I visited his office without knowing what he really meant, then he simply said, "You look like a fast runner, so you are the captain." That's how I got to participate in the event. I asked for help from other students and put together an improvised team, but we were able to win the title in the male & female mixed division and deliver a much better result than we expected. To be honest, I do not fully comprehend that we actually won, but I am very happy to have won the competition with the students and teachers I didn't know before. I'm now looking for a job, so whenever I go to Marunouchi, I usually wear a dark suit for job interviews. However, in the competition, I was in a tracksuit, which is different from what I usually wear in the area, and ran through the area with such a refreshed feeling. I will run through my job hunting race as well. I strongly hope people who participate in the competition next year will try hard to win.

Comment from Associate Professor Takuya Kaneko (Major: Business) who acted as the general supervisor of the ICU team

Just like last year, I participated in the relay road race again this year. One of the characteristics of the ICU is a close relationship between students and faculty, because we are a university with a small number of students. Sweating together through sports competitions like this represents a typical characteristic of the ICU. This time, 610 runners from 61 teams competed in the high-speed race, and we won the title in the male & female mixed division, which is a remarkable achievement. I am pleased not only with the race results but also with the bond among the team members that became stronger over time. Running through the traffic-blocked Marunouchi business district in sportswear makes you feel very refreshed and enhances your motivation on a daily basis. After all, it is important to strike a good balance between learning and sports. I'm already planning training from now to win the section prize next year.