“Kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru” – Do You Like Running?

Calm, rhythmic breathing accompanies the steady sound of footsteps tapping the pavement in fast succession. Night covers the empty street, and the scant light of the streetlamps barely illuminates the speedily running figure of Kurahara Kakeru, who is tightly gripping the sandwich he just stole. With his inhuman speed, he doesn’t worry about the shopkeeper catching up with him. But then a light appears in the dark behind him, bouncing hurriedly left and right and closing in fast—a young man on a bike is racing after Kakeru. Once level with  him, a friendly face with a big smile and bright eyes calls out to him: “Hey, do you like running?”

And so begins the charming tale about a group of ten university students running their way to one of the most-watched sports events in Japan.