The 2021 Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race concluded as a last-mile thriller between the eventual winner Komazawa University and runner-up Soka University.
But the latest edition of the biggest New Year sporting tradition in Japan delivered many other intriguing topics.
One of the most talked-about stories was the number of fans seen along the roadsides of the 217.1-km route amid the COVID-19 pandemic.