On a chilly March night in western Tokyo, former high school track star Kakeru Kurahara finds himself running through the city streets after shoplifting a loaf of bread. Though disillusioned with the sport that once defined him, he feels an almost involuntary pull to keep moving. His flight is interrupted by Haiji Kiyose, a mysterious fellow Kansei University student on a bicycle who has been following him. Impressed by Kakeru’s natural agility and form, Haiji persuades the reluctant runner to move into Chikusei-so, a dilapidated old dormitory known for its eccentric residents.

Kakeru soon discovers he has been lured into a carefully laid plan. At his welcome party, Haiji reveals his grand and seemingly impossible ambition: to assemble a ten-man team from within the dormitory and qualify for the Hakone Ekiden, Japan’s most prestigious and televised university marathon relay race. The problem is that aside from Kakeru and Haiji himself, the other eight residents are complete novices with no competitive running experience. The unlikely team includes identical twins Jota and Joji, honor student Shindo, detail-oriented Yuki, trivia enthusiast King, Tanzanian international student Musa, nicotine-loving Nico, and a manga otaku nicknamed Prince.

Despite their initial shock and reluctance, the residents of Chikusei-so are gradually won over by Haiji’s relentless enthusiasm and begin a ten-month journey of intense physical and mental transformation. The narrative follows the group as they progress from learning the fundamentals of jogging to achieving the specific times needed to officially enter the Hakone Ekiden. Each character grapples with personal demons and limitations, from Kakeru’s haunted past as an elite runner who burned out under pressure to the others overcoming their lack of athleticism and self-doubt. The story culminates in the relay race itself, where the team must work together across ten grueling segments, relying on the bonds they have forged to achieve a goal that once seemed completely out of reach.