The second half (下巻) is divided into each section of the Hakone Ekiden, and it follows not just the character running the section for the protagonist team but occasionally characters on other teams as well. Not all of these stories worked, and the repeated attempt to develop characters by pointing out a dead relative. Is anyone in the world of Ikeido Jun motivated by something other than the death or absence or humiliation of a parent? Apparently not. Nevertheless, the story really pulled me in and for the characters that were sufficiently (believably) developed, it became quite emotional. The endings of both halves were earned payoffs, and I am glad to have read these.