Shin Takahashi’s Ekiden Danshi Project (Men’s Long-Distance Relay Race Project) manga is going on a break, with its return slated for winter. Shogakukan’s Weekly Big Comic Spirits magazine announced the hiatus in its 43rd issue this year.
Hiatus Details and Publication History
The latest break for Ekiden Danshi Project follows a pattern of intermittent pauses for the series. The manga previously went on hiatus in July 2023, returning in the fall of the same year. It also took a break in January 2024 and resumed publication in June 2024.
Shin Takahashi, a well-known manga artist recognized for works like Saikano and Kimi no Kakera, launched Ekiden Danshi Project in Weekly Big Comic Spirits in May 2022. Shogakukan released the manga’s fourth compiled book volume in September 2024.
The Story of Ekiden Danshi Project
The Ekiden Danshi Project manga centers on a track-and-field athlete named Hayata. His high school career concluded with disappointment, leading him to plan for a job in his hometown after graduation. However, his path changes when he discovers that a private university, recently acquired by a major IT company, has established an ekiden (long-distance relay race) team. This new team aims to compete in the prestigious “Hakone” relay race and is actively recruiting scholarship students through a nationwide audition. Adding to the intrigue, the team manager is a popular idol. The narrative follows Hayata and other aspiring athletes as they face a challenging half-marathon race for recruitment, forming a team that is initially far from united.
Takahashi had first expressed his intention to create a manga about university ekiden racing back in 2018, with an initial target launch of 2019. The series falls under the sports romance drama genre, featuring themes of school life.
