i am NOT a sportsy person in any way, but this novel was amazing, inspiring, and really well done. would recommend it. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

A note:
I hate running. With every part of my being. I ran in high school and despised every second of it [even though I was very good at it]. Never in a BAZILLION years would I expect to like, much less love a book about running [of course, I never expected to love a book about dictionaries, or two gorgeous books about forestry either, so there is that], but here we are.

While this IS a book about running, as with the author's other novels, it is just so much more. It is, at its heart, a book about friendship [the deep, abiding kind], chosen family, and even through the hardest times, accomplishing just what you set out to do.

Gorgeously written, you are quickly sucked into this world and as with Ms. Miura's other books, the writing keeps you there until the very end and you are left wondering how you existed before you read this book [and even makes you wonder if you too should start running {for me, that is an ew, no LOL}], and it will leave you, days later, still thinking about what you read.

Absolutely magnificent.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shion Miura, Yui Kajita - Translator, and HarperVia for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I ADORED this book. I had watched the anime adaptation of this novel and read the original Japanese book, so this was a no-brainer for me.

The story is emotional, suspenseful, tearjerking, and heartwarming. It makes you want to put on sneakers and go running, even for people like me, who hate running. In terms of the translation, it was extremely smooth and very well-done; you could barely tell it was translated, there were no awkward phrases.

This is one of my favorite Japanese books!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the copy of the e-book!

My journey with Run with the Wind started with the anime. I remember when it aired and how invested I was every week to see this team achieve their goals. In the sports anime genre, the underdog story can become a bit oversaturated but I think what makes this different is that this is your typical underdog story. The Chikusei gang is forced for the most part is forced to become a track team due to their need to secure housing. Seeing them go from no experience to soaring past people's predictions is gratifying. I am gushing about the anime but that's because this book is just as good. Reading this gave me the same feelings as when I watched the anime while also providing slight context that was left out of the anime. If you can't tell, I highly recommend checking out this series whether you start with the anime or the original novel both will satisfy you as a sports fan.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In “Run with the Wind,” Shion Miura crafts a compelling narrative that transcends the boundaries of a typical sports novel, weaving together themes of friendship, perseverance, and self-discovery. This novel, a bestseller in Japan, follows the journey of a group of university students who unite to pursue a common goal - competing in the Hakone Ekiden, one of Japan’s most prestigious university relay marathons.

The story is driven by the charismatic and enigmatic Haiji Kiyose, who recruits his fellow dorm mates, each with their own unique backgrounds and challenges, to form a running team. Among them is Kakeru Kurahara, a former elite runner whose passion for the sport has been marred by past traumas. Along the way, they learn how to go beyond their self limitations.

Miura’s writing is both lyrical and evocative, capturing the physical and emotional landscapes of her characters with precision. The pacing of the novel mirrors the rhythm of a long-distance run, with moments of intense action interspersed with introspective pauses.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its rich character development. Each member of the team is given a distinct voice and backstory, making their collective journey all the more poignant.

“Run with the Wind” is a meditation on the human spirit and the transformative power of pursuing a common goal. Miura’s narrative is a testament to the idea that, with determination and support, even the most unlikely individuals can achieve greatness.

For those who enjoy audiobooks, the narration of “Run with the Wind” brings an additional layer of depth to the story, with the narrator’s performance enhancing the emotional impact of the characters’ journeys.

“Run with the Wind” is a beautifully written and inspiring novel that will leave readers reflecting on their own aspirations and the importance of camaraderie. Shion Miura has delivered a timeless tale that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the joy of running towards one’s dreams.

This is an inspiring story about a 10-man team from all different backgrounds coming together to meet the goal of competing in the Hakone Ekiden, a highly competitive college marathon race. Basically each of them get persuaded into training for it because they want to keep living in their low rent housing arrangement. It sounds weird but it’s sweet to see this group willing to help Kiyose’s dream come true especially when eight of them are not even into running or particularly like it at the start.

It’s much more than just watching them train to even qualify for the race but you get to learn about each of them individually and what their personalities are like. It’s also just neat that we get to learn a little trivia about the race because one of the characters is into game shows and trivia. It’s little things like this that add to the story. I definitely identify with Prince who just wants to read manga and is not very fast. You get to see them each challenge themselves and find their inner strength.

You would think it dull just watching these guys run and train but it’s motivating. Running is an individual sport and yet this is just as much about the team and how they connect with each other and those around supporting them. There are parts that feel like an overview of what happened and I wonder if it’s something that was lost in translation from the original Japanese, but it doesn’t happen often. The actual race was amazing to read about. One wouldn’t think long distance running as something that keeps your attention but because we spend so much of this book learning about especially Kiyose and Kakeru it was easy to be invested in what became a collective dream.

Now I’m off to see the anime so I can cry happy tears and start training.

Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by the description of this book, unaware of all the fanfare surrounding it. It is a heartfelt story, beautifully told.

Absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite animes and I feel SO honored I got to read this early. The English translation exceeded my expectations, as it was like I was watching a movie in my head. It's such a achingly deep story about friendships, perseverance, and diligence. Each character has so munch depth and I am so happy people will be able to enjoy this beautiful story in English.

A great read. I'm adding this to my top shelf of long distance running books, alongside John L. Parker's "Once a Runner," Chris Lear's "Running with the Buffaloes," and, of course, Alan Sillitoe's "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner." This will enjoy a long shelf life.

Beautiful story. The book goes more in depth to the characters’ stories, so fans of the show will love getting to revisit this world. Kakeru’s character seems a bit standoffish in the show, but in the book we get to look more in depth into his thought process. Alot of the characters are fleshed out really well in this. And the philosophical idea of finding your purpose in life while also just enjoying what life gives you in the moment are very prominent.

My primary interest in this novel was because it was the original source material for the anime of the same name. I wanted to see if it had appeal to teenagers, at least older teens, and I feel that it does. Thanks for the advance!

I watched the animated adaptation of Run with the Wind a few years ago, and that's what got me interested in novel it was based on. While I appreciate sports and stories about sports, I am not a runner at all. With those two conflicting starting points, I did enjoy reading this novel quite a lot. When there's a story about team sports, running isn't usually what comes to mind, and less so for the equivalent of the Hakone Ekiden, a relay marathon. The most fun out of sports stories for me is not how they win, but why they participate in the sport. The Kansei team is a lovely blend of characters with natural talent, undiscovered talent (directly about running or otherwise), a comeback, and a whole lot of "I was threatened with eviction so now I am a runner." It sounds like a terrible setup but it's amusing in an earnest way. Most of the novel is shown through Kakeru's point of view, but each member of the team gets to have their turn, in varying degrees, giving you a peek into each person's head for why they chose to run, all on top of their day to day life as college students. I had a lot of fun reading this, and I felt a bit of sadness when I finished the book even though it did have a very satisfactory ending.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Run with the Wind by Miura Shion is a third person-multi-POV Japanese contemporary about a team from Kansei University competing at the annual Hakone Ekiden relay race. Kakeru is a new student at Kansei University and a former high school track star. When he’s recruited by Kiyoshi, an upperclassman who is determined to create a ten member team to compete at the Hakone Ekiden, Kakeru makes a new family with his teammates.

One of the things I really appreciated was how Miura Shion drew attention to anti-Black racism in Japan. Musa is an international student from Africa and faces stereotypes in relation to his physical capabilities, including people claiming it was unfair for him to be on Kansei’s team purely because he is Black. Several other teams also have Black members and there’s an implication that they were recruited because of their race. Musa felt like a well-fleshed out character who wasn’t a lead but had his own ambitions and flaws.

There’s a bit of a romance subplot between Kakeru and two of his teammates who are twins, Joji and Jota, and Hanako, a young woman who is helping their team. Hanako is attracted to both Joji and Jota but can’t really pick between them as they’re both her type. Kakeru’s feelings for her kind of bubble under the surface but I never got the impression he was going to do anything about it because he knows she likes Joji and Jota. The interesting question is who, between the twins, would she pick if she was given the chance or would she try to pick both or neither?

This felt extremely character-driven, more so than a lot of character-driven novels I’ve read lately. There’s a lot of moments of the team training together or focusing on their inner worlds and their flaws and how it holds them back. The race plotline holds everything together but it’s the characters that are the real driving force. Kiyoshi pushes everyone to train but Prince would rather read his manga than study while Yuki has to study. We slowly peel back layers for each character’s motivations and it adds depth to who they are and how they got to Kansei.

I would recommend this to fans of character-driven contemporary novels, readers who prefer sports fiction, and those looking for a Japanese book that moves at a slower pace so they can spend more time with the characters

If I could give this book 1000 stars I would. Run with the wind is a Japanese novel written in 2006 that was turned into an anime in 2018. There is also a live action film made in 2019 and a manga run. Needless to say, it is a novel that has attracted attention. I was so excited when HarperVia picked the book up to translate it into English, because I was ready to read a google translated version. I have to say if you're a fan of the anime, please please PLEASE do yourself a favor and pick up the book. The story is so good, I've gotten chills reading it, I've cried reading it. The anime does the book justice and we get such a better insight on the characters.

If you like a good story about sports and rooting for the underdog, this book is for you. I'm not even a runner but something about this story makes me want to run. The writing is very poetic and it can get descriptive, but there's just something about Miura's writing that just so lyrical. This book easily is one of my top books of 2024.

I have no idea if some things got lost in translation but overall this book is amazing. I've preordered the hardcover and I cannot thank HarverVia and Netgalley for letting me read the ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperviabooks for this #arc 😊

#runwiththewind by #shionmiura, I love Miura, I think I have read all her books in English now. I have no interest in running to be honest, similarly I had no interest in dictionaries, which was the focus on #thegreatpassage which I loved. This is very similar in terms of the depth of detail, the character building and a brilliant flow of a story. I will remember the characters forever and all the little details that made this story so good.

Using running as the focus actually made the story flow at different speeds which I liked too and broke a bigger book into more digestible parts.

If you liked the great passage or or #honeybeesanddistantthunder by #rikuonda you will love this, incredible detail and knowledge flows through and really gives you an insight as to how much is involved in running in this case. I loved it despite having no interest, that's how good it is!?

#honnomushi100 #reading #japanesefiction #translatedfiction #translatedjapaneseliterature #booksfromjapan #booklover #bookstagram #translatedgems #japaneseauthor #translatedjapaneseliterature #japaneselit #JAPANESEAUTHORS #newjapanesefiction

I came across the anime adaptation of this book first and the original written words second. Needless to say, both are very dear to my heart. From its endearing cast of characters to its enduring message of never giving up on the pursue of your dreams. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

I have read a couple of Shion Miura's other books, so I was excited to try this one as I believe she has a great style of storytelling. The characters quickly become real to us and I also enjoy her settings. This book was no exception. Apparently it was a manga or anime, and I can see why it would lend itself to those formats. But all in all, it's a great story of youth overcoming obstacles and a welcome relief from all of the fantasy books taking place in Japan. It's down to earth and hard to put down until you come to the end. I know nothing about ekiden or relay races, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I am glad to see another book by this author.

I am not a running fan, don’t think it will ever grow on me, but I am aware of the success of the anime (I was not aware it was based on this novel - I will watch the show soon), and I like Japanese literature.
I am glad to have picked this book up because a) I liked the premise, b) I liked the characters very much.
The plot 3.5
Prose 3
Characterisation 5
Themes 4

Mirua has an amazing voice in their writing. The writing is so poetic that I was captivated by it throughout the entire story. I loved reading about these character and usually I am a character person but the writing was by far my favorite part of the novel. I'm so happy this was translated and I was able to read it.

very great race, like the Boston or New York Marathons, deserves a story. And by that I mean each great race needs a work of fiction to help us feel the drama. Most of the time we get a long history of the contest, which is fine, but not so exciting. Sometimes you get an account of just one of those races, like Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon. Oh, boy – that might be better than fiction. But still not fantasy, not a bedtime story. So, a bestseller all about a classic race, finally translated and exported to the US, is certainly welcome.

The story opens with Kiyose, something of a house captain at a small university in Tokyo, who spots a shoplifter cutting through the night with breakneck speed and flawless form. He hops on his bike and manages to chase down the blazing Kakeru, and asks the question I love to hear: “Do you like to run?” He entices Kakeru to live in Chikusei-so house with a rent he can’t refuse, but it’s packed with a group of straight-up eccentrics.

It isn’t long before Kiyose springs it on the group: they’re there to train for the Hakone Ekiden, a 2-day relay in which each participant runs just about a half-marathon, most of it in the hills. He makes it a condition of the low, low rent, so no one backs out. But only Kakeru and Kiyose are real runners, so their odds of even qualifying are pretty grim.

I’m a little ashamed, as a marathoner and track coach, to have been ignorant of the Ekiden. But the more I learned, the more I liked. Try not to decipher all the complicated details and seeming calculus it takes to understand how to qualify. As Kiyose explained it, my head hurt and I daydreamed a bit. But if you just look at it as a cool but grueling competition that’s cherished by Japan, that’s good enough.

When you have a book with ten characters, there’s a tendency to want to develop them all. Not gonna happen, at least not with much depth. But Miura does very well, providing each with funny quirks and interesting backstories to keep everything moving. The foci, of course, are the past demons faced by Kakeru, and what might just be Kiyose’s last chance at glory. So, while the side quests of the other characters are neat, the drama really lies with those two.

The writing seems a little…literal? We say, “show, don’t tell,” and there’s a lot of “tell” here. “He had a lot of determination toward his goal,” is the style. I wonder if it’s due to the translation, however. The ideas and feelings were there, but often the descriptions didn’t have the pizzazz.

What does match the excitement is the action. Yeah, the strange wording is there, but the plot is key. Miura raises the stakes gradually, giving each Chikusei-so runner a reason to go for it. She also introduces something of a villain from another university.

And the race. That probably could’ve been a novel in and of itself. The sights and sounds are clear and thrilling. Miura takes us through just about every step of every runner, and includes their thoughts, anxieties, and triumphs.

And if you’ve ever achieved a lifelong running goal, whatever it might be, you’ll relate to the Chikusei-so runners. There’s ten of them, so you’re sure to identify with at least one: be it the back of the pack guy, the record-setter, the would-be coach. It’s the crux of the novel for a reason: we’re meant to join the guys in the race, to experience it in some small way for ourselves. It’s what you’d want from a running novel, and you get it. It’s also got an ending that makes sense, doesn’t go all Hollywood, and leaves you with a smile.

Did it make me want to run an Ekiden? Eh, only if someone needs an old, slow leg. But it’s books like this that keep me running.