A sport created in Japan, ekiden is a long-distance relay race. Instead of a baton, a sash is used in ekiden. In October, an accident occurred at a women’s ekiden held in Fukuoka Prefecture, sparking controversy. A runner, coming in third place in the second stage, fell down and broke her leg about 200 meters before handing off the sash to the next runner. The runner told an umpire, “I will go for it,” and advanced on all fours, however, her knees were bleeding. Though her manager had informed the umpire that the team was dropping out, she continued and somehow managed to pass the sash on. People watching the scene were deeply moved. There was another accident in this event. The runner in the lead in the third stage lost consciousness and after straying from the route, she fell down at the side of the road. She seemed to be suffering from dehydration. While many people praised them for their tenacious refusal to not let their teammates down, other people criticized the event’s operators. Comments included: “They should be prioritizing safety over such impressive stories,” and “In these kinds of cases they should make it clear that a team has withdrawn from the race.” The Tokyo Olympics in 2020 is scheduled to take place in extremely hot summer, reminiscent of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 held in summer. A Swiss runner in the women’s marathon tottered over the finish line in the stadium to thunderous applause. In the Tokyo Olympics players and audience members will once again face the dilemma of which they should prioritize, glory or safety?