Chapter 157: Could Kitasan Pull Off a Burst Front Running?
A short while later, on the outer edge of the lakeside trail around Lake Okutama.
Whether the Association and the Academy had coordinated in advance or it was simply for landscaping reasons, the trail was a flat concrete path with equally flat grassland on both sides.
The hard concrete surface naturally allowed for faster running, but the grassy section was definitely closer to real race conditions.
At this moment, two figures were sprinting along the grass outside the path, one ahead of the other.
The one in front, with short black hair and wearing the Tracen Academy tracksuit, was Kitasan Black.
Behind her, smaller in stature, with long black hair and the same uniform, was Rice Shower.
From the makeshift starting point, it was easy to tell that Kitasan Black was very aware of the Umamusume running behind her—every few dozen or hundred meters, she would glance back over her shoulder.
Rice Shower, on the other hand, was utterly focused. Those violet eyes of hers were locked on the figure in front from start to finish, as if glued there.
Watching their paired run, Makoto nodded slightly, jotting notes on the tablet in his hands.
"Rice Shower's tracking ability… it really is impressive," he murmured without realizing.
Standing beside him, also watching the grassy track, Silence Suzuka nodded in agreement.
"Mm. Rice Shower's running style… it's all about intense focus."
"That's… actually pretty rare. The race environment is so chaotic—if you lose concentration even a little, it can throw off your whole rhythm. To stay locked in like that…"
"I think only Rice Shower can manage it… well, among the racers that I know, at least."
Hearing that, Makoto fell into thought.
Just as Suzuka said, during an actual race, there were countless distractions—the movements of rivals, the feel of the track underfoot, lighting, the roar of the crowd, etc.
So, resisting distractions was itself a key part of training.
Kitasan Black had gone through that kind of training as well, but her natural talent in that area was good enough that she'd never really needed specialized practice.
In both training and real races, she could always run with full concentration, never once showing signs of losing focus.
That was precisely why, in this long-distance paired run, the fact that she kept glancing back at Rice Shower only proved how unique the latter's racing style—or rather, her strategy—was.
After jotting down his observations, Makoto turned to Suzuka.
"I remember you haven't actually raced against Rice Shower, Suzuka, but you've trained together before, right? If you were in Kitasan's position, facing something like this, what would you do?"
Silence Suzuka's eyes flickered slightly.
"Makoto-san… are you thinking that Kita-chan might encounter this kind of situation in an actual race later on?"
"There's a good chance," Makoto replied with a nod.
"Yeah… with Kita-chan's current popularity, strength, and the fact that she's a front runner… that's definitely possible."
Suzuka fell silent for a moment, then her expression turned apologetic and a little troubled.
"I did train with Rice Shower back at the academy, but… I'm really sorry."
"The distances we specialize in are different, and my front running style isn't quite like Kitasan's."
"In my case, to shake off Rice Shower's kind of pace chasing… the only real option would be to open up a bigger gap."
"And that'd have to be in a middle-distance race. Long-distance… I don't have much experience there."
Hearing that, Makoto grew pensive once again.
From past race records, Silence Suzuka and Rice Shower clearly specialized in different distances.
The former excelled in mid-range races around 2,000 meters, where she could open up an enormous lead—she had even taken a championship once with a ten-length advantage.
The latter, meanwhile, specialized in long-distance events and was especially skilled at shadowing her strongest rival throughout a race.
In the 3,000-meter Kikuka-sho and the 3,200-meter Spring Tenno Sho, the opponents she marked were none other than Mihono Bourbon, who had gone undefeated through the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, and Mejiro McQueen, a two-time Spring Tenno Sho winner.
And even against rivals of that caliber, she still managed to win.
"Then… could Kitasan pull away even farther?"
Lost in thought, Makoto turned to Silence Suzuka.
"For example… by more than ten lengths?"
Silence Suzuka fell silent for a moment.
A ten-length lead for a front runner could only mean one thing—a full-scale "Burst Front Running."
If she managed to open that kind of gap before the final stretch, unless there was someone with truly extraordinary finishing speed, catching up would be nearly impossible.
That was precisely Suzuka's specialty—and back when Makoto had first come here, he had asked her about it.
Her first reaction back then had been an immediate no.
Being an expert in Burst Front Runnings herself, she knew exactly what it took to make that strategy succeed—and how dangerous it was.
The faster you ran, the greater the strain on your legs. One lapse in form, one misstep, and an accident could happen in an instant.
She herself had suffered such an accident during her racing career. If not for timely treatment and a smooth recovery, she might have been forced to retire from the track much earlier.
So whether it was Makoto, Kitasan Black, or any of her other kouhai who came to consult her, she had always advised against attempting a Burst Front Running lightly.
But after these past few days—listening to Makoto's reasoning, discussing it again, and watching Kitasan Black's training firsthand—her thoughts began to change.
Whether a Burst Front Running could work didn't depend solely on the runner—it depended on her opponents too.
Few Umamusume would ever admit that their own speed was lacking.
In actual races, those who had shown strong speed or finishing bursts during training and were confident in their abilities would often let a front runner set the pace and widen the gap.
Running in front meant facing greater wind resistance and burning more stamina, while those behind could conserve energy.
When the time came, they'd simply unleash their final spurt on the straight to close the distance—that mindset was common.
From that perspective, Kitasan Black might be able to use elements of a Burst Front Running to her advantage.
She had already run in several major races, and her rivals had surely studied her by now—they would have noticed that her top speed wasn't exactly unmatched.
So, as long as her starting gate and early positioning went well, pulling ahead by a wider margin early on wasn't out of the question.
If all went smoothly, she would naturally gain a solid advantage.
And perhaps, by doing something unexpected, she could even catch her rivals off guard, throwing their strategies into disarray.
Even if things didn't go perfectly, as long as she managed her stamina, stride, and rhythm properly, she could always fall back to her usual front running style—it wouldn't ruin her performance.
Adjusting stride and pace would cost stamina, of course—but for Kitasan Black, that didn't seem to be much of an issue.
If that was the case, then perhaps…
Just as Suzuka was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps drew closer from ahead.
Kitasan Black and Rice Shower had just finished their paired run and were walking back together, chatting and laughing.
"Rice Shower-senpai is so amazing! It's like she was glued to my back—I couldn't shake her off at all!"
"Kita-chan… you're exaggerating… Rice was just running normally…"
'Your idea of "running normally" probably isn't what most people would call normal, Rice Shower,' Suzuka thought to herself with an amused smile.
Seeing Makoto start asking Kitasan about her condition, Suzuka pondered for a moment longer—then made up her mind.
<+>
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