Steel Ball Run (race)
The Steel Ball Run (スティールボールラン, Sutīru Bōru Ran) is the race that delivers the setting of Part VII: Steel Ball Run; a series of checkpoints and routes on a rough course between San Diego and New York City, USA.
Summary
Part VII: Steel Ball Run is named after this event, hosted by Steven Steel and the President of the United States, Funny Valentine.
The idea of the Steel Ball Run was imagined both by Steven Steel and a young Lucy Pendleton at one point between 1884 and 1888. Listening to Steven's ramblings about organizing a long distance horse-ride, Lucy proposed that Steven made it a race across America instead with an enormous prize money. Steven first found the idea ridiculous, but talked about it anyway, which caught the attention of numerous sponsors ready to gamble on that huge event. At one point, Funny Valentine involved himself in the organization of the race, determining the journey with Joseph of Arimathea's map and secretly taking command over the whole event. It would then serve as a front for the search for the Saint Corpse Parts, Funny Valentine and a number of competitors participating in the race to gather the relics.
The race takes place in the USA, starting September 25th 1890 at 10 AM on San Diego beach, with the final finish line located in New York City. The total distance is estimated at around 6000 km, made up by several routes (called "Stages") seperated by known landmarks.
The champion is to receive 50 million dollars. Other prizes: 2nd place 1 million USD; 3rd place 500,000 USD; 4th place 250,000 USD; 5th place 120,000; special prizes up to 10th place such as the checkpoint award are available.
The original competitors use horses, camels, the new automobile and (in the case of Sandman) their own two feet in this mad-dash across the country. Different kinds of hazards and climates await them, between the dryness of the Arizona desert or the challenge of crossing a frozen lake.
The race ended January 19th, 1891. It was heavily criticized for the numerous deaths it caused among the competitors, and had and economic result of 7,000,000,000,000,000 yen. Steven Steel donated everything to various causes, stopping the criticisms altogether.
Route
This section requires expansion.
Stage 1
- "San Diego Beach", San Diego, CA (Chapter 5)
- TO
- "Santa Maria Novella Church" (Chapter 13)
Stage 2
- "Arizona Desert" / Monument Valley, AZ/UT (Chapter 13)
Stage 3
- "Cannon City" (or "Canon City") (Chapter 28)
Stage 4
Stage 5
- Chicago, IL;
- "Michigan lakeline" (Chapter 40)
Stage 6
- "Michigan lakeline";
- Mackinaw City, MI;
- Lake Huron, MI (Chapter 45)
Stage 7
Stage 8
- "New Jersey" (Chapter 60)
Stage 9
Outline of Each Stage and Winners
| STAGE | SUBTITLE | ROUTE | TOTAL DISTANCE | DAYS TRAVEL | TOTAL PARTICIPANTS | WINNERS | RETIRES | DEATHS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st. | 15,000 Meter | San Diego Beach - Santa Maria Novella Church |
15 km | 18 Min. | 3852 | Gyro Zeppeli (downgraded) Sandman |
79 | 3 |
| 2nd. | Crossing the Arizona Desert | - Monument Valley | 1,200 km | 18 Days 7 Hours 24 Min. | 3770 | Diego Brando | 1219 | 82 |
| 3rd. | Rocky Mountain Breakdown | - Cannon City | 710 km （Mountain Route） |
5 Days 9 Hours 51 Min. |
2469 | Hot Pants | 551 | 0 |
| 4th. | The Small Gravestone on the Wide, Wide Great Plains | - Kansas City | Approx. 1,250 km | 21 Days 7 Hours 10 Min. | 1918 | Norisuke Higashikata | 1476 | 1 |
| 5th. | Illinois Skyline | - Chicago, Michigan Lakeline | Approx. 780 km | 14 Days 2 Hours 11 Min. | 441 | Pocoloco | 65 | 2 |
| 6th. | Michigan Lakeline | - Mackinaw City - Lake Huron | Approx. 690 km | - | 374 | Gyro Zeppeli | 313 | 0 |
| 7th. | Philadelphia Triangle | - Philadelphia | Approx.1,300 km | 21 Days 6 Hours 5 Min. | 61 | Diego Brando | 9 | 0 |
| 8th. | Both Sides Now | - New Jersey | Approx. 140 km | 2 Days | 52 | Sloop John B | 7 | 0 |
| 9th. | Manhattan Rhapsody | -Trinity Church in Manhattan | Approx. 13 km | 30 min. | 45 | Diego Brando (disqualified) Sloop John B |
6 | 0 |
| Overall | Steel Ball Run | San Diego Beach - Trinity Church in Manhattan |
Approx. 6000 km | 116 Days 6 Hours 33 Min. |
3852 | Diego Brando (disqualified) Pocoloco |
3725 | 88 |
Participant Data[1]
| Jockey Name | Age | Country of Citizenship | Horse's Name | Valley | Horse Species | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | Final Results | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completed | ||||||||||||||||
| Pocoloco | 21 | America | Hey! Ya! | 4 | Quarter Horse | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | First | 398 |
| Norisuke Higashikata | 68 | Japan | Honoo | 4 | Bavarian Warm Blood | 19 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Second | 353 |
| Sloop John B | - | America | Catch a Wave | 4 | Quarter Horse | 20 | 10 | Out | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Third | 314 |
| Georgie Porgie | - | France | - | - | - | Out | 20 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | Fourth | 123 |
| Nellyville | - | America | Country Grammar | 4 | Quarter Horse | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 | Fifth | 122 |
| Retired | ||||||||||||||||
| Diego Brando | 20 | United Kingdom | Silver Bullet | 4 | Arab Thoroughbred | 2 | 1 | 3 | 54 | Out | 20 | 1 | 2 | Disqualified | 342 | |
| Johnny Joestar | 19 | America | Slow Dancer | 11 | Appaloosa | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 | Disqualified | 295 | |
| Gyro Zeppeli | 24 | Neapolis | Valkyrie | 4 | Stock Horse | 21 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | Death | 246 | ||
| Baba Yaga | - | Russia | Nightrocker | 5 | Arab | 14 | 15 | 8 | Out | 10 | 5 | 5 | Retired | 102 | ||
| Hot Pants | 23 | America | Gets Up | 3 | Mustang | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | Retired | Death | 215 | |||
| Sandman | - | America | Himself | Human | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | Death | 190 | ||||||
| Dot Han | - | Mongolia | #1 | 4 | Boulonnais | 16 | 8 | 7 | 5 | Death | 71 | |||||
| Gaucho | - | Spain | Peg | 6 | Criollo | 17 | Out | 10 | Death | 17 | ||||||
| Mountain Tim | 31 | America | Ghost Rider in the Sky | 5 | Mustang | 4 | Retired | Death | 35 | |||||||
| Fritz von Stroheim | - | Germany | Europe Express | 4 | Trakehner | 7 | Retired | 20 | ||||||||
| Benjamin Boom Boom | - | America | Crosstown Traffic | 4 | Quarter Horse | 9 | Death | 13 | ||||||||
| Andre Boom Boom | - | America | Foxy Lady | 3 | Quarter Horse | 10 | Death? | 12 | ||||||||
| L. A. Boom Boom | - | America | Little Wing | 3 | Quarter Horse | 11 | Death? | 11 | ||||||||
| Mrs. Robinson | - | Mexico | El Condor Pasa | 7 | Appaloosa | 18 | Retired | 4 | ||||||||
| Oyecomova | - | Naples | - | - | - | Out | Death? | 0 | ||||||||
| Urmd Avdol | - | Egypt | - | - | Camel | Retired | 0 | |||||||||
| Baron Roocatugo | - | Germany | - | - | Automobile | Retired | 0 | |||||||||
| Mark Becker | - | - | - | - | - | Death | 0 | |||||||||
| David Hagen | - | - | - | - | - | Death | 0 | |||||||||
| Paul Lukather | - | - | - | - | - | Death | 0 | |||||||||
| Unknown | ||||||||||||||||
| Zenyatta Mondatta | - | India | Roxanne | 5 | Arab | 12 | 7 | ?? | 10 | ?? | 8 | - | - | - | - | 57 |
| Caravan Serai | - | Mexico | Moon Flower | 4 | Andalusian | 13 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | 52 |
| Dixie Chicken | - | America | Ramblin' Man | 4 | Pinto | 8 | 19 | ?? | ?? | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | 31 |
| Nightfly | - | - | - | - | - | Out | Out | ?? | ?? | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | 25 |
| Iglesias | - | Portugal | Natalie | 5 | Palomino | 23 | 11 | ?? | ?? | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | 21 |
| Kanye | - | - | - | - | - | Out | 13 | ?? | ?? | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| Mack the Knife | - | - | - | - | - | Out | 21 | 9 | ?? | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | 17 |
| Shigechi | - | - | - | - | - | Out | 14 | ?? | ?? | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | 15 |
| Billy White | - | America | Love Unlimited | 5 | Mustang | 22 | 16 | ?? | ?? | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | 14 |
| Rotters Club | - | - | - | - | - | Out | Out | ?? | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13 |
| Tarkus | - | - | - | - | - | Out | 17 | ?? | ?? | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | 11 |
| Mister | - | - | - | - | - | Out | Out | ?? | ?? | 18 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
Trivia
- The grand cash prize of $50 million in 1890 would be equal to $1,283,369,506.24 in 2016's USD currency.
- The list of the first stages reveals a lot more than just the results. Several important characters are named there, as well the next minor villains Gyro and Johnny will face.
- For example some riders (never seen in the manga) whose names are music references are; Billy White (American composer Barry White) and his horse Love Unlimited (Orchestra featuring Barry White), Sloop John B (Beach Boys song) and his horse Catch a Wave (another Beach Boys song) and Iglesias (Spanish singer Julio Iglesias) and his horse Natalie.
- Another example are riders named after albums like Dixie Chicken (album by the American rock band Little Feat) and his horse Ramblin' Man (song by The Allman Brothers Band), Nellyville (The second album by American rapper, Nelly) and his horse Country Grammar (the first Nelly album released) and Zenyatta Mondatta (from the album by The Police and a self reference to the English names of Oingo and Boingo in VIZ Media's translation of Stardust Crusaders) and his horse Roxanne (a song by The Police).
- The name of the race and of Part VII appears to reference the film The Cannonball Run.
Gallery
- First stage outcome.jpg
Results of the First Stage
- 1st Stage Steel Ball Run.png
The First Stage, Map
- SBR C28 P22 2nd Stage Results.png
Results of the Second Stage
- SBR V6 P178-179 2nd Stage Full Results.png
Full Results of the Second Stage
- SBR C13 P17 2nd Stage Map.png
The Second Stage, Map
- SBR C32 P54 3rd Stage Results.png
Results of the Third Stage
- SBR C40 P8-9 4th Stage Results.png
Results of the Fourth Stage
- SBR C45 P12 5th Stage Results.png
Results of the Fifth Stage
- SBR C51 P38 1st-5th Stage Overall.png
Results of the First through Fifth Stages
- SBR C57 P3 6th Stage Results.png
Results of the Sixth Stage
- SBR C57 P3 1st-6th Stage Overall.png
Results of the First through Sixth Stages
- SBR C60 P11 7th Stage Results.png
Results of the Seven Stage
- SBR C60 P11 1st-7th Stage Overall.png
Results of the First through Seventh Stages
- SBR C91 P26 8th Stage Results.png
Results of the Eighth Stage
- SBR C91 P26 1st-8th Stage Overall.png
Results of the First through Eighth Stages
Final Results
