Total Distance: 15,000 m (9.3 mi)
Participants: 3852
Retired: 79
Deaths: 3
1st. STAGE
15,000 Meters (15,000メートル)
San Diego Beach[1] to Santa Maria Novella Church[2]
The first stage is the second-shortest stage of the Steel Ball Run. However, it is also a high-intensity stage with a wide variety of terrain that serves as an exciting introduction to the race. The entire stage is set parallel to train tracks so that journalists and VIPs can follow and report on the first stage from the comfort of a train car. The open and flat ground of the San Diego Beach starting line was chosen to accommodate the thousands of participants. The first kilometers of the stage take place over relatively-forgiving open terrain, with no notable obstacles besides a few cacti, trees, crevices, and a single choke point in a bridge over a dried river.
The standard path then swerves around a large rock formation. At the tip of said formation, racers can choose to take a shortcut through a forest and run the risk of bumping into trees; taking this shortcut saves an hour compared to the standard route. The shortcut rejoins the main path at the start of a downhill slope, where riders are expected to reduce and control the pace of their horses to avoid tripping. After passing an abandoned ranch, the racers sprint toward the finish line over 2,000 m (1.2 mi) of flat terrain.
Total Distance: 1,200 km (750 mi)
Participants: 3770
Retired: 1219
Deaths: 82
2nd. STAGE
Across the Arizona Desert (アリゾナ砂漠越え)
Arizona Desert[2] to Monument Valley[2]
The second stage is one of the longest and harshest of the race. The riders must cross around 1,200 km (750 mi) of desert in a hot and dry climate, which puts the competitors and their horses at risk of dying from thirst, heat, or hostile fauna. To guarantee the safety of the racers, covered wagons filled with medics and referees follow the race from a distance; competitors can ask the medics for food, water, or medicine, but will immediately be retired from the race if they choose to do so.[2]
In addition to the regular dangers of the desert, racers also risk becoming lost due to the influence of a Devil's Palm. Out of 1219 retirees in this stage, 523 dropped out due to interference from the Devil's Palm. The desert terrain is relatively rough, as the desert is marked by several mountainous areas and rocky formations. There is a control point halfway through the stage before the riders enter the relatively-open terrain near the goal at Monument Valley.[3]
Total Distance: 510 km (320 mi)
Participants: 2469
Retired: 551
Deaths: 0
3rd. STAGE
Rocky Mountain Breakdown
(ロッキ・マウンテン・ブレイク・ダウン)
Monument Valley[2] to Cañon City[5]
The third stage consists of a 510 km (320 mi) race through the Rocky Mountains. The riders must travel across the rocky terrain of the mountains while avoiding hostile fauna such as cougars. Near the end of the stage, there is a small village along the path where competitors can take a short rest.[5]
The final 5 km (3.1 mi) of the stage see the remaining competitors travel downhill from the mountains and around a lake 450 m (0.28 mi) across. Racers who go around the lake's right side travel a flat 2,400 km (1,500 mi) route, while those who choose the left side face a treacherous 1,700 m (1.1 mi) path across the side of a cliff. Cañon City, the stage's goal, lies on the other side of the lake.[6]
Total Distance: 1,250 km (780 mi)
Participants: 1918
Retired: 1476
Deaths: 1
4th. STAGE
Little Tomb on the Wide, Wide Prairie
(広い広い大草原の小さな墓標)
Cañon City[6] to Kansas City[8]
At 1,250 km (780 mi) in length, the fourth stage is one of the longest stages of the race. As it takes place in the Great Plains, the stage's terrain mostly consists of open fields with the occasional forest. Ultimately, this stage is more focused on endurance than speed, as racing at top speed can cause racers to trip over small bumps in the ground.[9]
Total Distance: 780 km (480 mi)21d 7h 10m 13s
Participants: 441
Retired: 65
Deaths: 2
5th. STAGE
Illinois Skyline (イリノイ・スカイライン)
Kansas City[8] to Chicago[11]
Continuing across the rest of the Great Plains, the fifth stage's terrain is very similar to the fourth's, with most of the route crossing open fields and the occasional farm. Approximately 378 km (235 mi) before the goal, the Mississippi River serves as an obstacle which racers must figure out how to traverse. Though horses are capable of swimming across rivers by themselves, entering the water leaves them and their riders open to attack from other racers, flies, mosquitos, and even snakes swimming in the water.[12][13]
Total Distance: 690 km (430 mi)
Participants: 374
Retired: 313
Deaths: 0
6th. STAGE
Michigan Lakeline (ミシガン・レイクライン)
Chicago[11] to Mackinaw City[11]
Being the northernmost stage of the race, this stage primarily takes place in the cold and snowy tundra of Wisconsin. The main obstacles that racers face during the majority of this stage are the cold climate and hostile fauna such as wolves. The snow may also conceal crevices in the ground, which may endanger racers moving at high speeds. The most dangerous section of this stage comes 15 km (9.3 mi) before reaching the goal, as racers must cross the Michigan Lake Straits on uncertain ice.[15]
References
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 5: 1st Stage: 15,000 Meters
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Steel Ball Run Chapter 13: The Sheriff's Request to Mountain Tim
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 25: Tusk, Part 1, p.28
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 28: Scary Monsters, Part 1; the second stage starts on September 26th at 10 AM, and Diego enters the third stage 18 days, 7 hours, and 24 minutes later.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 28: Scary Monsters, Part 1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 32: 3rd Stage Goal: Cañon City
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 32: 3rd Stage Goal: Cañon City; Hot Pants enters the fourth stage 5 days, 9 hours, 51 minutes, and 41 seconds after entering the third.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Steel Ball Run Chapter 33: The World of Man, Part 1
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 38: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 1
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 40: Silent Way, Part 1; Norisuke Higashikata enters the fifth stage 21 days, 7 hours, 10 minutes, and 13 seconds after entering the fourth.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Steel Ball Run Chapter 40: Silent Way, Part 1
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 55: The Victor's Qualifications
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 45: The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain, Part 1; Pocoloco reaches the fifth stage's goal 14 days, 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 5 seconds after the fourth stage begins.
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 51: Wrecking Ball, Part 1