Hakone's sprinters continue to fall further behind and people wonder if Hakone is falling apart. Midosuji senses weakness within Hakone and announces his team will skip phases 11 and 12 of their Day 2 plan on go straight to phase 13 as they accelerate to the finish line. Phase 13 abandons the sprinters who can't accelerate up the mountain, which results in Ihara and Yamaguchi being left behind by Kyoto Fushimi. Fukutomi decides to pursue them for Hakone with Toudou. Ihara and Yamaguchi collapse and then withdraw from the race. Izumida begins thinking either him, Hayato, or Arakita will be next as they are all hanging their heads down. Up at the front Midosuji declares Fukutomi is exactly like him. Midosuji easily takes the mountain check point thanks to the 4-on-2 advantage, and Midosuji declares this is the moment the crown passes from Hakone. Ishigaki begins to think about the team he wanted to form and how Midosuji destroyed his vision, causing him to slow down until Midosuji threatens to leave him behind. When Ishigaki admits he was reminiscing, Midosuji declares it is only by abandoning everything that victory can arise for him and the team. Eventually Ichigaki confronts Fukutomi on why he abandoned his teammates, and Fukutomi declares he didn't abandon them. With 8 kilometers left, Ishigaki realizes someone is catching them from behind. Fukutomi declares that their team has no dead weight and that his teammates will come.
坂道と田所が追いつき、遂に6人全員が合流を果たしたチーム総北。今泉や鳴子も、坂道の頑張りに引っ張られるように、気持ちを一つにして走り出す。一方、先頭を走っていた王者・箱根学園は、御堂筋との激戦を繰り広げた新開が陥落し、メンバーが徐々にバラけ始めていた。御堂筋の挑発に心を乱す泉田だが…。
사카미치와 타도코로가 팀을 따라 잡고 마침내 6명 전원이 합류를 끝낸 소호쿠 팀. 이마이즈미와 나루코도 사카미치의 노력에 끌려 마음을 하나로 합쳐 달리기 시작한다. 한편, 선두를 달리고 있던 왕자 하네코네 학교는 미도스지와와 격전을 펼친 신카이가 함락하고 멤버가 점점 흩어지기 시작하고 있었다. 미도스지의 도발에 마음을 어지럽히는 이즈미다지만...