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Tips for the bread-eating race: key points summarized

Tips for the bread-eating race: key points summarized

Last updated:2025/5/10

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Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

A bread-eating race isn’t just about running—it’s the fun of taking a bite out of bread along the way.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, you may not see it as often as before, but it still seems to be held at elementary school sports days and at events for seniors.

Speaking of bread-eating races, some of you might have bitter memories of feeling frustrated because you couldn’t quite get a good bite of the bread.

This article summarizes key points and tips you’ll want to keep in mind when participating in a bread-eating race.

Be sure to use it as a reference when practicing for a bread-eating race with your child!

Points leading up to reaching the bread

You should win the start dash.

Bread-Eating Race: Takarazuka City Citizens' Sports Day

You should win the start dash.

Even in a bread-eating race, it goes without saying that the quicker you reach the bread, the more advantageous it is.

With that in mind, it’s no exaggeration to say that a strong start is one of the most important factors.

If there are no specific rules about your starting posture, approach it relaxed rather than overly tense.

Maintain a forward lean at an angle that suits you, and drive your body forward by pushing firmly against the ground.

You’ll also need quick reflexes to sprint at the signal, but you can train them with free smartphone games, so it’s important to keep up with those small efforts leading up to the big day!

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Tips for running faster

Interview with Yoshihide Kiryu’s coach: How to run faster — Point 1: “Body axis”

Tips for running faster

It may be a blunt way to put it, but the hard truth is that until you reach the bread, those with faster legs have the advantage.

According to coach Hirohiro Tsuchie, who coached Yoshihide Kiryu—the first Japanese sprinter to run the 100 meters in the 9-second range—the key to running fast is “how well you get along with the ground.” Rather than thinking of it as pushing off the ground, it’s important to accept the force that returns from the ground and convert it smoothly into forward momentum.

Instead of giving up because you think you’re slow, why not start by practicing to develop this kind of feel?

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Finally arrived at the bread I was aiming for! What should I watch out for?

The timing to take a bite of bread

Keita Machida sprints full speed in a bread-eating race! Snags a donut with an incredible jump! ABC-MART new TV commercial for adidas SOLAR DRIVE

The timing to take a bite of bread

Assuming you safely make it to your target bread, let’s go over the key points.

First is the timing of when to bite the bread.

Have you ever reached the bread first, only to get overtaken by someone who came later because your timing was off? If you’re the first to get there, stay calm and stand directly beneath the bread you’re aiming for.

If it’s swaying a bit in the wind, wait a moment, and when it comes right overhead, bite without hesitation! This applies specifically to bread-eating races where the bread is hung up high, but try to stay cool and aim steadily for your bread.

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Where to bite into the bread

Even if you’re standing right under the bread with perfect timing and ready to take a bite, you might not be able to chomp down properly! To avoid this, make sure to check exactly where you’ll bite the bread.

It depends on how high the bread is hung, but ideally you should aim for the top of the bag holding the bread.

If you jump and bite the top of the bag, then use that momentum to pull the bread down, it should come off the string without any trouble.

Aiming for the bread itself often doesn’t work because it’s too big to bite into, so if you’re shorter or not great at jumping, try aiming for the edge of the bag instead!

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How to open your mouth when taking a big bite

It goes without saying, but bread—packaging and all—is fairly large, so open your mouth as wide as possible when you take a bite! One thing to watch out for is the instinct to use your teeth, thinking you can bite into it and tear it off more easily.

If you try to bite with your teeth, there’s an unexpected risk that the smooth bag will make you slip.

That would defeat the purpose of opening your mouth wide, so don’t forget: the idea is to chomp down with your whole mouth, not just your teeth!

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What to do when the bread is shaking

Especially when you end up reaching the bread from the second turn onward, the hardest part is that the string starts swinging after someone has already taken a piece, making it difficult to grab.

From the third person onward, the area where the bread is hung is basically a free-for-all, so it’s only natural to feel rushed.

Even in such situations, instead of forcing a jump to bite the bread, it’s important to calmly track its movement with your eyes.

Aim for the moment you can bite the bread from the positions we’ve discussed so far, and pull ahead of the others with a cool composure!

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All that's left is to run to the goal. But wait a second!

Calmly and composedly

Once you’ve safely gotten the bread, all that’s left is to sprint to the finish—and that’s when the battle with yourself really matters.

Of course, running fast is important, but if you rush and drop the bread, you’re in trouble: in bread-grabbing races you generally aren’t allowed to use your hands, and getting your teeth back on the bread becomes extremely difficult.

Precisely because it’s the final sprint, stay calm and composed, focus on not dropping the bread, and dash through the finish!

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