A cross-country race serving as a front for a divine scavenger hunt

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1890, jockeys flocked to the United States for a fifty-million dollar horse race. But behind the spectacle of the Steel Ball Run lay a sinister agenda: President Funny Valentine intended to use the race to collect pieces of a 1900-year-old corpse to secure limitless power.

The Steel Ball Run, organized by promoter Steven Steel, spans the United States from San Diego to New York City. While the titular race offers a massive fifty-million dollar grand prize, the true objective is hidden within the competition. US President Funny Valentine engineered the event to locate the scattered parts of the Saint's Corpse, a 1900-year-old relic believed to be the body of Jesus Christ.

The journey follows Johnny Joestar, a former jockey paralyzed from the waist down, and Gyro Zeppeli, a disgraced Neapolitan executioner. As they race across the country, they encounter various threats, including assassins and terrorists. Along the way, they discover the mysterious 'Spin' technique, a method of channeling rotational energy through steel balls, which Johnny uses to regain his mobility.

The race is complicated by the presence of the Saint's Corpse parts, which grant supernatural abilities to those who touch them. For instance, Johnny develops the Stand Tusk after absorbing the Corpse's left arm. The conflict escalates as competitors like Diego Brando and various Stand users clash, ultimately revealing a plot where Valentine's power is tied to the complete reassembly of the holy relic.

The narrative concludes with a victory for Pocoloco, who won by sheer luck after sleeping through the start of the race. While Valentine's death was officially covered up as a retirement, the race's revenue was donated to charitable causes to placate public concern.

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