Ekiden 駅伝
Japanese Running Culture
Ekiden - Popular Relay Racing:
With the strong Japanese cultural emphasis on group activities, it is no surprise that one of the most popular running events in Japan is the Ekiden, or relay race. The Ekiden can be run over a variety of distances, with teams of various sizes. The most popular Ekiden is the Hakone Ekiden. This is the “Super Bowl” of Ekiden, drawing more than a million spectators on the course, and receiving nationwide television coverage.
This race starts on New Year’s Day ("Oshougatsu", the biggest holiday on the Japanese calendar). The Hakone Ekiden lasts for two days, with runners racing from Tokyo to Hakone and back. The total distance is about 200 km, or around 125 miles.
Just as many American cities have a number of 5 km and 10 km foot races throughout the year for runners, there are a wide variety of local Ekiden competitions as well. The term “Ekiden” is a combination of “eki” the Japanese word for station, and “den” meaning to transmit. Many ekiden races are based around mass transit stations. While most people associate relay running with handing off a baton, ekiden runners hand off a sash, or “tasuki”. So runners will hand off their “tasuki” to the next team member at a local “eki” (train or metro station), then use convenient mass transit to move on, perhaps to the finish line to cheer their teammates.
Personally, the most fun that I ever had running was competing in the Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon, held for 25 years in Los Angeles in Griffith Park, but discontinued in 2006. As a solid “mid pack” runner, I would never win a race, but I really enjoyed contributing to my team and supporting my fellow runners. I can certainly appreciate the appeal of the Ekiden, and can appreciate why it is so popular.