つくば市
Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, is host to the All-Japan Collegiate Women's Invitational Ekiden, the 6th annual having been held on December 23‚ 2008. The race is 6 stages and a distance of 30.67 kilometers. The competition was recessed for 2010 and 2011, with hopes of securing sponsorships in 2012 or later, says the Inter-University Athletic Union of Japan.