page_title: Ekiden
section_title: Contemporary ekiden in Japan
hierarchical_section_title: Ekiden / Contemporary ekiden in Japan
caption_attribution_description: English: A university cheer squad holds a rally for their ekiden team at the Hakone Ekiden in Tokyo.
context_page_description: Ekiden is a long-distance running multistage relay race mostly held on roads. The Japanese term originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages. The first ekiden was held in Japan in 1917 as a 3-day, 23-stage run from Kyoto to Tokyo for more than 507 kilometres, in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tokyo's establishment as the nation's capital. Eki means "station" and den translates as "to convey". It was the name given to the old Japanese transportation system for government documents and officials by relay of horses or men. Ekidens are popular in Japan and have since become widespread worldwide.
  The IAAF staged four editions of a World Road Relay Championship from 1992 to 1998 as a stage race over the marathon distance with alternate stages of 59 km and 109 km before a final leg of 17.1959 km. The IAAF now recognizes world records for men for five stages and for women for six stages over the marathon distance.
context_section_description: One of the most popular modern ekidens in Japan is the Hakone Ekiden, which features teams of 10 male students from various Japanese universities of the Tokyo (Kanto) region. This race from central Tokyo along Tokyo Bay, past Yokohama to Hakone and back is held over two days at the New Year, covering 219 kilometers. It is a popular spectator sport that draws large crowds (a million or more) along the whole route and receives full network television coverage nationwide over the two days. Runners in the race compete to set individual records (e.g., stage times, number of schools passed) as well as to support their teams, and the race is considered to display many aspects of Japanese culture and spirit, including individual perseverance, identity within a group, and the importance within the Japanese hierarchy of allegiance to a major university. In the latter matter, there is a similarity to American school sports allegiance. The competitive level compares well with the highest levels of American universities. This comparison is based on participants' (Hakone Ekiden and NCAA Division 1 championships) personal best marks at 5000 meters, although in the Hakone Ekiden each runner covers just over a half marathon.
caption: Typical university cheering leaders at a collegiate ekiden race, with mixture of American style cheerleaders and traditional Japanese yell leaders
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