LONDON - A Japanese running tradition, the ekiden relay, is putting down roots in Britain, where runners are embracing the teamwork and sense of responsibility at its heart.
Ekiden is a long-distance relay race in which team members complete different sections of a course, passing a sash from runner to runner. Inspired by the Hakone Ekiden, the biggest of such relays in Japan, a British ekiden has been held three times so far.
The third edition of the UK Ekiden was held on June 12, with 17 universities competing over a 112-kilometer course along the River Thames from Windsor, home to a royal castle.
Unlike many Japanese races held on paved public roads, parts of the British course wind through lush, off-road terrain. Each 10-member team included men and women, with Ritsumeikan University among the competitors from Japan.
Oxford University was victorious this year.
"There is a strong sense of running for your teammates. It is completely different from individual sports," said Oxford runner Chris Parker, 21, after completing his run.
The event was conceived by Anna Dingley, 51, who spent about eight years in Japan, teaching English in Kagoshima Prefecture and working at a research facility in Kyoto.
Although she was not particularly familiar with ekiden, Dingley watched the 100th Hakone Ekiden in Japan in 2024.
"I was moved by everything -- the runners racing with all their might and the spectators cheering so passionately," she said.
Determined to stage a similar event in Britain, Dingley worked to secure sponsors and managed to hold the first UK Ekiden within six months.
Just three universities took part in the inaugural race. But following efforts to promote the event, 25 schools sought places in the third edition, prompting organizers to hold a qualifying round for the first time.
The race also includes a separate category for teams from companies and organizations. As part of efforts to promote exchanges between Britain and Japan through ekiden, organizers select a Japanese prefecture each year and invite people connected with it to join teams. Ishikawa Prefecture was chosen this year.
The trophy for the winning corporate or organizational team was made from timber salvaged from homes damaged in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.
Among those invited was Chise Izumo of Kanazawa University, who ran on a team with Richard Whitehead, a Paralympic track gold medalist and double below-knee amputee.
"The ability to have different people from different backgrounds running together is so important," Whitehead said.
Izumo said the event provided a valuable opportunity to raise awareness overseas of the progress being made in Ishikawa Prefecture's recovery from the disaster.
Dingley is also promoting the sport among children, with more than 50 schools holding "mini-ekiden" events.
Nick Armitage, headmaster of Rupert House School in Henley-on-Thames near London, said the events teach children the importance of teamwork, a lesson that will serve them well in the wider world.
The growing profile of the sport has also extended to the English language. The Oxford English Dictionary, one of the most authoritative dictionaries in the English-speaking world, added "Ekiden" to its entries last December.
Dingley hopes the British event can establish a lasting tradition of its own. With the Hakone race that started it all already over a century old, she hopes the UK Ekiden can continue for 100 years.
