Racing the UK Ekiden Through 160 Years of Ties

One of Japan's best-loved sporting disciplines is making strides overseas. Britain will host the second UK Ekiden race along the banks of the River Thames on June 20.

The event has grown exponentially from the 2024 inaugural event, with 310 runners in 31 teams. Each team is made up of 10 runners competing in a 114-km course from Windsor to King's Meadow in Reading and back again.

This time, the field includes 16 teams from British universities, as well as a guest team from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Runners from private companies will also be there, representing well-known names such as Japan Airlines, sporting equipment manufacturer Asics, the Financial Times Nikkei media alliance, and Britain's Royal Air Force.

Significantly, a team of students from Kyushu will also be competing. This year marks the 160th anniversary of a group of 15 young men of the Satsuma domain who arrived to study at University College London, despite Japanese being forbidden to travel overseas at the time.

Ties Borne of the Anglo-Satsuma War

Anna Dingley, founder of the UK Ekiden and a former resident of Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan, says the participation of modern-day Satsuma students "helps to celebrate the best of the UK and Japan."

"I remember when I lived in Kagoshima and someone pointed out some damage from British cannon fire from 1863," Dingley said. She was referring to a bombardment carried out by the Royal Navy in the brief Anglo-Satsuma War of August 1863.

"I did not believe it, but it turned out it was true," she told JAPAN Forward.

After the three-day conflict, it was agreed that students ー one just 13 years old ー would travel to the UK to learn about the Industrial Revolution and help build bilateral ties. The students' experiences in Britain helped shape their future, with at least two going on to serve as government ministers. Others also went on to prominent positions in diplomacy, the armed forces, industry, and trade.

Running a Bilateral Bridge

Today, it is just as important to forge bilateral ties, said Dingley.

"I think it's a hugely positive platform for the next generation to learn about Japan, and to take part in the race with Japanese runners too.

"Many people in the running fraternity are curious about it, and the wider Anglo-Japanese community too," she said. "There have been one or two local ekiden races in the UK in the past, but this is quite different as we are bringing in many universities to take part, and then the corporate teams who sponsor and fund the race.

"It's a virtuous circle because the universities get to participate for free, the students have a great experience of racing and teamwork, and also get to meet all the companies," she added. "The companies have a great teamwork experience too. Often it's a great chance to bond with their Japanese clients or colleagues, and they also get to meet the younger generation."

From Ancient Couriers to Modern-day Athletes

Many, she said, are also drawn by the sport's long history and the devotion it attracts in its homeland.

Originally, ekiden was not a sport but referred to the system of horse couriers that carried letters in stages between Japan's major urban centers, primarily the ancient capital of Kyoto and Edo, modern-day Tokyo. The transfer of the post to the next carrier is reflected in the handing over of the sash ー the "tasuki" ー to the next runner in the race.

In 1917, the first-ever ekiden was staged as a three-day race over 23 stages from Kyoto to Tokyo. Then, it was a 507-kilometer event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the transfer of the nation's capital to Tokyo. However, it was quickly adopted as a competition by universities and companies, emphasizing unity, resilience, and shared goals.

Today, the most important event on the ekiden calendar is the two-day New Year race. Teams of students from Japanese universities run from Tokyo to the mountain town of Hakone and back the following day. It covers a distance of 217 kilometers.

Inaugural Winners to Try Again

Jo Auer, a 26-year-old student at Magdalen College, Oxford, will be competing in this year's race once more. She's hopeful that her team can repeat their victory in the 2024 inaugural race.

"We didn't go in with any expectations ー it was more about enjoying the experience and working together as a team. So crossing the line in first place made it all the more special," she said, adding that running an ekiden was different from her previous races.

"It was unlike anything I'd done before," she said. "I'd never raced in a long-format relay, and it turned out to be far more fun and memorable than typical solo racing. Wearing the traditional 'tasuki' sash added a unique cultural touch. And running the final leg ー with Windsor Castle coming into view as I emerged from the woods ー was genuinely unforgettable."

Ekiden running demands a different approach, she added, but also has benefits.

"There's nothing quite like it," said Auer, who is originally from Brisbane in Australia. "The long-format relay demands endurance and strategy, but also a deep sense of teamwork. You're not just racing for yourself — you're carrying something symbolic, both literally with the sash and figuratively with the team's shared effort. Covering such a long distance together, across a beautiful landscape, and then celebrating as a unit at the finish, it's a uniquely rewarding experience."

Modern-day Satsuma Students Pick Up the Pace

Masato Fujiwara will carry the traditional sash in honor of the Satsuma students. Nevertheless, he admits to being something of a running novice.

"I have had little experience with running before, and I am not a member of my university's ekiden team. For me, running was something that I did in high school," said Fujiwara, who is studying pharmacy at Fukuoka University.

"I have been fitting in training around my university life since I found out I would be participating in the race in April," he said. "As a complete beginner when it comes to running, I have been thinking about how to train most effectively in a short time so I can run just over 10 km.

It will not be Fujiwara's first visit to the UK. He spent three weeks in the city of Exeter as a homestay student during middle school. At the time, he was impressed by the number of historical buildings in Britain.

"Although the UK and Japan are far apart, I hope that through this race, we can overcome that distance, sweat together through sports, and become good friends," he added. "I also hope that by sharing the culture of Japan's ekiden with others, more people will become interested in Japan as a country."

An Iconic Bilateral Journey

After 30 years dividing her time between the UK and Japan, Dingley shares that hope.

"To be honest, I didn't really know so much about ekiden when I lived in Japan," she admitted. "I've always enjoyed iconic journeys rather than necessarily focusing on running. I've cycled the length of Britain, Land's End to John O'Groats, sailed across the Atlantic, and travelled back from Japan overland on the Trans Siberian Express in midwinter.

"It's that iconic journey aspect of the Hakone Ekiden, which is one of the key reasons I knew our UK Ekiden also had to be along a special route like the Thames Path," she added.

In 2024, the UK Ekiden coincided with a state visit to London by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. Both had studied at Oxford University. A portion of the profits was also donated to charities. Among those were organizations supporting the rebuilding of the Noto Peninsula, devastated in a January 2024 earthquake.

The relationship between the UK Ekiden and Ishikawa Prefecture will continue in the 2025 event, Dingley said. Raising awareness and increasing assistance to the hard-hit region remains front and center in the event.

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By Julian Ryall