Main Competitions of Ekiden

              I want to talk about main competitions of ekiden. They are international ekiden, New Year ekiden and wheelchair ekiden. There are other famous competitions but I choose their ekiden competitions, because they are big competitions but they aren’t known by a lot of people. We can watch international ekiden and New Year ekiden on TV. I want you to watch them at least once.

              First, I talk about international ekiden. It is held in Chiba on November 23 every year. Formal name is Hanji Aoki-Cup International Chiba-Ekiden. Three men and three women run 42.195 kilometers in this competition. First runner is man and he runs 5 kilometers. It is short for man, so running speed is important. Second runner is woman and she runs 5 kilometers. The strong wind sometimes blows on this course, so runner must pay attention to it. Third runner is man and he runs 10 kilometers. Fourth runner is woman and she runs 5 kilometers. This course is halfway point and she must turn 180 degrees. It is the point to run. Fifth runner is man and he runs 10 kilometers. This course has a lot of sloping roads, so runner must run it well. Last runner is woman and she runs 7.195 kilometers. A few countries participate in this competition. I want a lot of countries to participate in it.

              Next, I talk about New Year ekiden. It is held in Gunma on January 1 every year. Seven men run 100 kilometers in this competition. A part of course changed from 2011. I explain current information. First runner runs 12.3 kilometers. This course is flat and wide, so I think it is easy to run. Second runner runs 8.3 kilometers. Foreigners can run only this course. Third runner runs 13.6 kilometers. Fourth runner runs 22.0 kilometers. This course is the longest in this competition. And last 3 kilometers are upslope. I think that it is difficult to run and runner should save stamina till last 3 kilometers. Fifth runner runs 15.8 kilometers. This course has long upslope too. And a head wind often blows. It is called “harder than marathon.” Sixth runner runs 11.8 kilometers. Last runner runs 15.5 kilometers. This course is flat. So, if two runners compete, we can watch interesting race.

              Finally, I talk about wheelchair ekiden. It is held in Kyoto on February every year. Runners use wheelchair for running. And when they pass the baton, they touch next runner with their hand. It is said that this is difficult so they practice to touch next runner. Five people run 21.3 kilometers in this competition. First runner runs 6.4 kilometers. This is the longest course. I think pacing is the most important. Second runner runs 2.8 kilometers and third runner runs 2.4 kilometers. Fourth runner runs 5.8 kilometers. This course is upslope. It is like mountain climbing to wheelchair. Last runner runs 3.9 kilometers. To be accurate, this is not ekiden. But I explain it because I want you to know about many kind of long distance relay.