Ekiden Explained: Japan’s Long-Distance Relay Obsession
Ekiden Explained: Japan’s Long-Distance Relay Obsession
On New Year, tens of millions of Japanese watch students run a sash 217km from Tokyo to Hakone and back. Here’s why ekiden is a national ritual.
Ekiden is Japan’s distinctive long-distance relay race, in which teammates carry a cloth sash (tasuki) across a series of road legs. The most famous is the Hakone Ekiden, a 217.1km, 10-leg university race run on 2–3 January that draws tens of millions of TV viewers — over 56 million in 2026, when Aoyama Gakuin University won its third straight title. A separate corporate New Year Ekiden on 1 January ties into Japan’s company-team system. ⚠ Winners change every year.
In this guide
1. What ekiden is
2. The Hakone Ekiden
3. The corporate New Year Ekiden
4. Why it matters
1. What ekiden is
A relay, run on the road, with a sash instead of a baton.
An ekiden is a long-distance road relay: each runner covers a leg of the course, then hands a tasuki — a cloth sash worn across the body — to the next teammate.1 The sash stands for continuity and team spirit, and the format has been part of Japanese running for over a century. Dropping or just missing a hand-over is high drama, because a team that arrives too late at a checkpoint can be sent off before its sash arrives.
2. The Hakone Ekiden
The New Year race the whole country watches.
The Hakone Ekiden — officially the Tokyo–Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden — is run on 2 and 3 January by universities from the Kanto region.2 Twenty teams of ten runners cover 217.1km over 10 legs (five out to Hakone on day one, five back on day two), including the brutal Stage 5 climb of nearly 800m into the mountains, where a great climber becomes a “mountain god.”2 It is a genuine national ritual: more than 56 million people watched in 2026, when Aoyama Gakuin University took its third consecutive title.2 ⚠ The winner changes each year.
3. The corporate New Year Ekiden
The company teams have their own showcase.
On 1 January, the day before Hakone, the New Year Ekiden crowns Japan’s top corporate running team.3 These are the company squads of Japan’s jitsugyōdan system, where elite runners are employed by firms and race in their colours. The 2026 edition was won by GMO.3 ⚠ Annual result.
4. Why it matters
More than a race — a window into Japanese sport.
Ekiden is where Japan’s obsession with perseverance and team over individual is most visible, and it doubles as the country’s great distance-running factory, feeding its marathon talent. The New Year races have become as much a part of the holidays as the food. Slot them into our sports calendar, and read how the same company-team model shaped the rest of Japanese sport.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ekiden?
A long-distance road relay in which teammates pass a cloth sash (tasuki) over a series of legs.
What is the Hakone Ekiden?
A 217.1km, 10-leg university relay run on 2–3 January; more than 56 million people watched in 2026.
When is the corporate New Year Ekiden?
1 January, contested by company teams. ⚠ Winners change every year.
Keep exploring
Explore the stories, systems and culture behind Japanese sport.
Sources & notes
- Ekiden as a road relay with a tasuki sash; over a century of history. Wikipedia; Sakuraco.
- Hakone Ekiden: 2–3 January, Kanto universities, 217.1km, 10 legs, Stage 5 mountain climb; 56M+ TV viewers; Aoyama Gakuin won 2026 (third straight). Wikipedia; Japan Running News. ⚠ Annual.
- Corporate New Year Ekiden (1 January); 2026 won by GMO. Japan Running News. ⚠ Annual.
An explainer dated 18 June 2026. ⚠ Ekiden winners change every year; confirm current results before relying on them. No copyrighted material is reproduced.
📅 更新履歴
| 日付 | 変更内容 |
|---|---|
| 2026年6月18日 | 初回公開 |
| 2026年6月19日 | 情報を更新 |
✅ ファクト再検証
最終検証日：2026年6月19日
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