WHAT IS AN EKIDEN?
A JAPANESE-STYLE TEAM RELAY RACE
AN EKIDEN IS A LONG-DISTANCE RELAY RUN THAT ORIGINATED IN JAPAN OVER A CENTURY AGO, INSPIRED BY THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF MESSENGERS WHO RAN BETWEEN “STATIONS” TO DELIVER IMPORTANT MESSAGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UNLIKE TRADITIONAL INDIVIDUAL MARATHONS, EKIDEN RACES ARE TEAM EVENTS, WHERE EACH RUNNER COMPLETES A LEG OF THE COURSE BEFORE PASSING A SASH (TASUKI) TO THE NEXT TEAMMATE, CELEBRATING TEAMWORK, COLLECTIVE EFFORT, AND THE JOY OF SHARED ACHIEVEMENT.
EVENT DETAILS
THE PINK BANANA EKIDEN IS THE FIRST PUBLIC EKIDEN OF ITS KIND IN THE UK, BRINGING THIS HISTORIC JAPANESE RUNNING TRADITION TO A NEW AUDIENCE AND CREATING A UNIQUE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE THAT EMPHASISES TEAMWORK, STRATEGY AND COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT OVER INDIVIDUAL GLORY.
TEAM SIZE
4 RUNNERS PER TEAM
DISTANCES
FULL EKIDEN (42.2KM) OR HALF EKIDEN (21.1KM)
LOCATION
LONDON, UK
SPECIFIC ROUTE T.B.A.
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DATE
2026
DATE T.B.C.
RACE FORMATS
FULL EKIDEN
MARATHON DISTANCE
42.2 KM
TOTAL TEAM DISTANCE
EACH RUNNER COMPLETES:
10.55 KM
4 RUNNERS X 10.55 KM = FULL EKIDEN
HALF EKIDEN
HALF MARATHON DISTANCE
21.1 KM
TOTAL TEAM DISTANCE
EACH RUNNER COMPLETES: