Japanese Ekiden relay race takes place in UK

The ekiden stems from a time when runners relayed important messages and goods between stations

Thames Valley will play host to a UK Ekiden, a popular Japanese long-distance relay race.

The competition, sponsored by the Financial Times (FT) and its Japanese owner Nikkei, will begin on 24 June and will follow a 76-mile (122km) route from Oxford to Windsor along the Thames Path.

Nineteen teams, including one from the University of Oxford, will compete wearing a traditional Japanese sash instead of using a baton.

Anna Dingley, founder of the UK Ekiden, said the event represented "a unique opportunity" to showcase "the spirit of teamwork in an exciting format".

The 76 mile (122km) route from Oxford to Windsor will follow the Thames Path

One of the meanings of the word Ekiden is “to convey or to tell”, and the tradition traces its roots back to a time when runners relayed important messages and goods between stations along predetermined routes.

The first group of runners will set off at 08:00 BST from Oxford and it is expected to take teams up to 12 hours to complete the race.

Participating teams, made up of 10 runners each, will include racers from corporations, universities, and organisations that reflect different aspects of the UK-Japan relationship.

The emperor and empress of Japan will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from 25 to 27 June.

The route will pass through towns including Abingdon and Maidenhead and finish near Windsor Castle, home to the British Royal Family.

It is considered particularly appropriate as the Japanese emperor studied at Oxford, wrote a book entitled The Thames and I, and conducted research into the UK waterways.

Organisers said the event was aimed at providing "long lasting people-to-people links between Japan and the UK" and an opportunity for British people to enjoy aspects of Japanese running culture.

FT CEO John Ridding described it as "a wonderful opportunity to cement ties between our countries and cultures".

The UK Ekiden, which is a community interest company, will use a portion of the race profits to support a UK sports charity and the Noto Peninsula reconstruction efforts.

Correction 25 July: This article was amended after a previous version wrongly stated this was the first UK Ekiden. The first, which has been running for more than 20 years, takes place in Ipswich.