Ekiden

Common card · No. 357913

Ekiden (Japanese: 駅伝) is a long-distance running multi-stage relay race, mostly held on roads. The original Japanese term referred to the age old post-horse or stagecoach courier system which transmitted communication by stages. Instead of one horse or a man covering the entire long distance a relay team of multiple horses or runners would be employed. Eki means "station" and den translates as "to communicate, to convey", therefore ekiden could be roughly translated as ''Station to station''. The original meaning of the word is reflected in its rule where each runner at the end of their run has to pass down their sash to the next runner. The first ever ekiden as a sport was held in Japan in 1917 as a 3-day, 23-stage run from Kyoto to Tokyo over 507 kilometres (315 mi), to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tokyo's establishment as the nation's capital (previously Kyoto was the imperial seat). Today ekiden is a national sport in Japan, especially popular as inter-varsity competitions between...

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