Okinawa Ekiden – Saturday & Sunday, Jan 31st – Feb 1st
January 12th, 2009Another year has passed, and time has come once again for the annual Okinawa Isshu Shibu Ekiden Taikai. This event is a 295km, 28 leg, 2 day, relay race, and the prefecture’s premier ekiden event.
An ekiden course is broken up into several stations (eki in japanese means “station”, and den means “transfer”). Each team has one member run per station. A sash is used, “tasuki”, similar to how a batan is used in track &. The runner hands the sash to his teammate at the next transfer station. This event combines track & relays and cross country style team play. Each runner in addition to running for their team’s overall time and place is also timed for their individual station, and awarded accordingly. Each station awards the fastest time called “kukansho” or area award.
Tommy says he’ll be at practice wednesday. we’ll see.
ekiden map
