The New Year Ekiden, (officially the 全日本実業団対抗駅伝競走大会 (All-Japan Men's Corporate Team Ekiden Championships)), is an annual men's ekiden (road running relay) over 100 kilometres which takes place in Japan's Gunma Prefecture on 1 January. The race is a national championship contested between Japan's corporate (business) running teams.[1] There is also an annual championship race for women in Japan – the Women's Corporate Ekiden Championships. The race starts and ends in the city of Maebashi and the course passes through the major cities within the prefecture, including Takasaki, Isesaki, Ota and Kiryu.[2] The relay is divided into seven legs of varying lengths that alternate on a frequent basis. The 2012 race was divided as follows: 12.3 km, 8.3 km, 13.6 km, 22 km, 15.8 km, 12.5 km and 15.5 km.[3]

Historically, the race was conducted around Kashiko Island in Mie Prefecture at its inauguration in 1957. Over the first 30 years of the competition's life it expanded from an 83 km race to a 99 km one. The 31st edition in 1986 was held around Hikone and the Shiga Prefecture, but the race moved again the following year to its current location of Gunma. At this point the distance was reduced to around 85 km and the full 100 km format was introduced at the 2001 ekiden. The first competition featured 14 corporate running teams and this number steadily increased when the entry was limited to around 40 teams. The 50th edition in 2006 proved to be an except in this respect, as 43 teams were allowed entry in respect of the five people killed during the East Japan Railway derailment accident on 25 December 2005.[4]

The competition has been broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System Television every year since 1988 and there is also coverage on TBS Radio. The main commercial sponsor of the relay race is Yamazaki Baking. It has been claimed that the high TV viewing figures of this meet makes it the central motivating event in the annual calendar for professional runners in Japan.[5]

Participation

Teams gain qualification into the final ekiden race through a series of preliminaries which are principally conducted on a regional basis.[6] Some qualifying competitions are for both men and women while others are single-sex qualifiers. The Eastern Japan Corporate Ekiden Championship qualifies men's and women's teams. The Kyushu men's qualifying race (Fukuoka City to Kita Kyushu city) is held in November.[7] and others include the Kansai Jitsugyodan Ekiden in Tabe, the Chubu and Hokuriku Jitsugyodan Ekidens in Gero, and the Chugoku Jitsugyodan Ekiden in Sera, Hiroshima.

Although the majority of the competing athletes are Japanese, a limited number of foreign runners are allowed to participate. These runners are mostly Kenyan immigrants and are often the best runners on the team. Companies are permitted foreign representatives on just one of the seven legs. Past Kenyans that have competed at the New Year Ekiden include Martin Mathathi, Josephat Ndambiri and Samuel Wanjiru.[8] Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeylan is another prominent East African to have competed.[1]

Past results

Edition Date Location Distance Teams 1st (h:m:s) 2nd (h:m:s) 3rd (h:m:s) Notes
1st1957 3 MarchIse83.5km14Yawata Iron & Steel (4:27:58)Asahi Kasei Kasei (4:32:21)Japan National Railway (4:37:11)
2nd1958 3 FebruaryIse83.5km15Riccar Sewing (4:28:21)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:33:02)Kanebo (4:38:25)
3rd1959 3 JanuaryIse83.5km14Riccar Sewing (4:27:56)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:30:57)Toyo Bearing (4:36:14)
4th1960 21 FebruaryIse83.5km15Yawata Iron & Steel (4:30:11)Toyo Bearing (4:31:43)Meiji Seika (4:39:14)
5th1960 18 DecemberIse83.5km17Riccar Sewing (4:25:23)Tokyo Express (4:30:17)Kurashiki Rayon (4:32:17)
6th1961 17 DecemberIse83.6km19Tokyu (4:25:35)Riccar Sewing (4:28:10)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:28:11)
7th1962 16 DecemberIse83.6km16Yawata Iron & Steel (4:16:04)Tokyu (4:19:27)Kurashiki Rayon (4:22:53)
8th1963 15 DecemberIse83.6km19Tokyu (4:16:13)Asahi Kasei (4:18:37)Toyo (4:19:11)
9th1964 20 DecemberIse83.6km18Asahi Kasei (4:13:28)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:14:34)Tokyu (4:14:37)
10th1965 19 DecemberIse83.6km21Asahi Kasei (4:14:21)Tokyu (4:15:13)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:15:25)
11th1966 18 DecemberIse83.0 km23Asahi Kasei (4:15:44)Kurashiki Rayon (4:16:40)Riccar Sewing (4:17:04)Distance reduced
12th1967 17 DecemberIse83.0 km26Denden Chugoku (4:14:57)Kurashiki Rayon (4:15:21)Kyushu Electric Works (4:15:51)
13th1968 22 DecemberIse83.0 km24Asahi Kasei (4:11:45)Yawata Iron & Steel (4:13:15)Toyo Bearing (4:13:30)
14th1969 21 DecemberIse83.0 km23Toyo (4:08:11)Asahi Kasei (4:08:23)Denden Chugoku (4:08:55)
15th1970 20 DecemberIse99.4km23Denden Chugoku (5:00:59)Asahi Kasei (5:02:30)Riccar Sewing (5:02:40)Distance extended
16th1971 19 DecemberIse99.4km25Toyo (5:02:08)Kanebo (5:03:57)Kuraray (5:04:21)
17th1972 17 DecemberIse99.4km26Kuraray (4:58:10)Toyo (4:58:54)Asahi Kasei (4:59:03)
18th1973 16 DecemberIse99.0 km26Asahi Kasei (5:06:47)Nippon Steel (5:06:53)Toyo (5:06:54)Distance reduced
19th1974 15 DecemberIse99.0 km25Kanebo (5:01:42)Asahi Kasei (5:05:47)Kobe Steel (5:05:47)
20th1975 21 DecemberIse99.0 km25Asahi Kasei (4:58:48)Kanebo (4:59:05)Riccar Sewing (4:59:24)
21st1976 19 DecemberIse99.0 km27Kanebo (4:58:42)Asahi Kasei (5:02:05)Kobe Steel (5:03:35)
22nd1977 18 DecemberIse99.0 km27Kanebo (5:00:10)Kyushu Electric Works (5:02:40)Asahi Kasei (5:03:07)
23rd1978 17 DecemberIse99.0 km27Asahi Kasei (5:00:09)Kanebo (5:03:35)Nippon Steel (5:05:55)
24th1979 16 DecemberIse99.0 km28Asahi Kasei (4:57:15Kyushu Electric Works (5:03:12)Riccar Sewing (5:04:16)
25th1980 21 DecemberIse99.0 km26Asahi Kasei (4:56:00)Kobe Steel (5:00:56)Riccar Sewing (5:03:56
26th1981 20 DecemberIse99.0 km28Asahi Kasei (4:59:18)Kanebo (5:01:38)Riccar Sewing (5:02:06)
27th1982 19 DecemberIse99.0 km28Asahi Kasei (4:56:42)Kanebo (4:57:07)Kobe Steel (5:00:48)
28th1983 18 DecemberIse99.0 km28Asahi Kasei (4:57:11)Kobe Steel (4:59:08)Kanebo (5:00:48)
29th1984 16 DecemberIse99.0 km30S & B Foods (4:48:32)Asahi Kasei (4:54:46)Nissan (4:56:45)
30th1985 15 DecemberIse99.0 km29S & B Foods (4:48:32)Asahi Kasei (4:54:46)Nissan (4:56:45)
31st1986 21 DecemberHikone84.4km30S & B Foods (4:04:01)Asahi Kasei (4:07:39)Nissan (4:08:55)Distance reduced
32nd1988 1 JanuaryGunma84.9km27S & B Foods (4:05:45)Nissan (4:07:40)Asahi Kasei (4:09:32)Distance extended
33rd1989 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km25Nissan (4:14:52)Asahi Kasei (4:16:53)NEC HE (4:19:26)Distance extended
34th1990 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km24Asahi Kasei (4:13:52)Kyushu Electric Works (4:14:51)Nissan (4:16:16)
35th1991 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km25Asahi Kasei (4:10:04)Nissan (4:13:20)Honda Saitama (4:13:55)
36th1992 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km26Asahi Kasei (4:08:24)Kyudenko Corporation (4:12:24)Yaskawa (4:13:30)
37th1993 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km32Asahi Kasei (4:10:50)Kyudenko Corporation (4:14:22)Honda (4:15:33)
38th1994 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km32Asahi Kasei (4:14:21)Honda (4:18:22)Kanebo (4:18:38)
39th1995 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km37Asahi Kasei (4:15:02)Kanebo (4:17:00)S & B Foods (4:17:05)
40th1996 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km37Kanebo (4:14:33)Asahi Kasei (4:14:34)S & B Foods (4:19:29)
41st1997 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km37Asahi Kasei (4:07:54)S & B Foods (4:07:57)Daiei (4:12:00)
42nd1998 1 JanuaryGunma86.3km37Asahi Kasei (4:06:28)S & B Foods (4:06:43)Daiei (4:10:07)
43rd1999 1 JanuaryGunma86.4km37Asahi Kasei (4:11:34)S & B Foods (4:12:24)Chugoku Electric Power (4:14:54)Distance extended
44th2000 1 JanuaryGunma86.4km37Fujitsu Limited (4:12:07)Asahi Kasei (4:12:45)NEC (4:15:37)
45th2001 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica (4:49:44)Fujitsu Limited (4:50:59)Chugoku Electric Power (4:53:25)Distance extended
46th2002 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica (4:45:32)Chugoku Electric Power (4:46:21)Nissin (4:49:38)
47th2003 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica (4:44:48)Nissin (4:47:02)Chugoku Electric Power (4:47:11)
48th2004 1 May 1Gunma100.0 km37Chugoku Electric Power (4:47:03)Konica Minolta (4:49:05)Nissin (4:50:35)
49th2005 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica Minolta (4:48:57)Chugoku Electric Power (4:49:44)Nissin (4:50:41)
50th2006 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km43Konica Minolta (4:44:54)Chugoku Electric Power (4:45:53)Fujitsu Limited (4:46:52)Memorial race
51st2007 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Chugoku Electric Power (4:47:02)Asahi Kasei (4:47:53)Nissin (4:48:16)
52nd2008 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica Minolta (4:46:28)Chugoku Electric Power (4:49:45)Honda (4:49:56)
53rd2009 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Fujitsu (4:51:55)Nissin Group (4:51:56)Asahi Kasei (4:51:56)
54th2010 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Nissin Group (4:50:07)Konica Minolta (4:50:36)Fujitsu (4:51:37)
55th2011 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Toyota (4:51:56)Fujitsu (4:51:57)Nissin Group (4:52:05)
56th2012 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Nissin Group (4:49:32)Konica Minolta (4:50:52)Asahi Kasei (4:51:16)
57th[9]2013 1 JanuaryGunma100.0 km37Konica Minolta (4:51:32)Toyota Kyushu (4:55:24)Honda (4:55:25)

Stage records

Stage Distance Time (m:s) Runner Team Year
1st 12.3 km 34:16 Martin Mathathi Suzuki 2007
2nd 8.3 km 21:54 Josephat Ndambiri Komori 2009
3rd 13.7 km 37:52 Chihiro Miyawaki Toyota 2012
4th 22.0 km 1:02:51 Yuki Sato Nissin Foods 2012
5th 15.8 km 44:57 Tomoo Tsubota Konica 2002
6th 12.5 km 36:35 Kazuharu Takai Kyudenko 2012
7th 15.5 km 44:53 James Ndungu Honda 2002
2003

References

  1. 1 2 Nakamura, Ken (2011-01-01). Toyota takes first New Year Ekiden title. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  2. Nakamura, Ken (2010-01-01). Nissin Foods finally wins New Year Ekiden in Maebashi. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  3. Nakamura, Ken (2012-01-01). Nissin Foods wins men’s corporate Ekiden title in Maebashi. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  4. Champions (in Japanese). TBS TV. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  5. web page
  6. Nakamura, Ken (2005-12-30). Preview of the 50th ‘New Year Ekiden’. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  7. 2010 video.
  8. Nakamura, Ken (2006-01-01). Konica-Minolta wins 50th New Year’s Ekiden. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
  9. Nakamura, Ken (2013-01-01). Konica Minolta wins Japan Corporate Men's Ekiden. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-17.
Winners and stage records
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