Round-Kyūshū Ekiden

The Prince Takamatsu Cup Nishinippon Round-Kyūshū Ekiden (九州一周駅伝 Kyūshū isshū ekiden) has been an annual race in Japan since 1951. Contestants from the prefectures on the island of Kyūshū, as well as from Yamaguchi and Okinawa Prefectures, gather each November. The event begins in Nagasaki and proceeds to the cities of Sasebo, Saga, Kumamoto, Minamata, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Nobeoka, Ōita, Kitakyushu, and finally Fukuoka. The 1064-km course consists of 72 segments, and is the longest relay race in the world.

The winning team receives the Prince Takamatsu trophy. The Nishinippon Shimbun sponsors the event.

The organisers announced that the 62nd edition of the race would be its last, owing to the difficulty and cost of assuring athletes' safety over such a long course and time period. Increased traffic in the race's later years was a specific factor in its decision to fold the race.^[1]

References

External links

• Nishinippon Shimbun Events site (in English)
• Nishinippon Shimbun Relay Race site (in Japanese)

Ekiden races All-Japan High School Ekiden Championship All-Japan Corporate Ekiden Championships Men Women Qualification rounds All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Ekiden Championships Men Women Asahi Ekiden Atlanta Ekiden (USA) Gifu to Nagoya Ekiden Hakone Ekiden International Chiba Ekiden Round-Kyūshū Ekiden Women's Kita-Kyushu Ekiden Yokohama International Women's Ekiden See also Athletics in Japan Relay race