“In our first year, we’ll qualify for the national championships. By our tenth year, we’ll be the champions.” When Daichi Kamino made that bold declaration at the unveiling event of the MABP Maverick Ekiden team back in April, the room filled with murmurs, followed by a wave of cheers, perhaps fueled more by the bubbles of Kirin beer than pure belief. Building a corporate Ekiden team capable of competing at the highest level is hard work. Recruiting raw talent is one thing;

It was a dreary day: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. Okay, it wasn't quite a Dickensian level of dour, but it was gray and murky with low clouds and endless drizzly rain. And if it was tough enough just standing on the roadside as a spectator, spare a thought for those red-lining through a race they’d spent twelve months preparing for. But the girls didn't let the weather faze them. And they put on a classic. Here are my five (and a half) takeaways from

Why do you like Ekiden? Asked no one in particular. But it's a question I reflect on quite often. Sure, it’s a running event, and I’m a...

The front cover of the Sports Graphic Number pull-out featuring Kana Kobayashi Kana Kobayashi delivered a supercharged performance in the...

What does it take to stand on the starting line of the Hakone Ekiden? In this interview, two elite runners reflect on the years leading up to Japan’s most iconic university race and what comes after the cheering fades. From early morning track sessions to the weight of team expectations, they share the realities of Japan's most popular Ekiden road race.

A 20K trail run through beautiful woodland "Jeremy, your face has turned blue." Hearing that, I knew the session was over. I felt...

It’s a drizzly Wednesday afternoon in the suburbs of Tokyo. I’m standing on the third floor of a compact apartment block, just across...

Running on Halloween (I guess no one else got the memo) For years, running was something I did alone. Early morning solo jogs, treadmill...

Held annually in Hiroshima, this seven-stage, 48-kilometer vibrant race is a spectacle that brings together runners of all levels.

Understanding Aoyama Gakuin's dominance in the iconic Hakone Ekiden with insight from current coach and a past legend.

Stage one of the Hakone Ekiden 2025 in Otemachi Tokyo. (Photo by Haruka Miki) Day one of the 2025 Hakone Ekiden was a stark reminder that...

In 2024, I learned that numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Running is as much about mindset as it is about results.

The lung-busting challenge of high-altitude training in Japan with the Reto Running Club.