Japan Ekiden Road Relay Race Held near New Delhi to Deepen Japan-India Exchanges

By Sachiko Aoki Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

2:00 JST, April 7, 2026

NEW DELHI — An ekiden road relay race was held in Gurugram, near New Delhi, on Sunday, with the aim of deepening exchanges between Japan and India.

With the road relay race style being uniquely Japanese, the event was organized by a major Japanese sporting goods firm with a base in India, alongside support from other Japanese firms and the Japanese Embassy in India.

About 1,000 people participated, running a total of 10 kilometers in mixed-nationality teams of four and passing sashes which symbolize the batons in relay racing.

At the opening ceremony early Sunday, major sporting goods manufacturer Asics Corp. chairman Yasuhito Hirota encouraged participants to believe in their teams and pass their sashes over to the next runners.

A 32-year-old company employee, who joined the race with a Japanese colleague, said it was a brand new experience as relays in India are usually short-distance, and passing the sash proved difficult.

“Someone looking for team members invited me on social media. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said a 25-year-old teacher at a Japanese school in New Delhi, a member of the winning team.

In India, which continues to see economic growth, running or frequenting the gym is said to have been becoming more popular due to increasing health consciousness, with demand for sporting goods also said to be on the rise.