Oxford University Wins the 3rd FT Nikkei UK Ekiden! Participating Universities Expand from 3 to 17 in Three Years - Japan's 'Ekiden' Takes Root in the UK

Oxford University wins, overtaking the runner closing in from behind. On Friday, June 12, 2026, Ekiden Group Ltd. (Representative: Anna Dingley) held the 3rd FT Nikkei UK Ekiden along the River Thames, stretching from Windsor to Reading. This year's event saw 17 universities in the university category and 18 teams in the corporate/community category. British university students, corporate runners, local communities, and guest participants from Japan joined forces to pass the 'tasuki' sash over a course of approximately 112km. In the university category, Oxford University claimed victory with a time of 6 hours, 49 minutes, and 01 second. Exeter University finished second, and Cardiff University came in third. During the final 10th leg, Exeter University made a remarkable comeback, leading to a nail-biting finish where the winner was uncertain until the very end. However, Oxford University held onto its lead, crossing the finish line just 5 seconds ahead. Ritsumeikan University from Japan, last year's winner, participated as a guest under the UK-Japan Exchange Special Invitation slot. They ran exceptionally well to finish second overall, energizing the race alongside the British university teams. A seeding system was introduced this year, resulting in 9 out of 25 entered schools being unable to participate. This reflected high anticipation beforehand and highlighted the rising level of competition alongside the expansion of participating universities. In the corporate/community category, Marsh took first place. They were awarded the newly named 'Kanakuri Cup' for the first time. The cup is named after Shiso Kanakuri, known as the 'father of Japanese marathon' and 'father of Ekiden.' It was crafted by the luxury British craft brand LINLEY using timber from houses damaged in the Noto Peninsula earthquake. This year's event was the first held since 'Ekiden,' the Japanese long-distance relay, was included in the Oxford English Dictionary. Seeing this Japanese sports term, now recognized in the dictionary, actively used and run as a tasuki-passing competition by British students, corporate runners, and local children symbolizes that Ekiden culture has entered a new phase in the UK. The race results are as follows: - Winner: Oxford University - 2nd Place: Exeter University - 3rd Place: Cardiff University Oxford University team celebrating their victory. - Winner: Marsh - 2nd Place: Team ASICS & Special Guests - 3rd Place: Science in Sport Marsh celebrating with the inaugural Kanakuri Cup. ◉ University Category Winning Team Comments Thomas Renshaw, Oxford University (Leg 1): 'Running the Ekiden was amazing. We were disqualified last year, so everyone was extremely hungry to win this year. We put a lot of effort into improving and cooperated deeply as a team. Ekiden involves more elements than a simple 10km run, such as remembering the course and rules, but that actually makes it more interesting. Since I ran the first leg, I only thought about giving the team the best start. Seeing the runner closing in on Ella (our 10th leg runner) at the end made it incredibly exciting. There's no greater thrill than cheering on your teammate in such a close race to seal the victory.' ◉ Corporate/Community Category Winning Team Comments John Kavanagh, UK Managing Director and Team Captain, Marsh: 'I can't believe we won. But we prepared thoroughly, including sessions with the race director and individual training. We came here to win, so we are absolutely delighted with this result. We recruited members from our 9,000 colleagues across the UK, and some met for the first time at the Ekiden, making it a great opportunity to connect. For the Kanakuri Cup, we heard directly from the designer about the story behind it, the wood, and the materials from Japan. Having this beautiful cup in our London office makes us very proud. We will celebrate as a team first and will definitely return to defend our title next year.' ◉ Anna Dingley, Founder of Ekiden Group Ltd. Comments: 'It was a thrilling, top-tier race beyond our wildest dreams, featuring Oxford University's dramatic finish. Starting with only three schools in its first year, the event has grown to host 17 top universities and 18 corporate/community teams this year. It is evolving into a full-fledged elite competition recognized by England Athletics. What is most moving is seeing British youth carrying the traditional "tasuki" sash on their chests...'