Seiko to Serve as Official Timer and Special Sponsor of Seiko Golden Grand Prix 2026 Tokyo

Seiko Group Corporation announced that it will be a special sponsor and serve as the official timer for the Seiko Golden Grand Prix 2026 Tokyo, to be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The Golden Grand Prix is Japan’s only international athletics meet certified as a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Label event. It will take place at MUFG Stadium, also known as the National Stadium, the same venue used for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, bringing together top athletes from around the world. Seiko plans to present watches to event winners and to athletes who set world or Japanese records during the meet. On the day of the event, Seiko will also operate a Seiko booth where visitors can experience the company’s authentic timing and measurement technologies, including a display of the final-lap bell actually used at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships and interactive content using sports timing equipment. Four Team Seiko athletes are scheduled to compete: Japanese record holder Ryota Yamagata and Bruno Dede in the men’s 100m, Ken Toyoda in the men’s 400m hurdles, and Japanese record holder Nozomi Tanaka in the women’s 1500m and 3000m. The meet will also use the Video Track Tracking system, introduced at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, for sprint events from 100m to 400m and hurdles events. VTT measures and visualizes performance data such as split times and speed in real time, making it possible to show not only race results but also details such as where an athlete reached top speed, thereby enhancing the entertainment value of live athletics broadcasts. Seiko has partnered with World Athletics since 1985 and has served as official timer for more than 200 World Athletics events. It has handled official timing for the Golden Grand Prix since the first edition in 2011, making this its 15th sponsorship of the event. Event details: the Seiko Golden Grand Prix 2026 Tokyo will be held on May 17, 2026, organized by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations at MUFG Stadium, National Stadium. The men’s program includes 10 events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, 3000m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, long jump, and javelin throw. The women’s program includes six events: 400m, 1500m, 3000m, 100m hurdles, triple jump, and javelin throw. TBS network plans to broadcast the event live nationwide from 1:00 p.m., including Seiko commercials. The Seiko booth will be located near Gate B outside MUFG Stadium and will be open from 9:50 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., featuring the 9.95-second challenge using an actual sports timer, a mini game using wind direction and wind speed equipment, a display of the final-lap bell, and a photo area. Winners of all 10 men’s and six women’s events, as well as athletes who set Japanese or world records, will receive Seiko Prospex or Seiko Lukia watches. The release also includes profiles, major achievements, and personal bests for Team Seiko athletes Ryota Yamagata, Bruno Dede, Nozomi Tanaka, and Ken Toyoda.