Details: This event has 10K, 12K, 23K Ekidens

 

It rained throughout Friday night, creating visions of a cold, dreary race at Showa Park the next morning.  But as the morning crept across Fussa, it brought an early sunshine, blue skies, and warming temperatures.  It turned out to be a perfect Fall day in Japan.  Taking the train to the Nishi Tachikawa station was quick.  I seemed to be the only passenger getting off the east-bound train, but across the walkway were literally hundreds of runners exiting the west-bound train from Tokyo.   I could feel the excitement of the run growing as we all crushed through the station and into Showa. It was a colorful walk past the lake and various gardens to the start area.  Once there it was a bit confusing, however – the central area was cordoned off with orange plastic fencing and all around it were groups of runners setting out ground mats and erecting small tents for changing into race gear and then storing everyone's napsacks.  It was like a huge picnic with literally thousands of participants - cool!  On the far side were green and white tents where Ekiden teams registered. It does take awhile to get to the starting area, so plan to arrive with about an hour to spare.

As I was looking for the Strider teams I couldn’t help but notice the menagerie of costumed runners, including fish, leather SMs, school girl outfits (they ran in loafers), Power Rangers and Disney's Stitch wearing a strange looking runner underneath. It wasn't exactly a Mardi Gras, but it was interesting. Once the race started, the maze in the middle of the field began to make more sense.  For this race, half the runners had a red sash and the other half had a blue one.  Depending on the color, runners would transition (passing the sash to the next runner) in one of two lanes.  This was great because it reduced crowding during the exchanges and basically allowed twice as many teams to participate.  Overall, the race was very well organized. The course itself was fairly flat and very scenic with all the colors of the Fall leaves.

Some thoughts on this race:  (1) The easiest way to get there is via the train (160 yen from Fussa to Nishi Tachikawa).  While there is ample parking for cars, the cost is approx 1,000 yen.  Cycling or running are also options. (2) Plan to arrive early, as it takes about 15 minutes to find the start area, and more time to get registered/organized.  (3) This is a really fun race, and if the weather cooperates as it did this year, it’s incredibly beautiful

All-in-all, I'd rate this as a first class, really fun event. It's one you'll want to sign up for next year.

Showa Park Ekiden