YEAR3, 2026

The FT Nikkei UK Ekiden Year 3 took place on Friday, the 12th of June 2026, along the Thames Path from Windsor to Reading and back.

17 elite university teams and 18 corporate and community teams battled it out on the 112 km Thames Path route between Windsor and Reading in the most competitive race yet.

The winners

The winners of the University category were the University of Oxford, who finished 6 seconds before the University of Exeter.

The top 8 teams who qualify for Year 4 are:

University of Oxford
University Of Exeter
Cardiff University
University Of Birmingham
University Of Bath
Newcastle University
Ritsumeikan University (guest university from Japan)
University of Leeds

The corporate and community team category winners had to include 5 men and 5 women, and the winners were:

Marsh
Team ASICS
Team SiS

Thank you to all our Sponsors

The UK Ekiden was proudly supported by several sponsors who have been aligned with the athleticism, history, and Japanese heritage of the race. Sponsoring businesses also entered teams into the ‘Runners’ category.

Thank you to all our Supporters

What made Year 3 so special?

The FT Nikkei UK Ekiden is far more than a race; it’s a year-round community united by a shared passion for running, teamwork and Japanese culture.

Race day is the pinnacle, but it’s only one chapter of the journey. Throughout the year, participating universities and corporate sponsors enjoy exclusive experiences including sponsor-only events, training sessions led by our Athletics Director and Oxford University Athletics Head Coach Matt Seddon, Mini-Ekidens in schools across the UK, invitations to our Fujifilm exhibition, and a growing programme of events that bring runners, businesses and schools together.

From the first training run to crossing the finish line, becoming part of the FT Nikkei UK Ekiden means joining a unique community that celebrates culture, teamwork and collaboration all year round.

Mini-Ekidens

Our Mini-Ekiden programme introduces children and young people across the UK to the excitement of Japanese relay racing. Through school visits, Mini-Ekiden-in-a-Box resources and interactive assemblies, pupils learn about Japanese culture while experiencing the values that make ekiden so special: teamwork, resilience and determination. By inspiring young runners today, we’re helping to build the next generation of the UK Ekiden community.

Kanakuri Cup

Building on the introduction of the Ridding Cup last year, we were proud to unveil the Kanakuri Cup for Year 3. Named after Shiso Kanakuri, the ‘Father of Ekiden’, the trophy is awarded to the winning Corporate and Community team and celebrates the values at the heart of Ekiden.

Handcrafted by LINLEY, the Kanakuri Cup is a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between the UK and Japan. Its base is made from timber recovered from a home damaged in the Noto Peninsula earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture, transforming a story of loss into one of hope, resilience and renewal. Together with the Ridding Cup, these trophies are helping to establish lasting traditions that will become part of the UK Ekiden’s legacy for years to come.

Ishikawa Prefecture

Each year we celebrate a different region of Japan, sharing its people, traditions and stories with our UK community. In Year 3, our focus was on Ishikawa Prefecture—a region renowned for its craftsmanship. Through our partnership with the charity Home For All, locally sourced prizes, a community-written poem featured on our medals, and support for earthquake recovery, we’re helping to build meaningful cultural connections that extend far beyond the finish line.

Find out more about the race day here.