Year 3, 2026

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

Year 3 will bring together teams from universities, corporate-sponsored teams, and the local community.

The race and teams

The ‘Racers’ category will feature 15 universities from across the UK.

Loughborough University – Defending Champions (2025)
St Mary’s University
University of Leeds
University of Exeter
University of Birmingham
Cambridge University
University College London (UCL)
University of Edinburgh
University of Oxford – Winners in Year 1 (2024)
Cardiff University
Newcastle University
University of Bath
Durham University
King’s College
University of Bristol

The Runners category will feature corporate and community teams.

If you are interested in sponsoring the race and entering a team, please contact us below.

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