The Saskatoon Road Runners Association has a long history of members travelling to compete in road relays like the Banff Jasper Relay and Kananaskis 100 Mile Relay. And a relay hosted by the organization as part of the since-discontinued Sask. 50km was a popular event for runners.
Why? Simply put, “Relays are fun,” says SRRA director Peter Goode.
So, last year, the SRRA hosted its first Ekiden relay.
An Ekiden is a long-distance road running relay race with origins in Japan. There is no standard distance or number of relay team members for an Ekiden race; what is standard is that each team has a sash — called a tasuki — which is handed off from one runner to the next.
The Saskatoon Ekiden is 25.3km — a less intimidating distance than the SRRA’s former 50km relay — and designed to be completed by teams of three. The first two legs are 10km while the last is 5.3km.
“The shorter third leg is designed to encourage new runners to run with their friends,” says SRRA board member Greg Fenty.
This year’s relay takes place on Sun. Aug. 17.
At the inaugural event last fall, six teams carried their tasukis through Saskatoon.
“Incredibly, after 25 km of running, only 42 seconds separated the Turbo Turtles from the Hungry Hippos. There were some very creative team names, so we are looking forward to seeing the same creativity this year,” Fenty says.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s event:
What: Teams of three will complete a 25.3km relay race. The first two legs of the race are 10km, while the last leg is 5.3km.
Prizes will be given out to the top men’s, women’s, masters and mixed teams.
When: The race takes place on Sun. Aug. 17, with the first runners setting off at 10 a.m.
Where: The race begins and ends at Gabriel Dumont Park, which also serves as the transition zone for passing the tasuki.
How to register: Registration is open via Race Roster. Each team member needs to register individually and enter their team name to indicate what team they are part of.
The cost to register is $15 per person ($45 per team) plus processing fees and taxes.
