St Mary’s University, Twickenham, secured an impressive third place in the second UK Ekiden relay race on Friday 20 June, competing against 31 teams from across the UK and Japan, including some of the fastest universities and corporate teams.
St Mary’s Endurance Performance Centre team took part for the first time in the 70-mile (114km) mixed-gender relay, modelled after Japan’s popular sporting event. The race took place along the Thames Path from Windsor to Reading and back, under intense 29°C heat and across challenging terrain - including steep inclines at Harpsden Woods and fields of four-foot grass.
St Mary’s team completed the race in 7 hours, 8 minutes and 56 seconds, marking a standout performance amid competitors including the universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and Oxford.
The UK Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom, was in attendance, highlighting the cultural bridge the event aims to embed Japan’s beloved sport in the UK.
UK Ekiden
Each team consisted of 10 runners. St Mary’s runners and their distances included:
- Leg 1: Grace Ingles - 10.6km
- Leg 2: George Morris - 14.5km
- Leg 3: Felix Vaughan - 14.1km
- Leg 4: Abigail Royden - 12.8km
- Leg 5: Orla Gregory - 5.4km
- Leg 7: Luca Hamblen - 12.8km
- Leg 8: Caleb O’Neill - 14.1km
- Leg 9: Josh Hobbs - 14.5km
- Leg 10: Lola Sutton - 10.6km
Full race results
St Mary’s EPC has developed some of the world’s best distance runners and provides a running programme and an environment that is known internationally as one of the best training setups internationally.
Josh Hobbs, captain of the EPC team, said: “As middle-distance runners, it’s rare that we get a chance to run as a team so taking part in this year’s Ekiden was a great experience. I couldn’t be prouder of our Simmies team. Everyone gave it their all, especially in the sunshine and challenging terrain. Placing third against strong competitors shows how much we put into this, how great the EPC is for developing us as athletes, and I hope Ekiden becomes a tradition in the UK that future Simmies can continue to take part in."
Craig Winrow, St Mary’s Performance Coach and EPC Co-ordinator, added: “What a week for St Mary's student athletes. Many running PB's at the St Mary's 175 Athletics Meet in partnership with the British Milers Club and then a well-deserved 3rd place at the UK Ekiden relay. This show cases the talent we have, not just on the track but also at the longer distances and I look forward to competing at the relays on an annual basis."
Now in its second year, the UK Ekiden is inspired by the long-standing Japanese tradition of distance relay racing, with a growing reputation on the UK sporting calendar. This year’s race brought together top-tier athletes and reflected the event's increasing international reach and community spirit.