President's Message - Honolulu Ekiden and Music 2020 Honolulu Ekiden and Music 2020

Message from President

President’s Message

Aloha and welcome to the 7th annual Honolulu Ekiden & Music Event.

“Ekiden” is the name of a popular Japanese sport; a team relay running race over long distances. Each runner wears a sash and passes it on to their teammate at the relay exchange station. The sash is a symbol that represents teamwork and unites the runners in their quest to complete the race. Seven years ago, the Honolulu Ekiden Foundation (“HEF”) introduced this sport to Hawaii. Held annually, the Hawaii version of Ekiden is a USA Track & Field certified marathon relay race from Kapiolani Park to Sandy Beach and back. This is the only race where you can run along the eastern coast of Honolulu, from Maunalua Bay to Sandy Beach.

2019 will be the seventh year of this exciting and growing event! The Honolulu Ekiden Foundation strives to improve the event each year to make it fun for all the participants from around the world.

We are excited to have the honor of your participation in this great event on our island home of Oahu, Hawaii. Thanks to you and our great sponsors, we are able to give financial contributions to local and state charities.

Our 3 wishes…

 

We hope that the Ekiden sash would express the relationship between Hawaii and Japan.

 

We hope that the Ekiden sash would be handed over from generation to generation to and help to understand each other’s cultures more.

 

We hope that our Ekiden event would be sublimated from only the sport event to the real sport and culture event between Hawaii and Japan.

 

We hope that our Ekiden event is more than just a sport, but rather an exchange of culture between Hawaii and Japan.

 

Also, remember to stick around Kapiolani Park for the post-race party. There will be complimentary food and drinks for runners and live music at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand!

See you on race day! Ho‘ohui Pa‘ani (“United in Play”).

 

Tomohiro Murakami
President
Honolulu Ekiden Foundation