THE EKIDEN RELAY
(5-Person Cross Country Teams)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2004
WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY
New XC Course, Rocklin, CA

Coaches,

Please accept our invitation to the Ekiden Relay scheduled for Saturday, October 23 at William Jessup University’s new Cross Country course, located in Rocklin, CA. Please also pass the word and notify your fellow coaches from the community college, University, and High School programs about this unique event to give teams a break from the same old weekly pounding out of 5k, 4-mile, and 8K races.

"EKIDEN RELAY" FORMAT (5-person teams):

Each relay person runs a different distance in the following order: (1) 2000m, (2) 1500m, (3) 1500m, (4) 2000m, and (5) 3000m.

Each school may enter as many teams as desired, plus we will host one 2-mile open race at the conclusion of the relays for any runner not competing on a relay team. Here is the time schedule:

9:00 am - High School Girls’ Relay

9:50 am - High School Boys’ Relay

10:40 am – College/Open Women’s Relay

11:30 – College/Open Men’s Relay

12:20 pm - Open 2-mile Fun-Run for Non-relay runners, Coaches, and general public.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 18:

E-Mail Entries to [email protected]

… And Use this Format for EACH Athlete in the body of your message:

Last Name, First Name, M/F, School, Graduation Year, Leg to be Run (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)

Race tags will be made up for all entered athletes.

ENTRY FEE:

$6.00 / Runner (or $60.00 Maximum / School)

Send Checks (payable to “William Jessup University”) to:

Nick Vogt. Cross Country Coach

William Jessup University

333 Sunset Boulevard

Rocklin, CA 95765

HISTORICAL INFORMATION – EKIDEN RELAY:

An Ekiden is a long-distance relay race, where a single runner from each team wears a cloth sash (tasuki) suspended from the shoulder across the chest. The sash is passed from one teammate to the next, like the baton in a regular relay. Eki means "station," while den means "transmit." The Ekiden relay, and the name itself, has spread from Japan to different parts of the world, including China, Kenya and Tanzania.

The first Ekiden relay was run in 1917, the 50th anniversary of the transfer of Japan's capital from the ancient city of Kyoto to Tokyo. This new type of relay race was named Ekiden by the poet Toki Zemmaro (1885-1980), who was head of the city's newspaper Social Affairs Department at the time.

DIRECTIONS TO WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY:

Click Here: http://mappoint.msn.com/(vwo02kugdeqio255uq5touy2)/map.aspx?L=USA&C=38.81747%2c-121.29187&A=7.16667&P=|38.81747%2c-121.29187|1|333+Sunset+Blvd%2c+Rocklin%2c+CA+95765|L1|

Or … Follow these instructions: From Sacramento, go 11 miles on East I-80 (toward Reno); Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto SR-65 (towards Lincoln / Marysville), and go 5 miles; Turn RIGHT (East) onto Sunset Blvd; Travel 0.4 mile and Turn LEFT (North) onto Atherton Rd; Arrive at William Jessup University, 333 Sunset Blvd, Rocklin, CA.

We look forward to seeing you and your runners at the Ekiden Relay on Saturday, October 23.

Running with Endurance,

Angie Pozzi, Cross Country Coach

Rocklin High School

And…

Nick Vogt

Cross Country Coach

William Jessup University

333 Sunset Blvd.

Rocklin, CA 95765

More Questions: Phone (530) 878-0697 (Day or Night)

…or…(916) 577-2368

…or…E-mail: [email protected]