Event Detail
Queen's Ekiden in Miyagi 2026 is the 46th All-Japan Women's Corporate Team Ekiden Championships, an elite women's road-running contest on Sunday 22 November 2026. The best company-backed distance-running teams compete for the national title over a six-leg relay totalling 42.195 km. This is a championship for qualified corporate teams, not an open-entry marathon for individual runners.
Route, stages and teams
The race starts outside Matsushima Town Culture and Tourism Exchange Hall (Atreru Hall), in the coastal town of Matsushima, and finishes at Koshin Gom Athlete Park Sendai, the Sendai City Athletics Stadium. The six sections bring the runners through Matsushima, Shiogama, Tagajo and Sendai. The published leg lengths are approximately 7.0 km, 4.2 km, 10.6 km, 3.6 km, 10.0 km and 6.795 km, together making the standard marathon distance.
There are 24 team places: the top eight finishers from the previous championship, known as the Queens 8, and 16 qualifiers from the Princess Ekiden on 18 October 2026. The host broadcaster lists the returning seeded teams as Edion, Japan Post Group, Sekisui Chemical, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Shiseido, Uniqlo, Tenmaya and Shimamura. Final entries and stage assignments should be checked with the organiser after qualification.
Important 2026 start-time change
The organiser has brought the 2026 start 15 minutes earlier, to 12:00 noon Japan Standard Time. Miyagi Prefecture has published a 2026-specific road-closure flyer, showing restrictions along the route from late morning into the afternoon; selected bus services may be cancelled, diverted or delayed. Travelling by train and choosing a single viewing position is generally simpler than attempting to drive alongside the moving race.
The coastal start is near Takagimachi Station on the JR Senseki Line, while the finish stadium is a short walk from Miyaginohara Station. Spectators should use the current road-closure map and respect race marshals. TBS is the official television broadcaster, with programme coverage announced for 11:50 JST.
A community athletics coaching session with corporate athletes is also being promoted separately by Miyagi Prefecture. Its eligibility and application conditions are not a general entry opportunity for the championship itself.
This is one six-stage 2026 championship listing, not six separate races. The 42K selection denotes the relay's total team distance, not an individual marathon.