Event Detail
The 71st New Year Ekiden, officially the All-Japan Corporate Team Ekiden Championships, brings Japan's leading company-backed running teams to Gunma Prefecture on Friday 1 January 2027. It is one of Japan's major national road-running championships and a New Year's Day sporting tradition. This is an elite team relay, not a mass-participation race with public entries.
Seven legs through Gunma
Teams cover 100 km in seven relay stages, starting and finishing outside the Gunma Prefectural Government building in Maebashi. The route travels through Maebashi, Takasaki, Tamamura, Isesaki, Ota, Midori and Kiryu, combining city roads with transfers between industrial and residential centres. The prefectural government confirms a 09:15 JST start, and its current race-day information identifies spectator areas across the course.
The published 2027 format changes the closing legs: stage six becomes approximately 9.4 km and stage seven approximately 17.6 km, while the combined distance remains 100 km. The planned new handover is in the Akaborikashima area of Isesaki. The organiser is introducing a revised international-runner rule allowing teams to assign their eligible overseas runner to stage four or six. National corporate-team qualification takes place through regional preliminary races during November; it is not an event for individual sign-ups.
Watching the race
The Gunma government has announced 13 free spectator parking locations offering approximately 2,475 spaces in total. These are parking areas, not guaranteed viewing spaces, and facilities have their own usage conditions. Drivers must obey closures, allow space for residents and competitors, avoid unauthorised parking, and use the final traffic diversion map when released. In particular, the formerly used stage-five parking at Matsubara Bridge Park will not be offered for 2027.
The live television broadcast is scheduled to begin at 08:30 JST on TBS network stations and Gunma Television. Exact traffic controls and final access instructions will appear on the prefecture's official event page closer to New Year's Day. For spectators, planning one viewing location rather than trying to chase the relay by car is the more practical approach.
This listing represents the single 2027 seven-stage championship, not seven separate events. The ARC 100K distance tag denotes the combined team relay distance, not a 100 km solo ultramarathon.