Rotterdam Ekiden

About the race

The Rotterdam Ekiden is a relay in which six runners cover the marathon distance together, split into legs of 5, 10, 5, 10, 5 and 7.195 kilometres. That last, uneven leg is what makes the six pieces come out at exactly 42.195 kilometres. Start, handovers and finish are all on the PAC running track on the Langepad, in the middle of the Kralingse Bos. Because the field keeps returning to the same spot, you see your team-mates all afternoon and there is a crowd at every handover. The gun goes at twelve. PAC has organised the Ekiden since 2005 and it now draws more than eighteen hundred participants. There is a separate company version too.