MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Ekiden, or long distance relay, is a traditional Japanese winter sporting event dating back to 1917. The first race was between Tokyo and Kyoto to celebrate the move of Japan’s capitol city to its current location.
Now Ekidens are held throughout Japan and other countries around the world, and even here aboard the air station. This year the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force invited U.S. service members to join it in healthy competition here Feb. 29.
The seven Japanese teams and one U.S. team were each made up of 17 competitors. Service members from units aboard the air station made up the American group. Each team’s final runner was its squadron’s respective commanding officer.
Capt. Satoru Shoji, JMSDF Fleet Air Wing 31 chief of staff for Iwakuni, said he was glad for the opportunity to share their tradition.
“This is a very great event. Especially [with] U.S. Marine Corps personnel and JMSDF personnel running together,” Shoji said. “This kind of Japanese tradition, the Ekiden relay raceis a big winter sports event. So this is a good opportunity for U.S. personnel to understand Japanese tradition.”
As each team member ran their 200-meter stretch of road near station harbor operations, teammates and spectators stood through the cloudy and cold weather conditions. Many cheers of encouragement could be heard along the stretch of roadway leading to the finish line.
Lance Cpl. Shapiro Kinghorn, a U.S. team member, said she was honored to be a part of the event, but expected more out of her leg of the race.
“I thought I was going to get pretty winded, but I didn’t,” said Kinghorn. “It was pretty easy.”
Shapiro Kinghorn said she had her own method of staying competitive.
“I kept the pace and I could still see that female in front of me,” she said. “Keep the target in front of you, something you might want to pass, and that will keep you going.”
Her method may have helped her for most of it. Though she said one part of the run still gave her trouble.
“That long stretch though, oh my goodness,” she said remembering the last few yards of her leg.
This year was the second time for Americans to participate in the annual event, but it was the first for station commanding officer, Col. Michael O’Halloran, who sprinted for a chance at fifth place. He missed it by mere inches, but later said it’s more about improving the relationship between the two armed services.
“We interact with the JMSDF on a whole lot of levels,” said O’Halloran. “For the most part it’s professionally. We provide air traffic control for them, we provide crash fire rescue, fuel, weather service and things like that.
“But part of a professional relationship is also things away from the flight line … and more social activities,” he added. “All of it leads up to stronger bonds between the two of us. So this is a great example of really the JMSDF out reaching to us, asking us to participate and to have fun with them today.”
In the end, legs were tired but friendships were strengthened, and O’Halloran said he is glad for the time he spent with the JMSDF.
“We’re so lucky to have this organization on this base. They couldn’t be better hosts as a host nation. They couldn’t be nicer people to interact with professionally, to hangout with socially. An event like this, it really shows it all.”