At a press conference in Osaka on Dec. 22 the Kansai Region University Athletics Association announced the launch of the new National Mixed Gender University Invitational Ekiden Feb. 21 on a road loop course in Osaka's Nagai Park. Run on a 3 km loop, the course will consist of six stages, 3 km, 2 km, 4 km, 3 km, 2 km and 5 km, totaling 20 km, with three men and three women from making up each school's team.
19 universities have committed to taking part. From the Kansai region, participating teams are Osaka Gakuin University, Osaka Taiiku University, Kansai University, Kansai Gaikokugo University, Kwansei Gakuin University, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kobe University, Kobe Gakuin University, Bukkyo University, Ritsumeikan University, and a Kansai Region University Select Team. From the Kanto region, Juntendo University, Josai University, Takushoku University, Chuo University, Tsukuba University, Tokai University, Toyo University and Nittai University are scheduled to run. Four national public universities, Tokyo University, Hitotsubashi University, Kyoto University and Osaka University, will also compete.
KRUAA long distance director Teruo Ito discussed the reasons for the new race, commenting, "We want to launch a new ekiden. By having our student athletes compete against the best from the Kanto region we want to elevate the level of Kansai region athletics. The best feature of this new event is that it makes it possible for 800 m and 1500 m athletes to compete as well."
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translated by Brett Larner
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