5th Place Finish at the 2024 Izumo Ekiden!
The Ivy Select team ran to its best finish ever at the Izumo Ekiden and finished 5th overall in a time of 2:12:18 for the 45.1km race. The historically strong team ran up front from the gun and delivered on their potential. You can read more about the race in our blog post and in the recap from Japan Running News.
​​The race is also available to watch on demand on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RasUsreJ9pQ
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Full results are here.
Ivy League Ekiden Mission
Each year, a group of Ivy League runners is invited to Japan to compete against Japanese universities in the Izumo Ekiden in October.
The Ivy Ekiden OBs ("old boys" / race alums) support the Ivy League Select team in the Izumo Ekiden by promoting elite athletic performance and creating opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange in what is a life-changing trip to Japan for young Ivy League distance runners.
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The components of this include:
Building and strengthening a connection between the community of alums— who were all selected for this team because they were elite Ivy League athletes that chose to continue running competitively after college— who share in this special experience.
Facilitating a strong connection between the Ivy League running community and the IUAUJ, the body of Japanese college athletics that invites the Ivy League Select Team to Izumo every year.
Designing and creating a trip to Japan each year that both offers athletes time to prepare for the race and offers them time to deeply experience the different aspects of Japanese culture that many of us found so powerful to be exposed to at that age.
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For young athletes who have been "at the top of their game" as both students and athletes, we hope this trip fulfills its potential to inspire international and intercultural connection, athletic and professional excellence, and a desire to see, understand, and connect with more of the world.
