The female Ekiden team (track and field athletic club) of Iwatani started its full-fledged activities from April 1.

The club invited Hisakazu Hirose as manager who grew many top runners including Mizuki Noguchi of the gold medalist of marathon in the Athens Olympic Game. Its first target is to win the All-Japan Women’s Ekiden Championship with six middle-distance runners. The director of the club will be Akira Ohta, managing director of the company aiming to implement activities for regional and social contributions through sports.

Iwatani has so far been engaged in the social and cultural contribution activities including the support of the NHK Symphony Orchestra and sponsorship of art exhibition. As for the sports-related contribution, Iwatani has been supporting an American football team.

Team Director Ota described the significance of founding the Ekiden team, “We are supplying LP gas to 3.1 million households across the country. Ekiden which is held at many regional areas will make the local inhabitants feel close and familiar. In addition, the style of Ekiden handing over a sash to the next relay runner requires a good teamwork which has something to do with our corporate activities. We have been trying to enhance our social contribution activities as a grouped citizens in the business field. The wish led us to founding this team.”

Hirose who has been devoting to the development of top runners for 25 years in total spoke of his aspiration, “At first with ten or around runners we aim to break through the preliminaries in three years or so, and wish to be seeded leading to a top-leveled team. At the same time I would like to make efforts to foster marathon runners.”

In September of this year, a new dormitory will be complete in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture. Overseeing the Tokyo Olympics in three years, Iwatani’s new challenge has started.