Tokyo Weekender - February 2016

12 | FEATURE | TOKYO MARATHON
Imperial Palace
A favorite spot for runners who jog
alongside the moat of this Tokyo
landmark throughout the year, it’s a
natural location for spectators to get
set up to watch the runners in the
early stages of the race go by.
Ginza
Many participants recall the
billboards and fancy store fronts
of glitzy Ginza as something that
helped keep them upbeat during the
final kilometers of the marathon.
It’s also one of the areas where the
course makes a sharp turn, making
it a thrilling place to watch the
wheelchair competitors.
Tokyo Big Sight
There’s nothing like seeing the
runners crossing the finish, whether
they’re coming in at world-class pace
or setting their own personal bests.
Expect plenty of crowds, and a warm
atmosphere—rain or shine.
A
quintessential demonstration of
training, resilience, and determination,
the marathon is an event
that demands an intense pace from
elite runners over the length of its 42.195km
(26.2 mile) course and from less experienced
runners, sometimes just the willingness to put
one foot in front of the other.
The Tokyo Marathon was first launched
in 2007, but elite marathons have been held
in the world’s largest city since 1979. This impressive
pedigree quickly made it one of the
top runs on the world marathon circuit, and
by its sixth year, it had joined Boston, London,
Chicago, New York, and Berlin in the Abbott
World Marathon Majors, a yearly series of six
races that draws the world’s best long-distance
competitors.
A RACE FOR ELITES AND
AMATEURS ALIKE
Standouts in a strong international field this year
include Kenya’s Emmanuel Mutai, Dickson Chumba
(the course record holder), and Bernard Kipyego,
as well as Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) and Stephen
Kiprotich (Uganda). Two of the best Japanese
male runners to look for are Masato Imai and
Arata Fujiwara. On the women’s side is a strong
Ethiopian contingent, including last year’s winner
Birhane Dibaba, Aberu Kebede, and Shure
Demise, with Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat in the pole
position. Hiroko Yoshitomi and Yukiko Okuno
lead the pack of Japan’s elite female runners. The
Tokyo Marathon is an Olympic qualifying event
for the Japanese men, so there will be a little extra
on the line for some members of the pack.
Another group to pay attention to are some of
the speedier competitors on the road: the wheelchair
marathoners. The Tokyo Marathon course
is generally flat, so it is an ideal place to break
records—if the weather permits. This year marks
the first time that international elites have been
invited to compete in the Tokyo Wheelchair Marathon.
Domestic athletes like Hiroyuki Yamamoto
and Kota Hokinoue will have a berth in the 2016
Paralympics at stake and are going up against
a field that includes international stars such as
World Champion Joshua George (USA) and Ernst
van Dyk (South Africa), a multiple Paralympic
wheelchair event medalist and 10-time winner
of the Boston Wheelchair Marathon. Meanwhile,
on the women’s side, eight-time Tokyo Marathon
winner Wakako Tsuchida will be up against Tatyana
McFadden from the US, who won in Chicago,
Boston, New York, and London last year.
FEBRUARY 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com