Tokyo Marathon 2024 – My 5th World Major

For marathon runners, one dream goal comes up time and time again in people’s bucket list: to run the six Abbott World Major Marathons. A prestigious set of races across the globe, held in Tokyo, London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York, these are some of the most sought-after races in the calendar. Gaining entry to these races isn’t straightforward, generally needing a lucky ballot entry (which is how I got into London and Chicago) or to take a charity fundraising place (as I did for Berlin and New York). For the more athletically gifted, there are also chances to qualify for some races by running a fast time, something that seems currently out of my reach!

With four marathon majors under my belt by the end of 2022, my sights turned towards Tokyo. There is a ballot which the public can enter to gain a ticket, but one of the easiest ways to get yourself a guaranteed entry is to take a charity fundraising place. Each year in around July, there is an application window where runners submit a fundraising pledge to the official charity partner of their choice – which were mostly local Japanese charities . Places go to the highest bidder, but with people being accepted with bids of around 140,000 Yen (approx £750), the fundraising commitment is the most manageable of all the majors. I applied to JEEF, the Japan Environmental Education Forum, who will be spending the money raised from the marathon campaign on providing healing weekend retreats in nature for children and adults who have experienced trauma – a cause I was more than happy to support!

With a place for the 2024 race secured, it was time to start planning the rest of the trip! Japan is such an iconic destination that we decided to really make the most of it and make it into a family holiday, instead of just flying in and out for the race itself. And I’m so glad we made that choice! In total we spent 10 days in Japan, staying in a small apartment in the Shinjuku area. We saw all the sights of Tokyo, with the kids really embracing Japanese culture and food. One of our absolute highlights was a day trip that we took to the Mount Fuji area. Blessed with blue skies and a breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountain, we visited idyllic villages with koi-filled ponds, sailed across lake Ashi, and rode a cable car over steaming volcanic vents. In the evenings we explored the little local restaurants that seemed to line every street in the city. Armed with basically no spoken Japanese and only our translation apps to guide us, we had the best time trying out all kinds of new and unusual dishes. Everywhere we went the locals were really excited to talk to us and thanked us for visiting Japan – such a friendly and welcoming city.

Before too long race day had arrived, and I set off from the apartment down to the starting area in Shinjuku. There had been plenty of pre-race worries, both for me and the other participants I had chatted to online. We had heard a lot about the rather strict sounding cut-offs, where the course would be shut by a ‘golden rope’ at predefined parts of the day, and also heard tales of incredibly long portaloo queues, not being allowed to carry any water, and instant disqualifications for dropping litter. So it was with a little trepidation that I made my way to my starting corral, on that freezing cold morning, wrapped up in disposable warm layers.

The elite runners were set off at 9:10 am, and I was surprised to see that we immediately started to move swiftly towards the starting line. I had been stuck in one of the aforementioned portaloo queues in the corral for the past 40 minutes, so was incredibly relieved that our walk to the start took us straight past a now empty bank of loos from corral A, which many of us dived into. My wave crossed the start line at around 9:30, and all of the 38,000 runners were on course by 9:40 am, making it the most efficient start process I had encountered. The sun was shining again on another beautiful blue-sky day, which really brought out all the vibrant colours of this incredible city. We ran through roads lined with shimmering neon skyscrapers, before turning a corner to discover views of ancient shrines.

The streets were full of smiling spectators, and I was surprised to see how many had turned out in fancy dress to cheer on the runners. I went past countless Mario’s and Luigi’s, along with the more elaborate Anime dolls and even a Mount Fuji! Due to the ban on carrying water bottles, I made sure to stop at nearly every aid station. Alongside the water we were offered the local special electrolyte drink Pocari Sweat (which luckily tasted better than the name might suggest!). The snacks on offer were equally intriguing, as I found myself eating custard buns, temple shaped cakes and even pickled plums. The route itself felt pretty flat and wide open, with lots of double-back sections giving you the chance to spot the elite runners and your friends going past on the other side. The streets were absolutely spotless and free of litter, everyone doing their utmost to respect the local culture of cleanliness. Before too long, the end was approaching, and the supporters shouted ‘gambare!’ an encouraging saying meaning ‘do your best’, and held up signs which read ‘fight’ which made me quite emotional. As we turned the final corner and passed under the finishing arch, exhausted and slightly sunburnt, we were wrapped up in beautiful brightly coloured towel ponchos, one of the best finish line momentos I have seen!

And so we were done! World Marathon Major 5 ticked off in style in a city that will hold so many memories for me. So much more than just a race, this trip will stick with me forever as a whirlwind of temples and cherry blossom, food and smiles, under the watchful gaze of Mount Fuji standing majestically against the bluest of skies.