Latest / At Your Own Pace / Tokyo Marathon 2026 Special Edition Episode

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Tokyo Marathon 2026 Special Edition Episode · At Your Own Pace

• Speaker 1: you Sorry folks, you know I had to do that. I grew up on Dragon Ball Z, talking about this topic is something that I knew I had to bring this back into. But welcome everybody to the special edition Tokyo Marathon episode. I know I promised this to you about two weeks ago. I was hoping to release this on the month anniversary of the race, but... Life got in the way, my daughter got sick, I got sick. So I really appreciate your patience in this and I cannot wait for you to listen to this episode. I interviewed four incredible runners who ranged from all different backgrounds, experience levels. Some people running their first world marathon major, somebody getting their six star medal in everything in between. Charity runners, lottery runners, and their experiences within the Tokyo Marathon was just incredible. Now way this episode is format is that each individual was asked the same set of questions and we'll go through things like their own history with running, what it means to them, what brought them to Tokyo and their actual experience during the marathon, what surprised them, what it was like crossing the finish line, the most difficult thing. And then we'll talk about some tips and tricks and what the Tokyo Marathon overall meant to them. So I you all to sit back, relax and enjoy the stories of Maddie, Amber, Natty and Angela. Enjoy. Speaker 5: I am Angela, live in Hoboken recently. I used to live in Manhattan, so I do miss Central Park a lot. Speaker 4: My name is Maddie. Speaker 3: Amber down. Speaker 2: I'm Maddie Coons. live in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I grew up in Philadelphia. Speaker 1: And my first question is, what got you into running? Speaker 5: I moved to New York City right after college, which was more years ago than I wish at this point. But I did a little bit of running in college just casually with one of my friends. You know, she said one time, let's do a half marathon. I'm like, sure. Didn't train for it. Whatever. Kind of forgot about running. And then I moved to New York and found myself just, you know, I think a lot of people can relate to the sentiment that adulting is not. what you think it's going to be. Whether it's better, whether it's for worse, you're of just thrown into the world post-college and you're like, what do I do with myself? And that's where I found myself. And I think I was really just looking for community and to just like make some friends, honestly, and do something with all this free time that I had after work. And one day I put on a pair of shoes and went for a run on the East River. And then I did it again the next day. you know. tail is old as time. kind of just, once you start, you never stop. And so I become, I started to become really connected to A, feeling like I was a runner myself and B, wanting to find this bigger form of community. And that's where I started getting really involved in the New York Roadrunners races. So started signing up for all of those. Never thought I was going to do a marathon. Always was like, ⁓ people that run marathons could never be me. But I love doing halves. So I signed up for the women's half. was called something different at the time. It's just like almost 10 years ago now. It also wasn't hard to get into these races 10 years ago the way it is now. So, you know, it's a privilege to live here and be able to easily just like hop on over on a Saturday morning. But, you know, it was also just a different time in the running landscape. And so I was doing all these races. And then through that, I was, you know, training with friends who I was reconnecting with who also wanted to do the races and doing some group training and meeting people. And it really just sparked this identity within me, I think. Like I just woke up one day after investing time in this for a few months, then it became a year, then it became two years, and I just became a runner. Speaker 4: got into running October of 2024. So in February of 24, I had a weight loss surgery. Um, and then I started lifting to support my muscles. And then it was around October of that year that the weather was beautiful in Dallas. Perfect 60 degree weather. And there were all these people running and I live right off a trail. And so I came home and I told my husband like, that looks so much fun. Like, I wish that could be me. And he said, why can't it be you? And in my head, it was still the, you know, 120 pound heavier version of me. And I was like, well, I guess it could be me. So I decided to sign up for a half marathon to celebrate my one year post weight loss surgery. I was like, my goal is to just finish and really like to prove to myself that I can commit to the training. That was it. And I stuck with it. I far exceeded my expectations with regards to time. I learned lots of lessons and so I subsequently signed up for several other half marathons. And then I was like, well, for my two year post-surgery, it would be really cool to do a full marathon. Speaker 3: been running since 2018 when my mom and sister um bet me or dared me to do a 5k with them uh and then I just kept running they did not which is fine but I just kind of took that and became a part of my life I ran my first half marathon on February 29th 2020 right before everything got crazy um and uh that's really when I feel like I caught the bug and became a real, not that any runner's not a real runner, but that was like, okay, I'm in it, we're doing it, this is the thing. Immediately signed up for another half marathon and I've just kind of been keeping at it since. Speaker 2: I have always been a runner. I grew up mostly playing soccer, so running was just a part of that, but did a CYO track as a kid and then really got into running on its own in college, just as a coping good stress relief from studying and ran my first marathon in college. After really only doing one half marathon in high school, I just really thought that if I'm going to take a go at the distance, I'm going to go for it. So Philly Marathon was my first in 2014 and 12 years later, I just hit my 42nd marathon in Tokyo, which was my sixth star. So I am in it with the distance, but I'm finding more curiosity for the half marathon and less, I think. Speaker 5: I remember finishing my first marathon and kind of, mean, through the marathon, I felt miserable for sure. Your first marathon, you don't know anything. That's just, you could have the best coach. I'm a coach. I even tell my athletes like, you don't know anything. So I hated it throughout the process, but I got to the finish line and I did the thing that we all do as runners. And I said, when's the next one? ⁓ And it just, you know, has been kind of ingrained as a part of me ever since. Speaker 4: So I signed up for my first marathon that I did in November, and then ⁓ While I was training for my first marathon, I also got into the virtual New York city marathon. So peak week in training for my first marathon was actually a virtual one. So my first marathon was just me on the trails. So Tokyo was my third. ⁓ Speaker 3: My first marathon was a very small one in St. Pete in 2023. And then I ran Space Coast badly late in November, 2023. My third marathon was the New York Marathon, which I ran with Mikhailov Ultra, Team Ultra, which was really awesome. That's when I was like, okay, let's these big ones. They're kind of fun. And so then, I just randomly entered the lottery for Tokyo this year. I was talking to my husband. was like, you know, we've been wanting to go to Japan. Like if I get into this race, like that'll be a great reason to go to Japan. Right. And he was like, well, yeah. So I got in, so we did it. Speaker 1: What does running mean to you as more than just a sport? Speaker 2: Running means that you can set your mind to something and accomplish it, whether that's in running. But I just think it's the metaphor for life, as one would hear many times. But if you can picture something that sounds impossible or something that you haven't done yet, I think running means there's a way that you can get there. You can take chunks along the way. You can break the goals down into smaller, achievable ones. As you set the big And the small goals, they don't have to all just be big lofty ones. There's lots of small goals you can set. Speaker 5: For me, it almost has become an identity. And I don't know if that's healthy to say, right? Because we are so much more than running, or so much more than our times, or so much more than you're doing for that one hour a day. But at the same time, it's brought me, when I think about what it means to me, it's brought me so much control over my life. And I've talked people about this before when everyone wants to know what's your why. For me, I think it became something that in a world of uncontrollables, I mean, we lived through COVID, I lived through several career changes, I went back to school as an adult, which was very like chaotic. And running has always been the constant, first of all, and second of all, it's been the thing that I completely choose on my own. Speaker 4: And running has really helped define one, appreciating my body for what I can do rather for what it looks like. I'm not going to lie. I'm like, hello, quads. I see you. And, you know, I get excited about that. And also my relationship with food where like, before I've always approached food from a point of restriction and I'm like, no, I'm asking my body to do a lot. And so I really need to. ⁓ eat right not just from a weight loss standpoint or to support that weight loss but to support everything I'm asking my body to do. Speaker 1: How did you get into the race itself? Because I know the Tokyo Marathon is probably one of the most difficult world marathon majors to get into. Speaker 2: I went the charity route. I, from starting the majors, I sort of always knew Tokyo would be the finale where I would get the six star medal. And this was way before they added Sydney, which happily have already gotten, which is awesome. Just being a teacher, Tokyo was at the time the furthest distance away. I knew I would put that one off. So I entered lottery every year, but I never got in and I did enter charity for 2020. five. I just didn't bid enough. It's an interesting process of getting into the charity route. But I applied to one of the smallest charities for Tokyo. There was only 41 runners with the group. And it was Madre Bonita, which was a group that supports postpartum mothers in Japan with classes and programming. And I don't have kids myself yet. But this journey of the six star was something I wanted to accomplish before having kids. the The charity I went had a lot of connection for, I just felt passionate to apply through them. Speaker 4: The lottery. First time trying the lottery and I got in. So Tokyo picked me. Speaker 5: I actually had the opportunity to run with a charity. So I'm involved with Team for Kids. That's one of the groups that I do coach here through Roadrunners in New York. And so they offer spots to their like veteran charity runners. You can also apply if you're not, if you haven't done Team for Kids before. We do have a select number of spots for the marathons outside of just New York City, which a lot of people don't know. I was just fortunate to be chosen to get one of the spots because of my involvement with coaching and my interest in doing Tokyo and completing my six-star journey. So I raised, I think, over $5,000 for Team for Kids, which was really exciting. That money goes to funding the youth programs through Roadrunners, so kids can do all these races for free, which is really great. It's starting the foundation of running at a young age, providing after school and summer activities, I just, it's a cause I really love. So was really happy to get that spot and to represent them in Tokyo. Speaker 1: What was a moment during the Tokyo Marathon that you will never forget? Speaker 3: This was my first marathon that I felt like I really nailed it. did, my splits weren't exactly perfect, but I really, nailed the pacing. I nailed the fueling. I never hit the wall. I still had, you know, gas in the tank to push me to the finish line. And when I got to that later in the race, around 24 miles, and I was like, Amber, you're doing it. It's happening. I kind of started to tear up a little bit and I was like, Cause I was terrified prior to the start of the race. was sure some of the previous foot problems were going to, you know, kick up. I've been walking a lot all around Tokyo. So I was terrified at the start line. And I guess at mile 24, you know, everybody's there. The excitement is there. said, Amber, we're making this happen. We're doing it today. We're going to hit a great PR. It's going to be amazing. That was, that would be the moment. Speaker 5: There were a few. In a positive way, mean, the start line was just incredible. And walking to the start, I mean, as you said, it's really different being over there. It's different society than what we have here in New York. it's just so organized. So like, everyone's so friendly, so hospitable. It's so clean. I know everyone talks about that ⁓ this race, but it is true. Like cleanest porta potties, no gels on the ground. organized through a T well oil machine. Um, and I just remember walking to the start and seeing the volunteers and you, you're not in a very scenic part of the city at the start line, but it is just cool to kind of be there. And I was just feeling almost emotional thinking about how fortunate I felt to be in Tokyo running a marathon. Who gets to say that? Like just something I never thought I would be doing. didn't think I'd be running marathons, definitely didn't think I'd be doing them in Tokyo. So it was a really just being in that crowd. think there was 50,000, again, don't quote me, but it was a really big crowd. And I just felt before the gun went off, like I felt so fortunate to be there. So that was a really a nice moment. Got really hot around mile like 17. That's another thing I'll never forget. You know, in every race you have that moment where you're like, even if you don't hit the wall, I had that moment where I was like, I'm in Tokyo. I'm way too far from home to have to go to hospital. Yes. It's time to pull back. So that was another thing I'll remember. And yeah, the other thing about Tokyo that I loved is the on course entertainment, whatever. mean, the cheerleaders on the side, they just had the most fun, like organizations out there. And there was one mile where it was a little like peewee little league team and they were so cute. They all had on their little league uniforms. And they were all like cheering from the sidelines. They don't really do posters over there, but to just see these little like baby kids cheering for everyone was really cute. Speaker 4: So for me, it was the whole experience from the expo and waiting in the corral and then just running. was my first major and just seeing so many people from different parts of the world and just talking to people and hearing their stories. Everyone has their own reasons for running a marathon and running a world major. And it was just so interesting. I was just so touched by so many people. And then I kept hearing just on social media how the people watching, they're quiet and there's not a lot of support, but that was not my experience at all. It just wasn't loud. There were so many people dressing up with signs and cheering and the volunteers were so incredible. Like they would have in their, they were wearing gloves and they would have in their gloves signs like, fight, fight or like you can do it. And I don't was just an amazing experience. Speaker 2: actually think what I'll never forget, which is just a testament to how small this big beautiful world is, is not so much. the race and that's going to sound crazy because I will always remember the race. It was so beautiful, so organized. But actually as I was sitting in the corrals before the race, because you kind of have to just get there super early, it was sitting on the curb, just kind of keeping to myself, people watching, which is one of my favorite things to do. And a man walks by and recognizes me and goes, you were at Sydney. And it was this Italian man. And immediately I'm like, Oh my goodness, how did you recognize me? Because before Sydney, it starts at 6.45, which is so early, which I prefer earlier starts. We can talk all about that. But he had sat down next to me on a curb in Sydney, literally same scenario, Alessio, and he recognized me because I was wearing the same cap. I was so impressed that he remembered me because we just had a conversation, but then we parted ways. We did not connect on Instagram or anything. And he, think I remember him mentioning he was doing Tokyo, but 40,000 runners. recognized ⁓ I knew and we got to talking again. And that to me is just like, ⁓ that gives me chills. And I really saw it as like, ⁓ today's going to be a fantastic day. I'm going to PR and I did it, but I just, that is the community of runners that you, you build you. love getting to talk to people at the start line and yeah, it was cool. Speaker 1: Did you, when you met him in Sydney, was it just like, like a random thing? Like he just sat down and you guys just started talking? Speaker 2: Yeah, it was just like Alphage Village. There was not a lot of space to sit. So I found a curb. It was dark. He sat down next to me. He was from Italy. And then we parted ways. And then he recognized me again. Speaker 1: on the flip side of that, what was the thing that surprised you the most about your Tokyo Marathon experience? Speaker 2: It was special. It was a cool turn to the finish. Like I think I wasn't prepared for it to be cobblestones at the end. I mean, now that I look back at people's pictures, I'm like, ⁓ yeah, there are cobblestones. But when that cobblestone switched, I'm like, ⁓ this is real. This is the turn. And I dare do not want to say underwhelming, but like my last finish was at the Sydney Opera House. Like just stunning to me. and this was super cool, but I actually think the cool part was like behind you as the runners, like the buildings, but it was just so special. Like you're next to the Imperial palace. I've had some really tough races where I just, I finished deeply disappointed. sometimes I'm mostly, I'm a positive person, but like a year ago around this time, I had what I would call my worst race, ⁓ I didn't even look at the watch at that point. I know I crossed and I didn't hit my time goal, but. I just looked around and was like, wow, I did it. Like I just said, I did it. And it was a beautiful day. It was warm, but I finished and I just didn't feel exhausted. Like I didn't feel like I could crumble. Speaker 4: So I feel like I spent the whole race crying. I cried at the start line. I cried halfway through. I cried at the finish line. And I was just like, I did it. Like, I did it. I don't know, even, just, two years ago, I struggled going up the stairs. And so like, something that I always think about is I couldn't put my daughter to bed. She was two at the time. because I couldn't physically walk up the stairs. It was hard without carrying a two-year-old, but I definitely didn't feel comfortable it, holding her. ⁓ like, I did it. And it's just, it's hard not to cry because I just, I could have never imagined me doing something like that. Speaker 3: just very, very grateful that I was able to make it there healthy to get through the race to finally run the marathon that I kind of feel like I've been able to and just hadn't successfully done. So yeah, it was a little overwhelming. very, you know, teared up a little bit, very grateful. Speaker 4: keeps coming in my head like how is this my life? This is you know, I like and I know I did that and I put in the miles and like I know I didn't just wake up and ran a marathon one day but like like it's it's crazy to me. Speaker 2: I think what I'll remember most from the finish is just how proud the volunteers were. They were so happy for the runners. They were so congratulatory and just like, wow, you did it. And then they saw the sixth star and they're just like, whoa, you did it. So I think that's really special. I think that's the best part. Speaker 5: For me personally, it was probably how well my fueling and nutrition held up. So I had a really bad experience with that in Berlin. I thought I was just eating carbs in the days leading up to it. And I don't know if it was the water or the time adjustment, whatever, but I had a really bad stomach problems in Berlin. So I was nervous going into Tokyo that ⁓ of the travel and adjusting to different food, I was going to have similar issues. So was really conservative leading up to the days during the race. And thankfully made it through the whole race, no issues. I also changed gels for this training cycle, have been, you know, that's always a scary thing to play with fueling, but it's been really successful. like on my personal journey, that was, I was happy about that. I think everyone talks about how easy it is to carb load in Tokyo. it is true. Like you can pretty much find rice. Like carbs anywhere. But I was really, I was nervous about that. And I know a lot of other runners who travel are so hopefully that will ease some people's concerns. For the race itself, yeah, just how organized it was again, like, I couldn't believe that people really followed the rules about littering. There was not a cup on the ground, which was so nice as the runner to not to be worried about tripping over cups. Gels, like I saw somebody actually drop a gel and a volunteer came out immediately and picked it up. It was like, it was crazy. But I was joking to my friends. I think my sneakers were cleaner after the race than they were when I put them on before. was, you know, candidly, it was not the most exciting finish line. I know you've done the race and you know, you're used to, I've run other majors and run like some small, like some races out in California, Philly. You know, you're used to like a big finish line, a lot of camaraderie, a lot of cheering. It's just not really the culture over there. So I crossed the finish line and I'm kind of like. Is this it? Like, am I done? Like, there's not, it's not loud. There's no, like, announcer. to see my teammates from New York there, and I actually ended up finishing at the same time as another team for Kids Runner. So we crossed together. That was, again, just like a pinch me moment. Being like, how did I get so lucky to find this community that is halfway across the world supporting this, excited for this, cheering for this. I accomplished this goal. with someone else, which was really exciting. Another Team 4 Kids teammate. So it was, it was a really special moment to cross that finish line. And it was hot. I was really happy to be done that day. Speaker 2: The finish was more just like an internal feeling of pride and instead of taking it in like I did with Sydney, cause I was just like, this is incredible. But with Tokyo, it was more like, well, I am incredible. This is so cool what I just did. And it's done. Like to finish a journey like that is sometimes people kind of get that like, what do I do now? And I get emotional with that cause it's like. I know have Boston, but like, I'm not gonna go and chase the six again. That isn't a goal I have set for myself. I'll do Cape Town and Shanghai one day, but to know that this is an end of a journey is like, that was super cool to finish with. Getting that medal and having this like nostalgia for all of these races I've done and the memories that are flooding with like, ⁓ my gosh, I remember when I was 23 and running Chicago. Like I have, I'm 31. I've been chasing the majors for eight years. took eight years. And to get this at 31, like I just feel very proud that that was something I set out in my twenties to do. And a lot of people in their twenties are racing marathons now, but that wasn't a big thing when I was starting over 10 years ago. And as the woman who's like, they say thirties are like the peak of your running. Like I'm just getting started. I have so many goals still that I want to do. But. to go to Berlin by myself and run that race, like to go to Boston as many times as I can. I've gone a couple times now and every year is so different. And so all of those stories were sort of flooding through my head as I got that. But yeah, you see someone else with it and you just have this like, it's like the Jeep wave. You're like, great job, you too. Like there's this story connecting people of like, you're gonna get there one day and it's just so cool. Speaker 3: It was a little more chaotic and loud than I expected. Everybody kind of going in told me, Tokyo is a little quieter. Spectators are a little more reserved. And I don't know if it was just there was a bunch of folks from the US there. ⁓ cause there were also a lot of Japanese people in the crowd, but it was not that it was still, I mean, it New York, obviously, but it was still a lot of crowd support. I actually wore my name on my shirt in English and Japanese as well. don't know if that did anything, but I liked it. So I did, you know, hear even from, you know, the Japanese spectators, you know, yelling my name. so it was definitely just a lot more active and than I expected, which was great. Speaker 4: So definitely the crowds and the overall experience, but something that I wasn't prepared is, ⁓ never had done an international race. I had to decide, am I here to run my best race and get that PR and it's time more important than the overall experience. So I was on pace and I was feeling fantastic until the 35 kilometers came and I hit the wall hard. I know why, because I didn't carve low down. wasn't as rusted as I should have. And so that was really challenging, especially because I was so close. I was like, I was so close and yet like, it got, it got hotter and I just, I really, really struggling. But even though I was struggling, I was like, at no point did I feel like I wasn't going to finish. ⁓ just, was like, Hey, now you actually need to take in the course a little bit more because I don't. I'm the kind of runner I'm learning that at some point I kind of block everything out. Like Tower of Tokyo, I don't remember passing it. I know I did, but I remember it. And so I was like, okay, well, now we're gonna do run walk and that's okay. And we're just gonna take it a little easier and then try to sprint ⁓ finish line to finish strong. Speaker 1: What was the toughest moment of the race for you? Speaker 2: To have a race feel so good for so many miles, you just like have the confidence that it's going to be your day and everything's going to be great. You hit splits. Like I was nailing the splits for the goal I wanted, like clockwork. And things felt great until they didn't. You hear many times that a marathon starts at mile 20. Like the last 10K is really where the race begins. And I do believe that. I do think that. It's a lot of miles. Like I've done many marathons, but it owes you nothing. And I, I've run the pace that I was going for. It was a lofty goal. was going for like a six minute PR and I've been training super great. And I don't believe I went out too fast. Like someone will say, oh, you go and burn yourself out. I don't believe that, but I did hit mile 20, more like mile 17 and the sun started really impacting it. For a while, I was in like the shade of some of the buildings, but it was quite sunny. And you're just exposed ⁓ the sun on those like last two ⁓ outbacks. And I think that what got me going still was you see so many people running the reverse route. Seeing people who have, are running what you have already done or you're seeing elites who are running ahead of you. That kept me going, ⁓ I dealt with some stomach issues. ⁓ like pretty immediately, like that it was, I was on pace and then I couldn't stomach a gel past mile 17. So I was only able to take in three gels for the whole marathon, which not so great, especially as a coach. I hear that I'm like, oh, that's hard, but it's hard to keep propelling your body forward when like internally you just, you just can't. So Part of me did not really look at my watch for the pacings or just to see how much moving time, stopping time I was doing. I did need to walk a little bit, but when I was running, I was doing fine. It was just like needed to stop and mile 25 was the toughest. think I had about four total minutes in that just as a full stop, like on the side of the course, not feeling great. I do think back and I'll probably always connect it to like the creative foods I was eating. My body was fine. I truly believe my legs and physically I was strong and ready to do what I want to wanted to do. But that's just one piece of the puzzle. You have to listen to your body. And so yeah, it's either getting to that finish line, however you can, or it's like a lot of professionals when their race is not their race, they like drop out and that's just, that's how professionals do it. But the average person's like, I'm going to get to that finish line. And the person getting their six star medals, like I'm absolutely getting to that finish line. And so it was just this like negotiation of like, you've done five miles so many times in your life, like you will get there. while wasn't the time I wanted, it was a time that three years ago I would have killed for. And so it's, a lot of perspective to this whole week of just like. It's still an incredible time. Like someone's dream is someone's disappointment. And I feel very proud. And at the end of the day, no one cares about the numbers. We care so much, but no one cares because this, like the six star medal is the experience that I went out to do. And the majors are just a really hard race to PR in. They're so busy and crowded. And I just feel grateful that it was a beautiful trip and a beautiful race. So I'm proud. Speaker 3: There was a point when I was standing in the corral before it even started the race, one that I was already cold already. And then another that I was like, the sun is already out, it's already warm. And even though I live in Florida, I do not do well in the heat. And so I kind of got in my head a little bit that this was going to be a mess. I, again, was very concerned and like I said, terrified that, you know, if it gets super warm, super fast, we're going to have a hard time. Thankfully, while it was a little bit warmer, especially for all those folks from, especially, you know, the north side of the U.S. that trained through an awful winter, I'm sure they struggled more, but it was never to the point that it interfered in my race. And so I was very thankful for that. But there was a couple of minutes where early in the first 10 miles, I was like, this is too warm for the first 10 miles of a race. Speaker 5: The course was not as interesting as I thought it was going to be. So I knew there were down and backs. That usually doesn't bother me. I like seeing people on the other side. I was looking for my friends and I got to see the pros at one point, which was really cool. But I expected it to be a little more scenic. And I really only remember one point in the course where there was a kind of like a building that was scenic, but it got a little boring at times for me. You definitely are running through. skyscrapers for a lot of that race. I don't think people really talk about that a lot. Speaker 2: I think what surprised me the most in a good way was how organized it really is. When people complain about they ran out of water, or they ran out of cups, that's obviously a really hard thing to deal with. But it was so organized that you almost have to step away from putting blame on the race. They did the best they could because they were as prepared as they could be. I think getting to the race and the security and just how, this is ⁓ testament to Japan as a whole of just how everything is set in motion. It's so clean. It's so organized. That was a good surprise because it was so efficient. I knew exactly where to go, what to do. The people with the bathroom lines were so helpful and it was all in a line. And then I think what surprises me over and over again with a lot of these majors is there's so many people and a lot of these majors keep growing. extending the number of runners, which is amazing for this sport. But to an extent, can the roads handle that many people? Can the course handle 5,000 more people? The race experience for everyone is so different. Like as someone who is chasing a time that I'm running, there are people running hours after me. And so I think about the experience of like the wide open road I felt like I had, where it was congested, but not crazy for most of it. I do see videos of other runners' experiences where it was so crowded. So I think that to me is the most surprising thing of just reminding everybody needs to remind themselves that like everyone's race experience is different. Someone who's worried about the course running out of water or medals, totally a valid thing to worry about. Speaker 1: If someone was thinking about running the Tokyo Marathon, what tips would you give them in order to make their race experience the best that it can be and help them prepare for the course itself? Speaker 4: The day before the marathon, do I want to focus on carb loading and resting my legs and hydrating or do I want to experience the city and be a tourist? And so for me, I'm like, I'm here for the experience. I was like, I am not going to hit my A-Goal because if you walk 17,000 steps the day before the race, like that's less than ideal. And I was totally okay with that. I flew in on Wednesday. And the race was on Sunday and I wish I would have had more time. I thought that would be sufficient to not feel jet lagged, but I did not sleep well a single night before the race. also, like we were talking about, this is a one in a lifetime experience. So if they are able to stay after the race and explore, I. I wish I would have been able to do that. It was just to experience the culture. ⁓ It would have been really incredible. Speaker 5: so many. Get there early. mean, that time change is no joke. And I mean, get to Tokyo early. The adjustment going there was not so bad coming home. It was brutal. I think it took me like two full weeks to adjust. yeah, give yourself like three full days before the race to just get in a sleep schedule, bring melatonin, Tylenol, PM, whatever works for you. Other thing I would say is like read the rules because it is different than a lot of the other majors, a lot of just races in general that you brought up the thing with water. Like they're very restrictive about what you can and can't bring in. So I'm someone who trains with a handheld and I didn't do it for this cycle because I knew that you can't bring it in Tokyo. They don't allow anything that's not like a sealed water bottle the course. that was like an adjustment that I had to make in my training that I probably wouldn't have known. ⁓ come race day if I hadn't paid attention to something like that. Speaker 2: The biggest thing is just embrace and prepare yourself for rejection, but prepare yourself also for like putting more oomph into your application. And like, if it's a charity route, it's a crazy bidding war of the charities. I do recommend you picking one that resonates with you. A lot of the charities will ask you to write the answers to some questions. So I know for the one that I went through, they do prioritize. your written response more than your monetary bid. It's not the same for all of them. Some of it's just like you bid more than you think the other person will. And there are like Reddit pages and Facebook pages to learn more about kind of the number that might get you into that charity and how many slots are allotted. But yeah, I would say like if Tokyo is the sixth star and you're like, I really have to do this this year, then It's just prepare yourself for maybe committing to a number that is more than you might feel comfortable with. But fundraising is such a special experience. If it's a lottery and you got in, then wow, that is amazing. That's awesome. And some of them are like tour groups. I do know there was a bunch of like Instagram like contests that happened for people to find ways and paths to get into it. But the majority route would be charity. Speaker 3: If you find yourself running this race in the future, give yourself plenty of time to get to the corral. I recommend, I went the day before, I did my shakeout run in the park there right before and made sure I knew exactly where the entrance is to my corral because even if you're staying at that, I think it's a hyatt right there. the one from Lawson Translation or whatever, the Hyatt right there, right by the racer. That doesn't mean that's where you get to walk in to the race area. You may have to walk half a mile, a mile around to find where your starting position is. So knowing where that was prior to morning up meant I had plenty of time to get to that location. I still had to make some adjustments there and some guy let me in some stairs and I got there, but. knowing where you need to go, giving yourself at least an hour to get in there, check your bag, use the restroom. They had us go through like a bag check area and then a aid station where we able to get water, PCORI sweat. I think they had like some calorie mate or something. And then we were able to go to the bathroom again if needed and then go to the corral. Give yourself time because if you aren't there... think 20 minutes prior to if you don't get into the front gate 20 minutes prior you're not you're not running the race today. Speaker 1: If you could describe the Tokyo Marathon in one word, what would it be? Speaker 3: say thoughtful. A lot of thought was put into the process for the race. Everything is well planned. Now, of course, it may not align with how you expect things to be planned because these are different people, different cultures, all of that. It is well planned and you just kind of need to follow the planning that has been provided for you. Make sure that you're reading everything. Make sure that you are listening to any instructions or reading any instructions that are available to you because there is a lot of intention and thought put into the way things are set up. as long as you go along with the intention that's provided and not make up your own rules. Speaker 4: Incredible. The whole experience, their culture there is so different from the U.S. And I feel you can really feel that cultural difference. Like there were no gels on the ground anywhere. Everything was so clean. Everything was so organized and just, and everybody. that was running really adhere to the rules and the rules really had to be respected and you were honoring that you were visiting this country. And so that was just really, really neat. then just getting to see the city and the sights of Tokyo while running it, it was just an incredible experience. I feel really, really privileged that I had the opportunity to run it and be able to go. Speaker 2: I'd say, gosh, it's so hard. Inspirational, just because it's inspiring to think that you can, for a lot of people, they're traveling to it. I know there's a lot of runners in Asia who will go, and it's not as far as a trip as for people in the US, but it is inspiring to step on a international start line. where people speak different languages, people are running for different reasons, people are running their first marathon and some are running their hundreds. Like, it is inspiring to be in a foreign city and be like, I am doing this thing. I mean, it was... Speaker 5: I would say surreal. was just for me personally, it was the most surreal experience. Again, just being, mean, Tokyo as a city is surreal. It just functions so much better. I don't know, I might get hate for saying this, it functions so much better than New York does. So just like being in a city ⁓ that amazing and like put together and doing a marathon there and experiencing that was really incredible. Speaker 2: love talking to people who are kind of working through their way to get into the majors. I just feel very inspired to continue seeing the world by foot and feeling lucky that I get to do this. Speaker 1: And there you have it folks the special edition Tokyo Marathon episode of at your own pace I cannot thank you enough for listening to this. I also cannot thank you enough for your patience I know I promised this to you about two weeks ago, and it just kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed so You being willing to wait for this episode and to listen to it in full means the world to me And I also want to thank my interviewees Amber Maddie and Natty because ⁓ This, I love speaking with runners about their experiences during races and about their running journeys and what brought them to specific races and what brought them to where they are today. to hear these stories ⁓ individuals coming from ⁓ world without running to now traveling the world to complete these world marathon majors is so inspiring to me and I hope it's inspiring to some of you. And it doesn't hurt that I absolutely just love the Tokyo Marathon. So this is an added bonus for me. If you think this episode is the last time that I'll interview individuals after a race, I have some news for you. I will be traveling to Boston this weekend to run the Boston Marathon and I will be interviewing runners at the Expo itself, which I did last year and I had such a great time that I knew I wanted to do this again. And I promise you this episode will come out a lot faster than this one. And then after that, begin season two of At Your Own Pace. I have some incredible guests lined up for this season and I cannot wait for you to hear their stories. Making a few changes to the season, but the premise still speaking with runners and hoping to motivate and inspire other individuals is still the focus of this podcast. So again, thank you for listening. And if you're not subscribed already, make sure you hit that subscribe button on whatever podcast platform you're listening to this on. I'm Mike from Mike Runs Marathons on every social media platform and I will see you in the next one. And remember to keep running your race at your own pace.