The 35th Oume Marathon Race

Date: Sunday February 18, 2001 Weather: Fine occasinally cloudy

Location: Oume City, Tokyo


Details of Race

Race	30 km	Time Limit	3 h 30 m	11,000 runners
	10 km		1 h 10 m	3,000 runners
Entry Fee	Yen 4,000
Contact	4-16-1 Kabe-cho, Oume city, Tokyo 198-0036 Secretariat of Oume Marathon Race TEL:0428-24-6311
Gift	T-shirt
Free service	Rice ball, Sports Drink
Remarks	Entry should be firstly made by postcard in August every year. If more than fixed number of entry is made, the members will be selected by lot.

IMAGES

 
Reception Reception 30 km Runners

T-shirt


Records & Impression

• This is my second participation to Oume Marathon Race. I joined the race in 1997 for the first time. At that time, I was overwhelmed by a large number of runners. That was my first experience of running 30 km. I could manage to complete the race within 3 hours (actually 2 hours 59 minutes!) and was very satisfied with the result.
• Oume city is not so far-away from my house. The reception of 30 km race was open up to 11:00 AM. Thus I left home around 9:00 AM. The train of Oume line was full of runners. I arrived in Kabe station at 10:00 AM.
• Two running mates would join me this time. However, to my regret, one of them called me in the morning and said he could not join since his condition was not so good.
• I met the running mate at the reception, then looked for the place to change wears. My mate said he could change the wear at the pub (!) last year. I had never thought such a thing! Anyway, we went to the pub where my mate visited last year. The cost was Yen 1,000 to change the wear there and ask to keep the bag.
• Last time, I didn't notice. However, I found a lot of restaurants/pubs near the starting points provided the place to change wears for runners and kept their bags during the race at cost! It seems to be a good business for them!
• Of course, it is possible to use public gymnasium free of charge. The merit of using restaurants/pubs is that it is possible to change the wear relaxedly and to use toilet freely.
• The weatherman said it would be cloudy occasinally fine. However, actually, it was fine occasinally cloudy and warm!
• The 30 km race started at 12:00.
• 11,000 runners started at a time. It took more than 5 minutes for me to reach the starting point. (My number was 7773.)
• Naoko Takahashi, Gold medalist of Sydney Olympics, joined the race and thus a large number of galleries also participated alongside the road.
• My split time: 5 km --- 34 minutes, 15 km --- 1 hour 32 minutes, 20 km --- 2 hours. (I could not make sure the time at 10 km since Naoko Takahashi just passed away the opposite side!)
• Runners can run on the whole road until almost 10 km point. However, after 10 km point, runners have to run the left side only since the forefront runners run back the opposite side to the goal.
• Naoko Takahashi ran away the opposite side with high speed while I was running around 10 km point. (She won the victory. The time was 1 hour 41 minutes which was the Japanese women's fastest record!)
• The Oume Highroad is very narrow. Therefore, the course becomes narrower when one-way is used for running. The road was crowded with lots of runners and it was hard to pass the others until I passed the turning point. (Almost 15 km point.) Sometimes, I even touched the other runners while running. I felt that it was a little bit dangerous to run such a narrow and crowded course.
• There were several water supply points. However, they were small size. It seemed that both sports-drink and water were provided. However, whenever I arrived the water supply point, only water was available! The water supply point was also crowded and runners were scrambling to get the water cups! I hate the bad manners of runners! The water supply point should be enlarged!
• I felt hungry and a little bit tired around 20 km point and thus I ate chocolates in my pocket. The galleries were also giving foods to runners!
• Thanks to the chocolates, I could continue to run in good condition. The time of the last 10 km was 52 minutes! The goal time was 2 hours 52 minutes! (Net time was 2 hours 47 minutes!) I was very satisfied with the result.
• After the race, we had an after-race party at the "Hot plate dish" restaurant. (Cook-it-yourself restaurant!)
• We ordered "Monja Yaki". I ate it for the first time and thus I did not know how to cook on the hot plate. The waitress taught us how to cook." However, I found I preferred "Okonomi Yaki" to "Monja Yaki".
• I felt good after drinking beer and arrived in my home around 6:30 PM.
  
  Note: Both "Okonomi Yaki" and "Monja Yaki" are cooked/baked on the hot plate. The dishes consist of flour, vegitable, meat and water. The main difference between "Okonomi Yaki" and "Monja Yaki" is the amount of water to be mixed.
  

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