Wakashio Marathon Race (The 34th)

Date: Sunday, January 26, 2014 Weather: Cloudy

Location: Tateyama City, Chiba Pref.


Details of Race�FRefer to the 21st Wakashi Marathon Race.


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Shoe Strings

Records

5 km	31 minutes
10 km	1 hour 00 minute
15 km	1 hour 30 minutes
20 km	2 hours 00 minute
Middle Point	?
25 km	2 hours 32 minutes
30 km	3 hours 06 minutes
35 km	3 hours 43 minutes
40 km	4 hours 19 minutes
Finish	4 hours 35 minutes

Impression

• According to weekly weather forecast, it had been rainy on Sunday. The temperature would be more than 10 degrees Centigrade. But I was reluctant to run in the rain under cold condition.
• Anyway, I left home before 5:00 AM to catch the first train from Higashi-kurume Station. It was not rainy, but almost cloudy. The moon was shining. It seemed to rain before dawn, because the road was wet. I was glad that the rain stopped and that it was not so cold.
• I reached Tokyo Station past 5:50 AM via Ikebukuro. I managed to catch the highway bus to be left at 8:10 AM bound for Tateyama. The driver said 6 buses from Tokyo Station and 3 buses from Shinjuku Station were prepared for Wakashio Marathon Race.
• The bus went smoothly. From the bus, I could see dark clouds above Tateyama City. It might be rainy there.
• As scheduled, the bus arrived in the marathon site at 7:45 AM. It was cloudy and warm. Strong wind was blowing.
• One of my running mates who lodged in on Saturday already reached and set up a tent. There were not so many people and I could find it easily. He said it had rain heavily around 4:00 AM. Anyway, it would be lucky that the rain stopped. Soon two more running mates joined us.
• I still had enough time for start, I decided to stroll around. I found a booth serving free cup of sweet bean paste soup with rice cake and small baked sweet potato. The line was not so long and I could easily get them and appreciated to eat. I am not sure if such a booth was set previously.
• It had been cloudy until start time. But the sun appeared slightly. At that time, it was getting so warm, but the strong wind continued to blow.
• Lately, I joined Wakashio Marathon Race every year. I found that this is the 11th participation to the race. It was announced that almost 7,000 runners joined full marathon race. I remembered that around 3,000 runners joined the race when I first came to the race. The marathon is surely booming.
• As usual, full marathon race started at 10:00 AM. The temperature was 14 degrees Centigrade. It was abnormally warm.
• Loss time was almost 2 minutes. While running seashore, strong wind from the sea was blowing. But the wind was not cold.
• I could run even running pace 6 minutes per 1 km until 20 km point.
• The sun sometimes appeared and it was getting hot while running. I wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, but I should wear a short-sleeve T-shirt this time.
• After passing 20 km point, I felt a little bit tired and my running pace slightly slowed down, but I tried to continue to run as much as possible until 25 km point.
• I could run up steep slope after 30 km point. As usual, I could get small rice ball and hot tea at privately operated aid station around 32 km point.
• The course was again alongside the sea after 33 km point. The wind stopped and it was getting hotter.
• I was getting exhausted and my running pace further slowed down, but I managed to run.
• Just before 35 km point, a 4-hour 30-minute running pace maker passed me. But I could not follow him.
• Finally I reached the point 4 km to the finish. My running pace slowed down, but I did not want to walk.
• I felt that the finish was far away during last 2 km. I could not reach the finish although I ran as much as possible. Actually, my running pace was almost the same as that of walking.
• Several gals passed me, but to my regret, I could not catch up with them.
• The finish time was 4 hours 35 minutes.
• This time, I was completely exhausted. I sat down on the chair in an absent sort of way for a while.
• Coming back to myself, I got a certificate and back to the tent. All other mates were already there. It was getting cold. Anyway, we had a toast with canned beer and went to the bus stop of shuttle bus. However, a lot of runners were waiting the bus.
• We decided to walk to the station. In front of Tateyama Station, we went into Japanese pub. We thought it would be crowded with runners, but we could get seats without problem. We enjoyed all-you-can-drink party there for 2 hours.
• I felt better and got on the highway bus to be left at 18:30 bound for Tokyo Station.
• There was no traffic jam and the bus arrived in Tokyo Station after 2-hour drive.
• This year, the prize for participation was a set of shoe strings. I feel that the quality of prize is getting deteriorated year by year.

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