Wakashio Marathon Race (The 35th)

Date: Sunday, January 25, 2015 Weather: Sunny

Location: Tateyama City, Chiba Pref.


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


Image


Cap

Records

5 km	30 minutes
10 km	1 hour 00 minute
15 km	1 hour 29 minutes
20 km	1 hour 58 minutes
Middle Point	2 hours 08 minutes
25 km	2 hours 31 minutes
30 km	3 hours 02 minutes
35 km	3 hours 37 minutes
40 km	?
Finish	4 hours 24 minutes

Impression

• I booked the highway bus to be left at 6:10 AM from Tokyo Station on January 25.
• I left home around 4:30 AM and took on the first train from Higashi-kurume Station. It was cold in the morning.
• The weatherman said it would be cloudy and occasionally sunny in Tateyama and the maximum temperature would be 12 degrees Centigrade.
• I arrived in Tokyo Station around 5:50 AM via subway.
• Six buses were prepared for the marathon race this year. My bus was the third. Luckily the seat next to me was empty. I could relax to the terminal. It was very warm in the bus and I could sleep for a while.
• Somehow the Aqua line was so crowded this year and it took time to pass it.
• The bus reached the marathon site around 8:00 AM. 15 minutes behind the schedule.
• After the registration, I looked for my running mates, but I couldn't. Anyway, I changed the wears. For coldness, I wore thick long-sleeve shirt together with running shirt.
• It was cold when arrived, but it was getting warm as the sun rose. No wind was blowing.
• The runners poured in the marathon site and the site was full of runners. I finally found the tent of my running mate and joined.
• We went to the starting point around 9:30 AM. It was warm.
• The full marathon race started at 10:00 AM. The loss time was 2 minutes.
• No wind was blowing and the sea was calm. I could not see Mt. Fuji owing to mist this year.
• Soon I started to sweat. I thought I should have worn short-sleeve T-shirt instead of long-sleeve shirt. Anyway, I continued to run with my sleeve rolled up.
• I could see only the white top of Mt. Fuji in the hazy distance just before 10 km point.
• I could get one cream bun at 10-km point aid station. I could get energy. I love this cream bun.
• At the initial stage I felt a little bit hot, but the cold wind started to blow and I felt comfortable with long-sleeve shirt.
• I could pass both 15-km and 20-km points without problem. I used toilet at 20-km aid station. The number of portable toilet at each aid station increased to five this year. It was very helpful. I lost several minutes here and the time at the middle point was 2 hours 9 minutes.
• After a long interval, I felt a runner's high from 23 km to 28 km and I could run with comfort.
• I managed to reach 30 km point although the running pace slightly slowed down.
• I could slowly run up the long slope after passing 30 km point.
• However, after getting rice ball and hot tea from privately controlled aid station just before 33 km point, I suddenly lost my vitality and slowed down..
• I could reach the return course alongside the sea. I felt down since I had to run up and down several times to the finish.
• However, this year, the return course was closed to vehicular traffic and thus runners could run on full one traffic lane. Therefore, I changed my mood and decided to run with my own pace to the finish.
• Finally I could reach the point 4 km to the finish. However, I was getting tired.
• I continued to run to the 2 km point with vigor. There I found one of my running mates was running slowly. He seemed to be tired. When passing him, I cheered up and said "Fight" to him.
• Then, he immediately started to dash and passed me. I could not catch up with him.
• I ran with my own pace during the last 2 km.
• The finish time was 4 hours 24 minutes.
• The gift for participation of this year was cap.
• Four members joined this time. The finish times of ours were around 4 hours 30 minutes. To celebrate the completion of the race, we cheered with canned beer and red wine in the tent.
• It was getting cloudy and cold. We went to the bus stop of shuttle bus, but a lot of runners were waiting there. We decided to walk to the station as we did last year..
• We tried to enter the Japanese pub in front of the station, but we were refused since the pub was full of runners. We visited nearby Sushi bar, but in vain. There seemed to be no other shop open on Sunday.
• Finally we managed to find another Sushi bar to be open from 17:00 located far from the main street. We could luckily enter there before 17:00. We enjoyed drinking draft beer and a bottle of red wine for one hour with Sushi.
• We got on the bus to be left at 18:00. We all slept in the bus to Tokyo Station. The bus reached there at 20:15.
• I came home just before 22:00. A long day!
• I was satisfied that I could complete the race after 2-month interval.

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