Sakura Marathon Racw (The 34th)

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2015 Weather: Sunny then cloudy

Location: Sakura City, Chiba Pref.

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�@T-shirt(Back)


Impression

• According to weekly weather forecast, it would be cloudy on Sunday. However, to my regret, the forecast changed to be cloudy then rainy on Saturday. I felt a little bit depressed since I had to run in the rain similar to last year's run.
• Anyway, I left home at 5:30 AM. It was fine in the early morning. It was still cold, but the temperature would be around 20 degrees Centigrade during daytime.�A
• As usual, I got into Keisei limited express bound for Narita from Nippori Station. The train was not so crowded and I could easily get seat.
• The train reached Keisei Sakura Station at 7:40 AM. I walked from the station to the marathon site. It was still sunny and warm. I sweated when I reached marathon site.
• I got a T-shirt at the reception and went to ball park to change wears. I wore a short-sleeve T-shirt and half pant. It's a right selection.
• After changing wears, I went to athletic field for start. A strong wind was blowing there, but it was not a cold wind.
• Full marathon race would start at 9:30 AM. When started, it was sunny and warm. The temperature was 16 degrees Centigrade. The loss time was 2 minutes.
• The downward course from athletic field was so crowded and it was dangerous. I ran in a careful manner.
• The strong wind continued to blow. I had to run against strong wind until I reached Keisei Sakura Station.
• The temperature was higher than expected and I sweated until I passed 5 km point. But wind could ease hot condition.
• This year, 30 pace-runners were arranged. The top pace runners would run just in 2 hours 50 minutes. 3-hour pace runners would run in 3 hours. The following were: 3-hour 15-minute runners, 3-hour 30-minue runners, 3-hour 45-minute runners and so on.
• I could catch up with two pace-runners just before 10 km point. First, I could not identify them. Soon I found they were 4-hour 15-minutes runners. I ran with them for a while, but I lost sight of them when I stopped at water supply point. Since then, I could not find them.
• I could finally get food at 10-km water supply point. I had 2 breads and could get energy.
• I managed to pass both 15-km and 20-km points. It was getting cloudy around 19-km point. The wind was still blowing, but I did not feel cold.
• After passing 20-km point, I felt a little bit tired, but continued to run as much as possible.
• It was reported that the cherry blossom was in full bloom at Ueno Park, but the cherry blossom alongside Imba Lake was almost bud stage. Instead, the yellow flowers of forsythia were in full bloom.
• I could pass 30-km point. I continued to run at full stretch to 34-km point.
• After 34-km point, the course was in the paddle field. From here, every year, I felt the distance to the finish was so far away and it was so hard for me to run to the finish.
• I felt so tired, but I tried to run at my own running pace.
• At 38-km water supply point, a small piece of sponge cake which contains carrot cropped in Sakura was served. I got two pieces. They were so sweet.
• I finally reached 40-km point. I felt the distance from 35-km point to 40-km point was so far, but only 2 km remained.
• I ran very slowly during last 2 km. It was so hard to run up the last 500-m slope to the athletic field, but I continued to run with very slow pace.
• The finish time was 4 hours 25 minutes. I am satisfied with the result since I could finish the race within 4 hours 30 minutes.
• When I was going back to the station after changing wears at ball park, someone called my name.
• I wondered who it was. It was a young guy of running mate. He said he joined the race by himself. He was changing wears very close to my position and found me!
• He said "Let's have a drink!". I agreed with him. We got off at Keisei Tsudanuma Station. We found "Hidaka-ya" in front of the station. We enjoyed drinking beer and Japanese sake there for almost one hour. When we got off the train, it started to rain. We were lucky that it did not rain while running.
• I was a little bit drunken and got on the Keisei train. I reached home around 18:30.
• I was happy that it was warm and easy to run this year.
  
  
  
  Records
  

  5 km	31 minutes
  10 km	1 hour 00 minute
  15 km	1 hour 31 minutes
  20 km	2 hours 02 minutes
  Middle-point	2 hours 08 minutes
  25 km	2 hours 33 minutes
  30 km	3 hours 05 minutes
  35 km	3 hours 36 minutes
  40 km	4 hours 10 minutes
  Finish	4 hours 25 minutes

  
  

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