Runners Magazine Tokyo 10-km Summer Race
Place: Showa Memorial Park (Tachikawa-City, Tokyo)
Date: Sunday June 10, 2001

Details of Race

Race	10 km	Time Limit	*	1400 runners
	10 km (Pair)		*	600 runners
	5 km		*	400 runners
Entry Fee	Yen 3,000 to Yen 4,500
Contact	c/o Runners Magazine 2-6-3, Higashiyama, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8563 TEL:03-5459-3821
Gift	One of the followings if you enter in advance:T-shirt, Towel, Bag, Hold-up Chair, Leisure Sheet, Cap
Free Service	Sports-drink, Banana, Ice-candy
Remarks	Youcan enter on the marathon day. (June 10, 2001) However, the entry fee becomes expensive.

Images

 
Reception on the marathon day Crowded General Reception

Junior's Race Start
 
Records & Impression

• It was dull weather in the morning. It seemed to almost start raining.
• Since the start of 10km race was 13:15, I did not need to hurry in the morning this year.
• On Friday, I got a message from my E-mail-friend, Ms. Katharina in Germany, saying "Let's see at the Showa Memorial Park on Sunday!", which surprised me.
• She is a medical student who is staying in Nagoya for training from April to July.
• I left my home around 10:40 AM to look for her at the Park.
• I arrived in the Park before noon and immediately made registration.
• A lot of runners were standing in line to register. The site was so crowded. I wondered if I could meet her in the crowd.
• I sent message to her that I would wear red cap and wait in front of the reception around 12:30 PM. While I was taking photos in the crowd, she found me and helloed to me! We could easily meet beyond expectation.
• We talked each other and exchanged information until start time. She is now being trained at the hospital affiliated to the university in Nagoya City, Japan. She will go to Canada next to Japan!
• Well, as to 10 km races, both ladies and men over sixties started at 13:10.
• Five minutes later, men's race started. Runners around me were all men! (I don't like such a race!)
• I was standing almost in the behind. The number of runners was more than that of last year since it was not rainy. Therefore, it took more than one minute to pass the starting point.
• Somehow, I could not run fast as I expected for the first round (first 5 km).
• The temperature was not so high, however, it was so humid that I sweat very much.
• To my surprise, one top runner passed me before I finished the first round. He was really fast!
• While running the second round, I finally got the usual running pace and could pass the other runners one by one. But it was too late!
• Anyway, at the 9 km point, I could catch up with Ms. Katharina! (She said she would be happy if she could finish within 50 minutes.) I said "Fight!" to her while passing her.
• The goal time was 52 minutes 39 seconds (Gross).
• For me, it seems that the 10 km race finishes in a moment lately.
• At the goal point, runners reached successively and it was so crowded like rush hours.
• I managed to get sports-drink, however, I gave up ice-candy and banana since those boothes were so crowded.
• After finishing the race, both me and Ms. Katharina went to JR Tachikawa Station on foot chattering each other.
• We entered Japanese restaurant in the Station Building. We toasted with beer (me) and Ume-shu-sour or plum-wine-sour (Katharina). She said she liked plum wine very much.
• We talked a lot and had Japanese soba(buckwheat)-noodle which she liked. We had a good time.
• I learned that the marathon races in German are all full marathon (42.195 km)!
• She would once return to his friend's house and go back to Nagoya by night highway bus! I therefore saw her off on the train of JR Nambu-Line at Tachikawa Station.
• (A sequel: She went to Tokyo Station at that night with heavy luggage, however, found that the bus had been already occupied! As a result, she was forced to come back to Nagoya next morning by Shinkansen! What a pity!)
• Then, I left for home. However, I met heavy thunderstorm at Shin-akitsu station. I was throughly wet when I came home! But I was relieved that it did not rain during the race.

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