The Tokyo Marathon, was held on March 3rd, is one of the stand-out events on the world’s sporting calendar and one of Asia’s most popular marathons, in which up to 38,000 runners participated.
During the race, marathon lovers were able to enjoy the beauty and contrasts offered by the Japanese capital. Tokyo is a diverse, cosmopolitan city that is constantly evolving, with runners able to enjoy the quaint charms of every corner and the dynamism of the city every step along the way. Participants were able to experience an endless range of activities and events held in the city, where sport also has its place.
Japan’s capital city offers tourists the chance to experience a vast range of activities. These include water activities in the Izu and Bonin Islands, with the latter declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as land-based and outdoor activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, camping and fishing. Running, one of the world’s most popular sports, is well catered for in Tokyo, with the city boasting a selection of purpose-built facilities for this activity. Meanwhile, Tokyo’s marathons attract amateur and professional runners alike from all corners of the world.
The Tokyo Marathon is one of the sporting world’s most important events and one of Asia’s most popular marathons, attracting up to 38,000 runners. It’s a large-scale, accessible sporting event which attracts runners from all around the world, including mass participation from Japanese runners (there are only a handful of countries that enjoy the sport as much as Japan) and thousands of spectators, making this event a true spectacle.
The 2019 Tokyo Marathon, was the 8th edition of the event, with the route exhibiting the contrast and harmony between Japanese tradition and modernity. There were two race types for participants which both share the same starting point: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
The longest and most demanding race was the Marathon, the showpiece event.The route passed through the capital city’s most prominent districts including Iadabashi, Kanda, Nihonbashi, Asakusa’s Kaminarimon, Ryogoku, Monzen-Nakacho, Ginza, Takanawa, Hibiya and Tokyo Station/Gyoko-Dori Avenue. This race was also officially recognised by the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The shorter, 10km race, meanwhile, passesed through some of Tokyo’s most well-known districts, including Iadabashi, Kanda and Nihonbashi, for which participants were allocated a maximum time limit of 1 hour 40 minutes to complete.
