Runners, take you mark. Wow, there are so many people.
Get set. OK, I’ve trained hard for this race. Let’s do this!
Go. And I’m off!
With “Brian from Boston” written in magic-marker on the front side of my shirt, and “Virgin Marathoner” on the back, I embarked on my first marathon a little nervous, but in high spirits. The race was the Marine Corps Marathon, which winds its way through the monuments and historic buildings of Washington, DC. A couple hundred years of history is a nice distraction from the grind of the such a long run.
While Yokohama has tons of history, its marathon is still in its infancy. On Sunday, March 13th, Yokohama will host the 2nd running of its namesake marathon. There are no historic finishes or famous duels between runners to talk about yet, so if you are running, maybe this is your chance to be part of building that history. For those who aren’t ready for the full 42.195km race (note that there is a 6 ½ hour time limit), there is also a 10km race that might be more suitable. The 10km race also has a wheelchair category as well as a 2km wheelchair race for sprinters or athletes new to the sport.
The marathon will start at Minato Mirai Ohashi Bridge near Yokohama Station and the route will take runners along the scenic harbor all the way to Yokohama South Market (near Sugita) and back to the finish at the Pacifico. The final stretch passing Yamashita Park and the Red Brick Warehouse should be full of spectators to give the runners final shouts of encouragement.
Buoyed in great part by the cheers of the crowd, I was able to finish my first marathon just a shade under my target time. So when the roughly 25,000 expected runners hit the pavement this month, remember that they need you! I will surely be in attendance to return some good karma. Hope to see you there, too.