Running

Running is a popular sport in Japan, and one of the few sports the country excels at in international competitions. The Women's Marathon Gold Medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics, Mizuki Noguchi, is a former student of Yamasho, in Ise. Japan hosts a ridiculous number of running events year round, but especially in the Autumn and Winter. Running events are typically referred to as マラソン, irrespective of the actual distance. Don't be thinking your elementary school kid who tells you about the "marason" she ran over the weekend is all that badarse; she probably did a 2km. Ekiden, essentially a long distance relay race, are also very popular in Japan.

Why Run in Japan?

Even if you're not really into it, races are often fairly sizable events with mini-matsuri running alongside them. In some cases, the races are the biggest events a town will host!

Japan is a great place to take up running for several reasons:

• The huge number of well-organised events on offer. Every town across the nation seems to host some kind of running event at least once a year. It's a pretty cool way to get involved in a community event;
• People of all ages/abilities/backgrounds in Japan participate in running events. You'll see elite runners race the same event as men and women in their 70s and 80s;
• It might be your only opportunity to run with people kitted out in such interesting costumes. In my two years of running in Japan, I've run along side the following: a duo who dressed as Nara's Todai-ji temple, a girl dressed as a pineapple (she cut the top off a pineapple and carried it on her head), a bunch of eggplants, a Power Ranger, several "nurses", a stack of tigers and a frog! Pretty entertaining to say the least;
• The amount of support provided by the crowd is INCREDIBLE. People really make an effort to come out and support the runners. It's really heart-warming to run past a tonne of people you don't even know, cheering for you whole-heartedly with their claps, smiles and ファイト chants! It's awesome;
• Japan is a beautiful country and running through the parks, villages and cities, is a great way to experience places whilst getting in a bit of exercise. Nagano hosts some incredible looking runs, Nara has its annual marathon and 10km in early December (you'll possibly catch the tail end of the kouyou), Kyoto has no end of awesome places to run, and lovely Mie, has some great races, including 2 that are rated in the top 100 races in Japan.
• Free stuff! Most races offer some kind of gift to all entrants. Gifts usually come in the form of t-shirts or towels, but you may also be presented with things such as mugs, candle-burners, hats, or even socks!

Good Places to Run

• Ise - there is a trail that extends from the back of Naiku for several kilometres. It basically follows the river. It's a little hilly but there is very little traffic and it's very pretty. There is also the "Mizuki Noguchi Road", which is in the area between the Kuratayama baseball stadium and Yamasho.
• Meiwa - Also the villages around Mameya are lovely.
• Shima - wonderfully scenic! Ask the locals for routes though.
• Taki - there are some absolutely beautiful places you'll come to if you venture even a little way of Route 42. e.g. paths that run for quite a way along the Kushidagawa between Izawa-cho and the road that links Matsusaka with
• Komono - ask the locals about routes, but it is very, very pretty!
• Route 42 - sure, it's polluted, and not always that scenic, but the distance markers every 100m are pretty bloody handy if you are trying to get a sense of how far you've run. Also, around Matsusaka there is generally some sort of a footpath, so you are not endangering your life on the road.

Events

To enter races in Japan, check out [www.runnet.jp Runnet]. Through this website, you can search for races by month/region/prefecture. It's only in Japanese, so if you need to, ask a Japanese friend for assistance with the initial sign up. After that it's not too tricky.

Note, this is not a list of all the races in Mie (and elsewhere), just a sampling of what is on offer.

Northern Mie

• Komono : Kamoshika Marathon
  • October - Held every year in mid-October, this event has a half-marathon, as well as 5/10km races. It's a pretty big event with 6000 people participating. It's a scenic course with enough hills to give you a bit of a challenge, but not so many as to be murderous. A fairly decent mini-matsuri runs alongside the race and this event has, at least for the past few years, has hosted a small group of JET volunteer face-painters, with funds going to Longitude/Habitat for Humanity etc. trips. Entrants receive a gift in the form of a mug/candle burner, as well as random other goodies and discounts to local venues e.g. onsen.

• Kuwana : Kuwana Riverside Marathon

  March - Kuwana hosts a half-marathon and a 10km race each March.

• Suzuka - Suzuka has a couple of races each year, with at least two of them being held on parts of the Suzuka Circuit.
  • February - The first race of the year, is held on Suzuka Circuit on the long weekend in February. It's an 11.2km course.
  • December - There's another Suzuka Circuit race held in December (usually the 3rd Sunday in December) with 10km/5.6km events.

Central Mie

• Matsusaka
  • January - Matsusaka hosts its annual marathon each January. They have 5km and 10km events. The race starts and ends in Chubudai-koen and runs along a fairly uninspiring course. Free towels for entrants!

• Tsu - Tsu hosts a few events every year.
  • December - 10km/5km race just after Christmas.
  • January - 10km/5km event at the end of January.

Eastern Mie

• Shima : Shima Road Party

  April - Held in mid-April every year, the Shima Road Party is a great event and is ranked in the top 100 races in Japan. Shima boasts a sizable half-marathon event, alongside a 10km race. The course is fairly tough, with plenty of challenging hills, but it's also immensely beautiful, hence its popularity. It starts/ends at the front of Spain Mura, and all participants receive a free t-shirt, entry to Spain Mura, and random other goodies.

Western Mie

• Aoyama :
  • May - Aoyama Highlands race. Aoyama is a little town close to Nabari. Their annual quarter marathon (10.55km) and 5km event, is held at the end of May. It's a very pretty run, though unsurprisingly, quite hilly. In 2009 it was sodden and very cold, and in 2010, it was cancelled due to inclement weather. All entrants receive a free t-shirt.

• Nabari :
  • November - Hinachi Autumn Marathon. This race loops around a very big and pretty dam about 5km outside Nabari city. It's a small race, but a lovely one. Entrants receive a free towel. Free transport is provided to and from the event from Nabari station.

Southern Mie

None listed

Outside Mie

• Tokyo : Tokyo Marathon

  If you're interested in trying a full marathon through the streets of Tokyo, give the Tokyo Marathon a crack. It is a hugely popular event with over 300,000 people applying each year for the 30,000ish places on offer. Although the entry is held in February, entries open on August 1 every year, and close on August 31. No exceptions. It may be easier for foreigners to obtain entry, though there is no absolute evidence of this. The race is held on the last weekend of February each year and as it's at the tail end of winter, the weather conditions can be pretty dire. The 2010 event saw heavy rain, sleet and very cold conditions.

  Starting at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings, in Shinjuku, and ending at Tokyo Big Sight on Odaiba. The route passes the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Ginza, Tsukiji Fish Market and Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate, before wrapping up at Tokyo Big Sight. It is an epic event, with tens of thousands of people coming out to support the participants. It is a major event on the international marathon circuit and the event, along with its predecessors (Tokyo International Marathon and Tokyo Internation Women's Marathon), has attracted a number of elite athletes including Mie's own Mizuki Noguchi, Masakazu Fujiwara, Mara Yamaguchi, Rosa Mota, Derartu Tulu, Alevtina Biktimirova, and the legend that is Haile Gebrselassie.

  It's an incredibly well organised event on an epic scale and is highly recommended.

  In the days leading up to the marathon, there is a massive Marathon Expo held at Tokyo Big Sight (the finishing area). Only those with entries to the marathon are allowed into the venue (due to congestion). It's a great place to buy running gear, and get a tonne of free samples of different products (energy gels, sports' drinks etc.).

  All entrants to the marathon receive a free t-shirt. In addition to this, all finishers receive a pretty snazzy towel as well as a medal.

• Mount Fuji : Fuji Mountain Race.
  • July - Ever fancied running up a mountain to avoid paying for an overpriced mountain hut crammed with obnoxious snorers? Here's your chance. Each July, Mt Fuji has its very own mountain race - a race to the summit of Japan's highest mountain! Should you dare to enter, you can choose between the 15km race (5th summit) and the half-marathon race (half-marathon). Even if you are a fairly decent runner, this is likely to provide you with a tremendous challenge as not only are you contending with some epic ascension, you also are going to be confronted by the decrease in oxygen at higher elevations, which may result in altitude sickness. If you want to enter this, you should enter through the Fuji-yoshida City Hall (see link above). Be prepared for a seriously tough race.

• • November - each November, in Yamanashi-ken, there are several races held over the last weekend in November. The races are held along the banks of Kawaguchi-ko and boast lovely views of Mount Fuji and the surrounding countryside. You can choose between running a full marathon, a 27km race or an 11km race.

• Nara :
  • December - Nara boasts a full marathon and a 10km event on the first weekend of December. The full marathon was held for the first time in 2010 and was immensely popular - entries filled up very quickly. The course takes in the major sites of Nara city, as well as passing through surrounding areas. The 10km is a great event that loops around Nara-koen, taking in a bunch of temples. Depending on the season, you may catch the tail end of the autumn foliage. Entrants in the 10km used to receive a hat, though, with the addition of the full marathon, perhaps they have upped the gifts.