The Tokyo Marathon Family Run 2024 was held on Sunday, March 3, in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. This event was created as a fun run for parents and children to enjoy together on the day of the Tokyo Marathon in order to give people of all ages the chance to experience the excitement of the Tokyo Marathon. After the marathon course was changed in 2017, the event was held the day before the Tokyo Marathon. But starting from the 2021 event (March 6, 2022), it returned to being held on race day. This year, a total of 437 pairs (874 in individuals) of elementary school kids and parents, including 4 pairs of wheelchair participants, had great fun running the 1 km stretch of the Tokyo Marathon course from Marunouchi Naka-Dori Avenue to the finish line at Tokyo Station/Gyoko-Dori.
At the opening ceremony, Blue Pegasus, the cheering supporters from the Komazawa University, put on a full-throttle cheering performance, with the three groups of leaders, cheerleaders, and brass band working together to cheer on the participants.
M Takashi, a Tokyo Marathon Foundation Sports Legacy Program Charity Ambassador who served as MC and guest, enlivened the event with his talk.
The starter was Tomomi Tanaka, an adviser to the Dai-ichi Life Group Women's Running Team (official event sponsor) and representative for Japan in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon. Representing the Dai-ichi Life Group Women's Running Team and running with her as a special support runner, Yuka Suzuki, who has been selected to represent Japan in the women's marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, declared, "I would like to do my best to support you to make this a fun family run. I hope everyone has fun!'' After that, the signal gun rang and the family run finally started. With children sprinting out of the gate, parents and children running at their own pace while waving to cheers along the way, and families running in matching costumes, everyone enjoyed in their own way the family run along the Tokyo Marathon finish course through the streets of Tokyo.
Additionally, Yuta Kanbayashi, who contributed to the overall victory in the 9th leg section of the 96th Hakone Ekiden during his third year at Aoyama Gakuin University, also ran as a support runner.
When we spoke to the families who had finished the family run, Nozomi, a first grade elementary school student who participated in a wheelchair, said with a big smile "It was my first time participating, so I was a little tired, but it was a lot of fun! I got to see the scenery around me and see a lot of people's faces, and I was so happy to see so much support." When her father, who ran with her, told her "Let's invite some friends next year,'' Nozomi cheerfully replied, "Yeah! I want to run again next year." Nozomi took part in the Para-Athletics Challenge Support ''EDORIKU Para-Athletics Class" which is run by the Sports Legacy Project, one among the charity projects of the Tokyo Marathon Foundation called "RUN with HEART." Currently, Nozomi is trying out various wheelchair sports such as track and field, rugby, and basketball.
Yasuhiro Hiyama, a weather forecaster, also participated as a guest runner, and said "Recently, I haven't had many opportunities to exercise or run with my elementary school daughter, so it was a valuable experience. My daughter seemed to be enjoying it, and I had a lot of fun too. I hope that the Tokyo Marathon takes root in the city and continues forever as a traditional event."
Hiyama said that "It was the perfect sunny day for running,'' and indeed the warm sunshine made it so. The smiles on everyone's face were very memorable.
We look forward to seeing you again at the next Tokyo Marathon Family Run 2025. Thank you to all who participated!
