It all started this year when I decided to run 10km every day. By around January 20th, I had already run about 350km, and I thought that I would probably never run that much again in my life, so I thought why not try entering a full marathon? That's what got me started. My friends were running, and it was a marathon in the Kansai region, so it was easy to get to, so I entered in late January. The location was Tanba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture.

It's also great that you can get from JR Osaka Station, the starting station, to Sasayamaguchi Station, the final stop, in one train. Almost everyone on the train was participating in the marathon.

When I arrived at the venue, I was excited to see the local atmosphere, with boar sculptures and other things.

After checking in, I went to change, but perhaps in a hurry, I made the mistake of wearing both bib numbers on the front instead of the front.

I pulled myself together and headed to the venue.

A commemorative photo with my friends who I always run with. I left my luggage here so I couldn't take any photos with my phone.

And because I entered late, I had to start from the back of the pack.

As for the pace, I saved some energy in the first half, expecting my pace to slow down in the second half. I had originally planned to keep a pace of 4'50", but I got a little excited and started going faster.

My pace suddenly dropped once I passed the 30km mark. Then, at the 35km mark, I was overtaken by a 3 hour 30 minute pacemaker. However, I hung on to the pacemaker, staying within my line of sight, about 10-15m away. I slowly closed the gap, determined to overtake him at the end.

I was really happy and energized to see my friends cheering me on along the route. And the many people who spoke to me gave me a boost of energy.

I was a little worried because I started from the back of the pack, but the weather was good and I managed to achieve my goal of a sub-3.5 time. Once again, I have the utmost respect for those who have achieved a sub-3 time. This is my last day running the marathon. Maybe?

Today's Outfit

Cap: milestone MSC-010 BLACK / milestone TERADACHO limited edition color

T-shirt: DooBop T-shirts GRAY / Performance model

Shorts: Natty Shorts 5_inch / Kinako Beige

Arm sleeves: milestone original arm sleeves / online limited model

Gloves: milestone Fast Trail Glove / Restock scheduled for October 2024

Socks: MSS-003 Tabi-style socks / Mist green

Shoes: ASICS / Magic Speed ​​Wide

Insole: Fitinsole

Next up, I'll be setting up a booth and running in the ASO VOLCANO TRAIL. It's a 110km trail. It's a completely different genre from a marathon, but I'm looking forward to having a blast.