Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

Photo by Jeff Laitila

So tell me again, Pabs, why would you want to do a marathon?

“I’d never done one before. It was something I had thought about doing and never got around to because I was enjoying myself going out, drinking and smoking.”

So tell me again, why would you want to do a marathon?

A couple of years ago, my friend Pablo Pomares thought it might be a good idea to give up smoking and drinking for half a year, subject his body to a punishing training regime and run 42.195km around Tokyo in cold weather. While it may not have been the epiphany he was seeking, it got him in good shape and, he says, was a lot of fun. So much so, in fact, that he was back at the Tokyo Marathon last year and will be doing it again on February 28.

“I really enjoy it,” he confirms. “There’s only one part of the course I don’t enjoy—when you’re going up the bridge towards Big Sight, there are no people cheering you on. Many people crash there and start walking.

“But on the other side, in both the years I’ve done it, there was a guy playing the theme from Rocky. The amount of people cheering you on, from belly dancers to bands, is very impressive—but the belly dancers do slow you down a bit.”

Jenny Cameron is more of the because-it’s-there type of runner. The New Zealand Embassy worker will leave Japan later this year and might not get another opportunity to run the Tokyo Marathon.

“I actually entered two years ago but didn’t do it, so this was my last chance,” she tells Metropolis. “I thought it would be a good achievement to do while I’m in Tokyo, and I’ve also got friends doing it.”

Cameron’s experience is limited to one half-marathon, which she finished in a credible one hour and 58 minutes.

“It was not that much fun,” she admits. “It was a pretty miserable day and my partner who I’d been training with the whole time couldn’t do it, so I had to do it by myself.”

Her preparation this time has gone more smoothly. She has been able to train with friends, one of whom has run three marathons (Jenny’s father has run ten), and after starting with gentle 5km runs last August is now up to 32km and ready for the big one.

“The problem I found was that training in Tokyo was boring,” she says.

Pablo agrees on this point (and he’s a computer engineer, for crying out loud): “Training with someone else certainly helps, because it is boring. You motivate each other.”

The 31-year-old was so motivated the first time around, he managed to give up drinking and smoking for five months and was able to finish in under four hours. But then his wife had a baby and the booze and tobacco returned. As a result, his time on the second attempt ballooned to five and a half hours. Despite breaking his toe playing football this year, he’s confident he will do better on race day.

“I want to get in in under five hours, but mainly I’m just going to take part and enjoy the day rather than worry about my time.”

Of course, the Tokyo Marathon is more than just a jog around Tokyo. The race serves as a qualifier for this year’s Asian Games, and the winners (men’s and women’s) get ¥8 million each. Defending champion Salim Kipsang of Kenya, Rachid Kisri of Morocco and Atsushi Sato of Japan are among the top male competitors this year, while Mizuho Nasukawa and Akemi Ozaki will be jostling with others for the women’s title.

And if Pablo or Jenny or anyone else breaks the world record, they’ll get an additional ¥30 million. Maybe that’s why people run marathons.

Tokyo Marathon
Feb 28, 9:10am. Starts from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bldg, Shinjuku. www.tokyo42195.org/2010