Tokyo Marathon - Race Reviews

Expo had 2+ hour wait lines...located in an industrial section of Tokyo. Poor website. No app to download race day tracking. Hot day resulted is a mess at the water stops. I had to wait in line, as it is custom, for my one water cup. 2 mins lost at each water stop. Many runners I heard claimed lost time of 20+ mins off expected race time. Forgot potty potties on the course...add 10 min wait to each potty stop. Finish line was uneventful. Crowds were polite but no one claps...they just smile and wave. Cultural but odd. The MOST expensive medal I have ever worn for the least memorable race.

Arrived in Tokyo on the Thursday. With this being the first full field post covid race there was a lot of covid precautions, I won't comment on these as hopefully they won't be in place in the future. The number pick up on the Thursday was very poor, long lines and very poorly managed, I did here that this improved a little on the following days. All I can say about the expo is that it was the worst I have ever visited, crazy long lines to buy a T-shirt and line for asics shop was even longer. Race day was very well organised but not been allowed to bring water bottle belt with you was a bit disappointing. The course was the flattest I have ever run and the roads are so smooth such a pleasure to run on. The course is a little boring lots of skyscrapers. The support was different to European or American races, lots of people but not as loud, very little music on the course, its a very quiet marathon, but to be honest that was quite nice, you dont want every race to be the same. Finish line also was quiet. Overall opinion would be its an interesting experience, embrace the difference and if your aiming for a PB its a great course.

I ran my personal worst marathon in Tokyo on a cold & rainy Sunday. The baggage deposit was efficient & well organised, but it was already raining & runners at my corral had to wait 40 mins in the rain with our raincoats on. The temp was 5-8°C & the rain lasted the whole day. The Start was at Shinjuku's Metropolitan Government Bldg & Finish at Gyoko-dori, Tokyo Station. Tokyo Marathon Expo, the biggest running trade-show in Japan, was held at Obaida, a major commercial, residential, and popular shopping & sightseeing destination. Bib collection was crowded but orderly. The Tokyo Marathon Family & Friendship Runs were held in Obaida, near the Expo on Saturday. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies the day before the full marathon. The course of the marathon was mostly flat, running from Kanda, Nihombashi, Asakusa, Ryogoku, then through their high-end shopping district Ginza & Hibiya before finishing at Tokyo Station. Distance markers & drinks stations were accurately placed and thankfully, spectators turned up in droves despite the rain. Toilet facilities were regular but the queues were long and the rain didn't help the bladder. The main encouragement for me on that utterly wet day was the fantastic cheer support & their locals chipped in to provide fruits & pastries, Pepsi & beers, hot miso & red bean soups for runners. There were many students volunteers & company groups assisting, & and first aiders on bicycles & their AEDs. The Finish Point was an anti-climax with just the electronic floor mats, and no one to shout your name or wear a medal round your neck. We had to bear the drizzle & winds to walk another 200m to receive our medals, towels, drink & small goody bag; then another 100m to the baggage collection. The men's & women's changing rooms were rudimentary shelters without doors. And walking to the nearest Tokyo Train Station was another 400m. Runners are reminded to bring a change of dry clothes & foot wear to retrieve at the end-point baggage collection area as Tokyo's weather is unpredictable at this time of the year.

Superb organization of a wonderful race, which completed my Marathon Majors for the Six Stars. Although there were long (but fairly fast-moving) lines to get into the Expo, I thought the Expo was very good and very efficient once inside. The starting time is very civilized (no need to get up too early!), the starting corrals were well organized and not too crowded; the crowds were very good, albeit in a less vocal style than New York, as you might expect in a quieter and more restrained country; the course was great, moderately downhill for the first few miles and then flat. The volunteers - of whom there were several thousand - were delightful, and people would go out of their way to help foreigners. Every few yards a volunteer would be holding out a garbage bag to collect cups and food wrappers etc. from runners. If it wasn't such a long and expensive trip I would love to do it again. That, and the unpredictable weather at this potentially very cold time of year in Tokyo, are the only downsides

I recently ran the Tokyo Marathon on Feb 25, 2018. It also capped my 6star major marathon finish. Expo/packet pick up was a disaster. Huge lines everywhere. Bank on 4 hrs ONCE you finally get there (inconvenient location). Good luck Olympics 2020 in Tokyo, if they can't get a marathon Expo smooth, an Olympic setting will be horrible. The race and course were great other than it being 3-4 10ths of a mile too long (26.69 by my clock). Everyone I talked with after the race clocked similar or greater overage. This is a huge oversite that should have been corrected prior to race day. All marathons are a bit over 26.2mi (1-1.5 10ths) due to tangents etc, but this one was grossly long. I did manage to PR at 3:00 flat on a course that measured 26.69mi. Putting me at a 6:45 pace, which would be 2:57-2:58 on properly measured course. You can't get confirmed results/splits/age group results etc even after 1 week completion. Overall race organization is a disaster and they really do not care. Overall I'd rate the following for majors best to worst: London - perfect in every way. Easy Expo, relaxed start, most scenic course, most crowd support, usually cool temps, flat course New York - logistic to start is bad, scenic course, great crowd support Tokyo - horrible Expo, race length incorrect, no post race results, flat course, great temps usually Chicago - questionable weather, no crowd support mi 18-23. Flat course, easy logistics Berlin - narrow streets, very crowded for long time, no control of corrals, super slow people in first corral, flat course, easy logistics Boston - logistic nightmare, boring course, iconic race

A well organized run in a great city. I didn't think I'd like the turnaround layout what with running down a road, turning around after a few miles and then running down the other side but it was nice to see the elite runners run past on a couple of occasions and I suppose this layout does concentrate the crowd. One problem that should be addressed was that there was a distinct lack of toilets at the start so that I began the race needing the loo, luckily there were many toilets along the course including during the first few km. I started about 30m behind the elites and the start was just as hectic as I had been led to believe, I myself was elbowed and pushed by fellow runners and I saw two people flailing around on the floor as they attempted to get up and avoid the mass of runners running into, over and around them. It was all rather dog eat dog there at the start. Bib collection at the expo was quick and easy. There were many stalls but nothing really interesting, as normal. A nice quick course in a very interesting city, recommended.

Tokyo marathon was my 4th major marathon event and I have to say least favourite. Not the best expo I have been to, not as good as the other majors, the official jacket could not even be found there. The start pens were fairly crowded and it would be advisable to get there early to line up. The course was quite boring with not many landmarks to see but reasonably quick with the first 5K gradual downhill and flat after that apart from a few bridges. The crowd were great with enthusiastic support throughout the whole race. There were plenty water tables on course which also had energy drinks. The finish line which was a bit of an anticlimax had no water, you had to walk about a kilometre before you were handed a small bottle. The bag collection was easy and well organised and the busses back to the start line were running well. Nearly 2 weeks now since the race and still can't find race results after numerous emails to the organisers not only by myself but scores of other runners that all have been ignorantly ignored by the organisers. Another gripe is that the official race photos are a crazy £160 for the set with no option to buy one. I would spare yourself the 12 hour flight and give Tokyo marathon a miss unless you are trying to notch up the 6 majors as it falls well below par than many other marathon events nearer home. Tokyo Marathon falls well short of what a major experience should be and should be stripped of its status.

The Tokyo Marathon is a great race in a great city. The organization is top notch, as one would expect for any major endeavor conducted by the Japanese. The new course was more runner-friendly as far as being centralized in the city as opposed to finishing out in Odaiba. The volunteers were friendly, helpful, and plentiful. Though there was quite a bit of walking required after the race, it was the first time using this method so some kinks may need to get worked out. All in all, this is a great race that I would recommend to all runners, particularly those who are thinking of running all 6 majors.

I just ran this race yesterday so I'll share my thoughts while it's fresh in my mind. I entered this with a 2:56 time and was aiming for sub 2:55. I was assigned to the B corral and was initially worried that I would get caught up in the crowd as others reported. I did end up losing a little bit of time (maybe 30 seconds at most) but it was nothing to worry about. As others suggested I arrived early. The race start time was 9:10 and I arrived at around 7:30. I got through security and then dropped my bag within 10 min. I then waited for a toilet for about 20-30 minutes. There were some ridiculously long lines (be sure to look around before you line up, some lines are much shorter than others). I then got into my corral at around 8:15. Since I was there fairly early I managed to get myself near the front of the B group. Brought an old shirt and a plastic bag to keep warm. Great fans along the way and support throughout. Big long tables with both water and sports drinks. Fast course - no question. Some rollers at the end, but nothing serious. I PB'ed by almost 4 minutes and will try this race again if I can get in. Super friendly and fun staff at the finish. Can't recommend this one enough. The only thing I could say about this race is that maybe the expo could be improved (although I don't really care much about expos). It was crowded and nothing really jumped out at me. I guess it would be better to go there on Friday not Saturday afternoon.

This is a great marathon, the volunteers were endearing, especially in their genuine delight for all runners post the finish line. I not sure how they seeded the blocks, I was in block E and I overtook a lot of runners, I ran 3hrs, 40 mins. I didn't think the last 7km's was too hard, the rises aren't hills, just ramps on to the elevated roads. Whilst the finish of the course does feel slightly remote at the bayside, using The Big Sight did mean you had space to get changed inside. If you thinking of doing this marathon next year, enter the ballot, if you get in, you won't regret it, the hardest part is training for a February marathon.

I have ran several other WMM events and this was my 1st Tokyo. A few comments: Expo: Most organized of majors but loud and I felt like I was being sold in the aisles. No jackets and an odd selection of shirts on display in small area. That part has to be better. Great location for expo. Start: Pay close attention to rules of gate entry and what to not bring in. Both are very strict. No place to change so find an overpass (if raining) and change before dropping off bag. Show up very early. Its crowded (understatement) but very organized. Metal detectors and baggage check takes time and long lines. Take a train and don't think about taking a cab or driving. People mentioned poor corral placement and costume and charity runners up front and I was in Gate 1 and got off to a good start with no issues and got into race pace very fast. No issues at all for any 3:00-3:30 runners. Course: Very 'Boston' like with the 1st 10k net downhill. Very easy to get out too fast. Take it easy and the rest of race is manageable. Flat and fast with some bridge hills at inopertune times towards end. Had thought there would be mile markers (w/KM markers) but not so much. The water stations excellent with long tables. Appreciate the volunteers immensely but they want to high-five constantly which got in my way a bit. When bread offered, it is filled with a chocolate custard so be aware. Bananas excellent. M&M's are unnecessary but good to have. Sport drink excellent. Out and backs very cool watching the elites run on by. Didn't bother me at all. Amazing views and 'tour' of city. Course measures long even when running tangents (26.89 miles). Potential big city GPS issue but felt long too. Post race/finish: Long, long walk through finish shoot. Train station a long, painful walk. Baggage pick up excellent and organized but no water after the 1st offering after finish. Volunteers were amazing and helpful. Overall, a must-run Major. Train for hills and don't believe the perception on the course elevation chart. Its not totally flat but very manageable course. No reason I can come up with that makes it not worthy of a Major and a must run in 2016.

That was my 2nd marathon after a 'frustrating' experience in NY in Nov (target 3:15 but running 3:29). My thoughts: - Expo was great and even better than NY. Went there Friday night and found all I wanted. - After reading comments here my main concern was about coral assignment and having a lot of slower runners (wearing costume?) starting in front of me. Well I was 'ok' when I found out that I was in coral C (going from A to K) thks to my 3:29 in NY. Very slow for the first mile indeed; crowded and keep turning; but at the end much better than I thought and actually good for warm up. - Very good for PR. Flat and fast but need to leave a lot in the tank for the few hills you'll find during the last 3 miles. - Huge crowd but a bit 'quiet' compared to NY. - Enough water stations but a bit more would have not hurt. - Finish line is a bit in the middle of nowhere but it didn't bother me. - Someone complained here about the long walk between finish line and transportation but still better than NY. You are inside a building so it's warm, you have proper bathrooms and at 1 point you even have warm water tanks to soak your lower legs in... that was just amazing! - Not easy to find your result, pictures etc on their website if you can't read Japanese To summarize I ran it in 3:13 and it was a great day! and that means a lot as it's coming from a French guy... as everybody know French like to complain about everything and anything and are hard to please!

I really enjoyed this race, the organization is top notch and the crowds were amazing the whole route! Results were posted immediately for all runners and everyone got a finisher certificate by mail. I'm not sure why there are comments are about no results. My biggest issue would be the corrals... they were handled well on race day but poorly assigned. I put a 3:55 time down and wasn't even close to the front. Def don't go expecting a PR. The crowds does thin however there is ALWAYS someone within 2 arms length the whole race. Just run for fun! The weather can be a toss up. This year it was around 37f at the start. There was snow flurries for about 2 miles but it cleared and sun came out. I was never really cold, the temp was perfect for a marathon. Thousands of uniformed volunteers line the route with trash bags so it was great to see no trash being thrown on the ground. Aid stops were great and I must say... I was hesitant about tomatoes but they really hit the spot and were delicious. I loved amino value sports drink, first time I had it and liked a sports drink served for a race. Go to the Expo on day 1 on Thursday because by day 2, all merchandise esp shirts will be gone. It was the busiest expo I've been... went back on Friday to get another shirt since my race shirt didn't fit. Well, of the 25 style of shirts only 2 were left and I got the last one. So don't hesitate if you like something. Speaking of the race shirt... the M size is actually XXS. I should have got the biggest size available. Expo is easy to get to/from however leaving on race day is a pain. They make you walk from finish area inside to bag pick up then to dressing stage area followed by family reunion. All this zig zags through the entire venue before you make it outside. THEN the train stop walkway was closed and you need to detour around to get to the other one. Btw, they do sell merchandise at a discount which you will walk by after the race. Just make sure you have cash or credit card! The race pics are the best I've seen at any race.

Ran the race through Marathon Tours and while I had a horrible race, the entire experience of the trip was fantastic! The good: -Tons and tons of crowd support. Easily the most of any of the other marathons I've done (including, Boston, NYC, London and Berlin). -Plenty of fluid stations and the sports drink wasn't bad! -Expo fairly easy to navigate -Course wasn't flat nor hilly. Probably just right overall. The bad: -Extremely congested to get to the start area and my friends and I felt like we were going to get trampled (I'm a clydesdale so that's tough for something like that to happen to me). -Start corrals weren't seeded appropriately. I'd agree w/others on this one. -Finishing in the middle of nowhere made the race lose a bit of its luster. All the other majors have great finishing points. This one doesn't. -Navigating from the finish to the transportation was entirely too far. By far more than any other major. It was probably an additional 1+ miles from the finish line to get out of the convention center. -Terrible selection at the expo. I'm a larger guy * 6'3 - 240')and there were no shirts that would fit me. A huge disappointment after all of the travel. All in all it's probably my least favorite race of the 5 majors I've done. That said, the trip was a fantastic wonderful cultural experience. Go for the experience and not to PR.

Crazy expo with vendors hawking their wares. International fun run 4K was at the finish/expo area and a lot of fun. The race was well organized from start to finish and a flat course with a few small hills near the end. Spectators lined the entire course with plenty of support. I've done all the world majors except London and Tokyo is on par with all the others.

Dont regret going to the effort & expense of doing this race, but it is not on a par with the other Majors I've run (i.e., NYC, Boston, Chicago). Positives: Best crowds of any marathon I've run. Flat fast course. Well organized in many respects. Negatives: It's 3 weeks since race and still no results posted ?!?! Only results for top 500 are available. Serious seeding issues. Many slow, costumed charity runners in the front corrals. Wasted a lot of energy and time trying to pass these people. Feel like course was long. According to my Garmin it was approximately 0.8 mile too long. Im sure I added a fair bit of distance dodging all the slow costumed runners, but that wouldnt account for 0.8 mile. Serious overcrowding issues at the start. Love Japan and Tokyo, and overall I enjoyed the race, but it just doesnt meet the same standards of the other Majors or even other big city marathons (eg Houston, Marine Corp, etc).

World Major that after approximately a month will allegedly use gross results rather than chip time for results! As commented corral A was filled with slow runners. No fair! Get your world class act together.

I have run Tokyo three times and it is more than a world class race. It is a life changing cultural event.

The biggest complaint I heard from most runners was that there were no official race jackets for sale at the Expo. I understand that there were some, but the quantity available must have been almost nothing. I attended the Expo two days prior to the race, and the jackets were already sold out. I was there on a tour with 300+ participants, and everyone in our group was very disappointed to have come such a long way and not have a jacket to show for it. It was very disppointing for a World Major Marathon to be so inadequately equipped. I emailed the race director after the race and was told that there wouldn't be anymore produced. Hopefully, they will be more prepared next year. I feel certain that they missed out on millions of dollars in additional sales over this error in judgement. Aside from the lack of organization, the spectators made the race enjoyable. Just be prepared that you may not have much more than your memories to show for it.

First time doing this marathon, and I will be back - deservedly now one of the majors. Top quality organization and great support for the race. Also a great reason to visit Tokyo, a wonderful city. Positives: - Great organization, from registration through expo through race day itself - Everything translated into English, very friendly for non-Japanese - Great start time, 9.10am - not too early, not too late - Easy access to start via public transport - Good weather this time of year (a little chilly but good for running) - Fast generally flat course - Great expo - Well stocked drink and food stations on course - Indoor bag pickup and changing areas at finish - great idea to get runners out of the cold. Seen a few complaints about the finish location (it's relatively remote), but logistically it works well. - Great crowd/spectator support, not quite London or New York, but a well supported event - Friendly energetic vibe Areas for improvement/beware: - Few little hills near the end, be advised! - Very crowded, this race is at capacity - No logic on seeding at the start - many slow runners and runners in costume in start groups A/B, many faster runners put in groups G-K. Needs to be improved. - Some out-and-back sections on the course, although personally I didn't mind - Finish at Tokyo Big Sight is outside main part of city (not a big deal, actually good facilities at finish) - Bit of a walk to get from finish area back to metro Overall an excellent event, one of the best I've done.

Course is fantastic and very fast. But I believe it is at least a 1/4 mile too long. Everyone I talked to felt the same way. Also, they really need to disallow the club runners up front. Way, way, way too many slow people to navigate through. I saw people taking pictures, walking after only a mile, barely jogging above 6 mph, etc. Very frustrating to have to waste energy passing these folks.

Ran in Feb 2014. It was a good race. Expertly organized from the expo to the race start and finish. It's a fairly flat course but is completely in the city so there isn't much scenery. The course is also very tight up to about 12K and remains tight in several other areas. They also strictly enforce using the porta potties so expect long lines for any porta potty until around 32k. This could easily add 5+ mins to one's finish time if you catch a bad break. The crowd and volunteers, though, were fantastic. Gracious, generous, encouraging and MANY spectators offer you chocolate and fruit along the way. The volunteers at the gear pick-up after the finish line were applauding the finishers as they picked up gear. And there were over 30,000 finishers, so you can imagine the effort that requires of them! Tokyo is a fantastic city. To come here for the race is one thing, and perhaps the race itself isn't anything special. But the Japanese people are just classy all the way. And they make this race much better than it is.

Have run the Tokyo Marathon once and watched it a handful of other times. Great experience on both ends. Here is some additional info about it: Runners' guide: http://en.japantourist.jp/view/tokyo-marathon-runners-guide Spectators' guide: http://en.japantourist.jp/view/tokyo-marathon-spectators-guide

Overall, very well organized, beautiful day, lots of support, good setup for bag drops and drinks along the run. I've run Paris, Seoul (Joongang) and Rotterdam, and compared to those, Tokyo clearly better organized. That said...my one big gripe is that after the race, there are limited options for getting out of that isolated part of Tokyo, ie basically the subway. Except the organizers block off the obvious short path to the station and make you go on a ridiculously long roundabout walk up and down stairs in order to get out to the subway station. Absolutely killed when you are wasted from the run. Also the course seems about 500m longer than 42.2km. My Garmin tracked it as 42.7km. Not a big deal I guess, but seems odd.

I ran this marathon in February 2013. I agree with other comments about this being a well organized race, but I want faster runners to be aware of one key issue. I registered with a prior pb of 2:48. The organizers put me in starting group B. I assumed that A would be all elites. It turns out that A included many slower runners in costumes; it seems that if you're a member of a Japan running club, you get put in A. So I began the race needing to work my way through thousands of runners, some running a 4-5 hour pace and some of whom stopped after the start line to take photos. This is obviously unacceptable. I will write to the organizers about this, but want competitive runners to be aware of this problem.

This is a good, not great, marathon that has a lot of room to improve in order to meet expectations with its peer World Marathon Majors. In fact, it has a lot of work to do just to compare well to my local races. I enjoyed the experience, but I expected far better. First the good: * Well organized * Race book translated in English * An excuse to go to Asia / Japan * Lots of water stops * Good public transportation * Competitive * Pretty fast course (faster than Boston or NYC, slower than Chicago, Houston, and Berlin) * Onsen (warm water) at the end to soak your lower legs in What needs work: * Very congested * Race results won't be posted for a month! * Sports drink only every 5k * First corral had 100's of costumed runners and all of the 10k runners * A death march at the end that makes NYC look like a daisy * Quiet spectators (too polite, they need to be Yankee obnoxious) * Last 5-6 miles have almost no spectators * Last few miles have a number of small bridges * Finding splits on the website was very difficult. Most of my friends/family gave up. * No automated runner tracking * No video online of finish or splits * Race pictures: after 4+ days, still no ETA * Race photography after finish was awkwardly located (missed by many)

First time running Tokyo and 4th marathon overall - what a great experience (apart from cramping up at km39 onwards, but hey can't have it all). Firstly the course. A brilliant starting location in exciting Shinjuku and a friendly start time at 9.10 am making it easy to get the required sleep. It is basically a '+' shape course going in a South East direction through Tokyo. You start at the top, go out and back along the left arm then the right arm, before coming down the final bit. It's downhill as a whole (mainly the first 5km) so quick times should be expected (I pb'ed by over 6mins from under 4hrs to begin with). There is some music provided along the way including Japanese drums which just gave me a headache but other people probably liked it and certainly added to the atmosphere. Some people on previous years have talked about reversing the course, and while this would definitely make it more atmospheric as it goes on it would also increase the times as it would mean going uphill as a whole (esp in the final 5km, which are currently downhill for the first 5km, so no thanks to that) and would be into the wind most years I believe. Secondly the organisation. As you might expect from Japan's reputation this is a very well run event. Everything is extremely clear at the Expo and on race day (even for non-Japanese speakers) and all the volunteers I interacted with were as helpful as could be asked for. Expo is a bit out of the way, but is at the same place as the finish line so is a good dry run for getting back to your place after the race. At the end they also handed out freeze spray for muscles as well as all the usual stuff which I found to be a revelation for after the race -- another lesson learnt in marathoning and I'll always have that on hand from now on. There is also a hot water bath for you feet and bottom of your legs at the end which is free of charge -- a nice touch. Finally the spectators. Not London or New York style but still lots of people out supporting, particularly on the first 35km before the course goes in the more business park bit of Tokyo. 4 stars reflects the lack of opportunity from this point rather than spectators themselves. In summary this is a fantastic race and a really good chance to run a PB if you haven't run one of the more recognized fast courses, e.g. Berlin, Boston. Of note though is that it is a balloted entry, e.g. London, so there is a good chance you will not be able to enter the first time you try. I suspect it easier for foreigners than domestic residents (this was the first time I applied and there were over 300,000 applicants for about 35,000 spots) but I might just be lucky.

I enjoy the race, the people cheering for every runners. There's a lot of event till the end of the course. I almost give at 27K but I seen a lot more runner who is in pain and continued running and it give me urge to continue. Thanks for the candies, chocolate, drinks and even a piece of cake from the people who is cheering for us. Thanks for all those who volunteer to give food, water, amino drinks.

This may be the fastest cours I've run. They say Berlin and London are the fastest courses and having run them both I must say Tokyo is up there with them. This became my third fastest race in spite of being jet lagged and on very little sleep. I'd suggest that they'd reverse the coure, starting out in the atmosphericaly dead Big Sight area (boring place for a finnish line) and finnish in grand Shinjuku. Exiting city, a perfect arrangement and a big and fully fashioned expo, there's no reason why serious matathon runners all over the world shouldn't give this a go. Tokyo is a friendly and easy city to visit. Hope to be back.

Tokyo Marathon was very Japanese - in the sense that it was Organised, Efficient and errr, Meticulous. I was expecting a Zoo of an Expo and long queue to collect my race pack. Instead, the process was smooth and flow was great. I even had time to queue up for the photo booths. Alot of freebies at the Expo. Sponsors / Retailers were all out at the expo. The course was quite scenic - Tokyo Tower / Tokyo Tree / Asakusa Gate, But I didn't quite like the two loops - almost felt like it would never end. I was half expecting to not finish this race due to an IT Band injury and had not ran more than 13 km up to a week prior but.. The crowd motivated me. I always preferred running alone but this time, I owe it to the crowd. The cheering, the free candies/drinks/chocolate/fruits/younameityougotit/salonpas. The crowd made the Race for me. If you want to feel like a ROCKSTAR running a marathon, Tokyo is it. This is the first time ever, I felt like running back to the starting line after completing a race; simply for the crowd. Entertainment was great. There were alot of mascots - Edgar Davids to Masked Rider. The sponsored food and Amino Value drinks were aplenty even up till the end. Even so, you'd have more than enough from the spectators alone. I even saw a booth giving out free Noodle & Hot Soup to the runners. Amazing Experience. First on my To Run Again list.

PROS: + Exceptionally well organized from start to finish, from navigating the race expo/package pickup, to the pre-race baggage check and bathrooms, to the water/food stations, to the finishing area. The huge numbers and language difference wasn't a barrier at all. + Lots of signs, numbers and frequent announcements to get runners from the subway exits to the start. I entered the race gates at 8:15 and comfortably got to the start line. (Realized later that there were urinals in another area which would have saved 15 min on the bathroom stop.) + Each fuel station covered a long stretch and was well stocked. + The crowd, although not as loud or outgoing as others I've experienced, were at times four rows deep. + Massive volunteer force + Mostly flat, point-to-point course. I didn't care too much for the big city backdrop but the two-hairpins made it feel very festive seeing other runners pass in the opposite direction. the elites heading back. The one only rise at 37k was over-hyped to me. CONSs - The anticlimactic finish area. The atmosphere was so dead. No call from an announcer, barely cheering crowd (no crowd past the finish), no music. There was such a long, quiet march after the finish line that I couldn't help but think that I'd done something wrong. OVERALL: Outstanding organization, the mass of spectators and volunteers, and the empty streets of Tokyo overrun with runners. I think this'll be a regular for me.

This was my first Tokyo race - I was lucky to have been chosen from 300,000 applicants (apparently because I applied from the US). The weather was absolutely perfect (upper 40s at start, warmed to mid 50s at the end), especially considering that it rained the entire next day - even turning to snow in the afternoon! Very easy access by train/subway to both the start and finish areas. Volunteers were manning the subway stations for the expo and race start to ensure that the runners made it to where they needed to go. I found plenty of toilets at the start and many more every few KM on the course with officials guarding them making sure the runners had access. There was plenty of water and Amino-Value along the course. After the halfway point there were raisins, little waffle-like snacks, bananas, etc. Many people on the street were handing out candy and treats to the runners - more so than the folks who hand out oranges along the big marathon routes in the US. In other words, the spectators really seemed to want to help the runners. I didn't recognize what they were handing out, but many of the local runners were grabbing handfuls of the special treats. A definite must-run marathon if you can be in Tokyo and you remember to submit your application in the fall before the race. The two out-and-back stretches were a bit boring because you saw the same scenery twice, but at least you could see the leaders. It was the longest of my 15 marathons (26.8 miles) - perhaps the large crowds (33,000 running the marathon and 3,000 running the 10K that started with us) and jetlag kept me from correctly running the tangents. The finisher's medal is cool and is in the shape of a cherry blossom. They even let you take a picture at the expo wearing a wreath and holding the first place trophy, so you try to claim you won the race. How cool is that?

This year the weather was letter perfect and it is a very fast course. I agree with most everything good said about this event. Great organization for size; I just wish the ending location wasn't quite so far out of the way. Not connected to the main metro line. A long, arduous walk through the various areas to accomplish post-race activities and then continue to the train station.

In a race with over 32,000 entrants one would expect some glitches... unless the race is held in Japan. Wonderfully organized, and with 1000s of incredibly friendly, helpful volunteers this is an awesome event. Packet pickup on the Friday was a breeze, the course is flat and fast, and we had perfect running weather and a course lined with cheering crowds. Plenty of water stations, porta-potties and entertainment along the way. My info packet didn't arrive on time, which was no problem as I emailed race officials and received via email my bib certificate within 24 hours. I was concerned about running with so many people and was expecting chaos, but I am astounded by how smoothly everything went. I only speak a few words in Japanese but language really was no problem. I do believe priority is given to foreigners, as over 300,000 people entered and both myself and a friend from New Zealand were accepted. And, of course, you have all of Japan to visit and can get in some serious skiing! Many thanks to Tokyo!!

Despite the horrendous weather, the organizers put together a terrific large marathon, comparable to Chicago and Boston. The expo was huge, with plenty of useful freebies. Start and finish lines were easy to get to, and through. My only complaint on the course was the lack of variety - the first 25 miles were totally urban, running along major streets. Good crowds and adequate toilets. Only the last mile over the bridges of Tokyo Bay brought some variety. Highly recommended for the international traveler.

It's probably the biggest marathon in Asia, and it's superbly organized. Everything for me was hitch-free, from the bib pick-up to the actual run itself. The expo was pretty good, and there is quite a bit of stuff that you can only get in Japan. The weather wasn't that great. It was cold (in the single digits, Celsius), and it was raining most of the way. Coming from a tropical country, it was quite hellish for me. Toilet breaks were mad, as there were long queues at every stop until about 20K in. I guess that's quite expected when you have 32,000 full marathoners running in cold rain. No point looking for a bush, as the streets were packed with well-wishers and supporters looking out for their friends. I got the impression that everyone would rather die from a full bladder than pee in a bush somewhere. But overall, it was a great course - flat most of the way with a couple of bridges at the end. There's a bit of wind in some areas, but nothing too serious. For the sightseeing runners, it passes some of the major attractions like the Imperial Palace, Asakusa, Tokyo Towers and Ginza, so there's something to see most of the way. If it were only a couple of degrees warmer....

This was an absolutely amazing experience: an interesting, totally traffic-free course lined all the way with lively spectators, exemplary drink and food stations, really helpful volunteers and perfect organization, from registration, to baggage handling, to the finish area (with huge cedar-troughs for a foot bath!). There were 216,000 applications this year, but foreigners are given preferential treatment. If a marathon in Asia is on your list, this should be it!