HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡Special Edition -Special Osaka Marathon Running Special

This year's Osaka Marathon will be held on Sunday, November 25. HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡ members arrived in Osaka on Saturday, November 24, the day before the marathon, and first went to INTEX Osaka, the venue of the EXPO, to pick up their numbers.

These three people will be participating in the Osaka Marathon this year. . From left to right, Issey Enomoto (writer), the head of the department, Minaya Asano, a model, and Hiroshi Yamamoto (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of HOUYHNHNM), the deputy head of the department.

The Osaka Marathon EXPO will be held for three days from November 23 to 25. In addition to being a place for Osaka Marathon runners to pick up their numbers, the event also offers fun for non-runners as well, with booths set up by a variety of companies.

At the booth of American Express, which offers the "#amexrun" program that we participated in this year, there was a "runner type diagnosis" supervised by the Japan Running Association . The program diagnoses runners by type and provides advice for the Osaka Marathon.

HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB ♡ members were also diagnosed since they were so busy.

The booth also offers fattening services for eligible American Express cardholders only, such as a medical ID band and the opportunity to experience an oxygen capsule.

Furthermore, there is a food and beverage corner called "Umaimon Market" at the Expo site.

More than 30 restaurants from all over Japan gather here. Visitors can enjoy local delicacies from various regions, with a focus on Osaka's soul food and menus using locally grown vegetables. Happily, beer and other alcoholic beverages are also available.

The team got their numbers without incident, and their spirits were high as they prepared for the next day's race.

In the evening, since we had come all the way to Osaka, we decided to enjoy the local gourmet food.

Generally, it is advisable to refrain from drinking alcohol the day before a marathon. Minami follows this rule and uses soft drinks. Enomoto and Yamamoto, however, briskly ignore such generalizations. As if to say, "This is our style," they poured beer down their gullets one after another with kushikatsu (fried skewers). Fried foods are also not allowed on the day before a marathon, but they don't care about that either.

After a strategy meeting over drinks, it was suddenly decided that Enomoto and Yamamoto would accompany Minami as her pacemaker. Well, what will happen now?

After dinner, we strolled the streets of Osaka in a tipsy mood. A commemorative photo was taken in front of the Glico sign. Dotonbori was crowded with a tremendous number of tourists.

When you travel to a non-local race, you often have to stay the night before so you can enjoy the local cuisine and sightseeing. . This is one of the joys of running a marathon.

Then came the day of the Osaka Marathon. After taking the subway from the hotel, we arrived at Osaka Castle Park, the starting point of the marathon.

Enomoto and Yamamoto, Minaya's pacemakers, are slightly hungover, perhaps having enjoyed the night in Osaka too much.

Incidentally, the T-shirts worn by the three runners were prepared for the Osaka Marathon.

Special T-shirt with newly drawn artwork by contemporary artist Ken Kagami on the front and back. Not for sale.

Minami's goal for this year's event was to run a sub-4 marathon. This is the term for running a full marathon in less than 4 hours, and achieving this goal is considered "the mark of a full-fledged runner.

As we have introduced in the blog of HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB's ♡, Minaya has been training daily for the past few months under the program "#amexrun" organized by American Express, one of the sponsors of this event, in order to achieve sub-4 in the Osaka Marathon. American Express, one of the sponsors of this event, has organized a program called "#amexrun".

Minaya's personal best so far is 4 hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds. Can she beat that by nearly 30 minutes and achieve a sub-4 time? The time has come to test the results of her training.

Then, at 9:00 a.m., the gun sounded and the Osaka Marathon finally got underway.

Starting from Osaka Castle Park, runners will head south on Tamatsukuri Suji and then on Sennichimae Dori toward Namba. . Then they turn right at the Namba intersection and enter Midosuji Street. About 30,000 people participated in the race. The sight of Osaka's most famous boulevard filled with a tremendous number of runners is a sight to behold.

After heading north on Midosuji, turn right at the Yodoyabashi intersection and make a U-turn at Katamachi. . The route enters Midosuji again around Osaka City Hall. This area has a gorgeous atmosphere with a lot of cheering along the roadside. This is one of the highlights of the Osaka Marathon.

Minami is running at a brisk pace along Midosuji, and Enomoto and Yamamoto are acting as pacemakers. This is approximately the 15-kilometer mark.

The runners again passed the Namba intersection and headed on Sennichimae Dori in the direction of Kyocera Dome.

Make a U-turn at Chiyozakibashi West and continue for a while, passing an intermediate point around Taishobashi Bridge before Namba. At the Namba intersection, turn right and head toward Tsutenkaku Tower. The cheering along the roadside was lively in this area as well. "Hang in there! You're in pain, but it's just your imagination! Beer will be waiting for you at the finish line! and "Beer will be waiting for you at the finish line!

After driving south on Route 26 for a while, you will pass the 30-kilometer point around Tamade . This is the hardest part for runners. Minami, who had been running at a brisk pace in the early stages of the race, began to slow down gradually. Gathering power from those cheering her on along the roadside, she exerted her last bit of strength and headed for the finish line at INTEX Osaka.

And finneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Minaya's record was a net time of 4 hours, 42 minutes, and 52 seconds. Unfortunately, she did not reach her goal of sub-4, but she completed the 42.195 km without incident! After the middle part of the race, she was fighting against the pain in her legs, and it was a tearful, tearful finish. . Thus, HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB's challenge to the Osaka Marathon 2018 came to an end.

I am disappointed that Minaya was not able to achieve her goal of sub-4, and as her pacemaker, I feel responsible for her performance. However, she seemed to find enjoyment in the toughness of the race, and she also clarified her own issues, so I hope that she will use the experiences and lessons she gained from this race in her future running life. Personally, this was my first time serving as a pacemaker for a full marathon, and it was a great experience. Aiming for a new personal best is not the only way to run a marathon . I was reminded of this once again. Anyway, I had a great time running the Osaka Marathon for the second time in two years! The layout of the course, which allowed runners to enjoy the sights of Osaka, the smooth operation of the race, the uninterrupted cheering, and the ample aid stations were impeccable. I felt once again that this is one of the best marathons in Japan that fulfills all the requirements for an urban marathon. Incidentally, I heard that next year the course will be changed and the finish line will be moved to Osaka Castle Park. The previous course was great, but I definitely want to run the new one! (Issey Enomoto)

. I have run several full marathons in the past, but I felt that it was becoming increasingly difficult to beat my personal best. . In this situation, I was asked to be Minami's pacemaker for the Osaka Marathon, and that was a good motivation for me to run. I was disappointed that I could not lead her to a sub-4 finish, but I think that running for others has broadened my enjoyment of running. I feel that I was able to truly enjoy the marathon itself, such as responding to the cheering along the way and receiving food from private aides. This was my second time running the Osaka Marathon. This is the best marathon ever, isn't it? I could feel the spirit of the Osaka people as I ran, and I felt that the event has become a well-established festival-like event. During the race, when people along the roadside yelled, "Shave off your beard! from the roadside during the race, I was a bit amused (laughs). Incidentally, the next race for me will be the Tokyo Marathon next March. Since I was focused on having fun in Osaka this time, I would like to go for a stoic time in Tokyo. For that, I will have to run hard for the next four months.

This Osaka Marathon was my third full marathon . I had hoped to achieve sub-4 by now, but I wasn't ...... naive. The cause was lack of running . . Due to the fact that I was busy with work, I was not able to train satisfactorily. From now on, I will practice hard, make running a daily habit, and next time I run a full marathon, I definitely want to achieve sub-4. My personal results aside, the Osaka Marathon was a lot of fun! It was my first time in Osaka, and I was surprised to see how energetic the city was with more people than I expected. And above all, everyone in Osaka is warm and welcoming. During the marathon, I was cheered up a lot by the cheering along the way, and it made me realize how fun running can be.