The Road to the Shonan International Marathon] VOL.1 My Bottle is a Must! What is the aim of one of the most popular marathons in Japan in introducing a new rule?

One of the most popular tournaments in the country will be held on February 28 next year!

The 15th Shonan International Marathon will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2021. Running along the scenic coastline of Shonan, the marathon is known as one of the most popular marathons among citizen runners in Japan, as it is flat and is said to be easy to set records.

The special sponsors for this year's event are GOLDWIN and The North Face. The logo of the event has also been renewed, marking a new step forward.

The course layout is the same as before, starting from the Oiso Prince Hotel, heading east on Route 134, turning around just before Enoshima, then running for a while with the finish line at the side before turning around again and finishing at 42.195 km.

The operation may be changed depending on the infection situation.

While the spread of the new coronavirus has led to the cancellation of large-scale marathons across the board, this year's event was decided to be held in the midst of such a situation. The number of applicants has been reduced from 25,200 to 18,000, and entry requirements are limited to domestic residents who have not traveled abroad within one month of the race date.

On the day of the race, not only are measures against infectious diseases such as wearing masks at the venue, temperature checks, disinfection, thorough social distance, and a dispersed start to avoid congestion, but also, depending on how the infection is controlled, the race may be held in a wider time range with a wave start, or possibly with a different distance or course. In some cases, the distance or course may be changed.

The decision on whether or not the event can be held will be made on December 10, 2020, and the prerequisites for the decision are that "the situation of new coronavirus infection has improved since August 28, 2020" and "the event is approved by Kanagawa Prefecture and all local governments that have jurisdiction over the course of the event. and that the event has been approved by Kanagawa Prefecture and all local governments that have jurisdiction over the course of the event.

What is the aim of the "My Bottle Must Have" campaign?

Another major feature of this year's tournament is the introduction of a new rule: "must have your own bottle".

Runners are required to carry their own water bottles (400 ml or larger) filled to the brim at the start of the marathon, and they will be able to fill their own water bottles at more than 500 water stations and 5,000 faucets located along the course. . This is a major difference from previous marathons, where water was supplied by disposable paper cups.

20L stainless steel jugs provided at water supply points for sports and fun drinks

12 L returnable bottles provided at water supply points

2-ton water tanks delivering drinking water throughout the course

By requiring participants to carry their own bottles, the 31,500 plastic bottles, 500,000 paper cups and plastic cups, and 26,500 plastic bottles distributed after the finish can be eliminated, and the trash bags and trash cans associated with these items can also be greatly reduced. In addition, the water supply system to be introduced from this year's event will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 6 tons. . This is equivalent to a reduction of approximately 170,000 500ml plastic bottles.

Mr. Taishi Goto of GOLDWIN/The North Face, a special sponsor of this year's event, explains how the new "must carry your own bottle" rule was introduced and what it aims to achieve, as follows.

. "I have long had doubts about the trash littering the marathon course and the enormous amount of waste generated after the race. . The Shonan International Marathon is not only an environmentally friendly way to run the marathon, but also a way to raise awareness and action toward the natural environment among many people through the marathon.

Also, and this is a personal story, but in my own marathon experience, I have both supplied water with paper cups and run with my own bottle in search of a record, and my personal best times have come when I ran with my own bottle. In this regard, I do not believe that running with my own cup is necessarily associated with a negative factor."

HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡ will also run in this competition!

The My Bottle Marathon is unprecedented and the first of its kind in the world. What kind of event will it be? Will the My Bottle Marathon become the new normal for marathons in the future? Or, rather, how do people carry their own bottles during the race?

Although the call for entries has already closed, several members of the HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡, led by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Hiroshi Yamamoto and Writer Issey Enomoto, have already entered the race. We will report over the next few issues on everything from choosing the right gear to comply with the new rule of carrying your own bottle to the race day itself. Please look forward to it!

Text_Issey Enomoto