【 Road to Shonan International Marathon 2022] VOL.2 My Bottle, How to Carry? HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB's♡'s race style.

. "Must have my own bottle" is the new rule.

The 17th Shonan International Marathon will be held on December 4, 2022. The marathon will be run in a thoroughly environmentally friendly manner, and a new rule will be introduced: "runners must carry their own bottles. This is aimed at reducing the amount of trash that has been an issue in marathons up to now.

Runners will start the race carrying their own water bottles (400㎖ or more) filled to the brim, and will be required to personally supply water at the water supply points provided on the course. Water will not be provided in paper cups as in most marathons.

So the question for runners is, "How do I carry my own bottle?" How do you carry your own bottle? Do you run with it in your hand? In your backpack or waist belt? Or in your pants pocket? . You must have your own bottle, but you are free to choose how you carry it.

Visit The North Face directly-managed store!

What items should be used to comply with the new "must carry your own bottle" rule? . And what kind of clothing should we wear for a full marathon held in the cold of December? HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB's handsome members, who are planning to participate in the Shonan International Marathon, visited "THE NORTH FACE Sphere" located along Meiji-dori in Harajuku, Tokyo, in search of gear and clothing to wear on the race day.

From right to left, HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB's handsome vice director, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Issey Enomoto, director, Hideki Shibayama, a club member, and Saki Yabuki, a staff member of "The North Face Sphere" All four are planning to run in this Shonan International Marathon.

The North Face Sphere is a new store that opened in July 2022. It is positioned as the flagship store of The North Face's athletic category, and offers a full lineup of running and training related items.

I decided to check out the restaurant immediately.

Imagining the weather and temperature on the day of the race, and thinking about how to carry my own bottle, I will examine the winning outfit for the Shonan International Marathon.

Mr. Yabuki is also a runner who makes it a habit to run on a regular basis, and has recently become addicted to trail running. It is reassuring to know that he can offer advice on item selection based on his own experience.

Three different. HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡♡'s racing style.

From clothing to shoes, items selected by Yamamoto, Enomoto, and Shibayama will be introduced.

Jacket "Free run anorak" ￥16,500
T-shirt "S/ST GTD Melange Crew" ￥6,820
Cap "Free run cap" ￥6,490
Glove "Windstopper Etip glove" ￥8,800
Shorts "Free run short" ￥13,200
Socks "Paper Fiber 5-Toe Socks" ￥2,420 (GOLDWIN)
Shoes "Velocity forward" ￥15,950

Let's start with Yamamoto, the handsome and fashionable leader of HOUYHNHNM RUNNING CLUB♡. All apparel is from "The North Face's" environmentally friendly running wear series "FREE RUN". The tops and shoes are all in chic browns, while the graphic prints on the shorts and cap accentuate the look. The runners are required to carry their own bottles, which they can do by either carrying soft flasks or storing them in the mesh pockets on the waist of their shorts.

T-shirt "Expedition dry dot crew" ￥12,100
Cap "TR racing cap" ￥5,390
Shorts "Enduris Racing short" ￥10,450
Waist belt "Manta Ray" ￥5,500
Shoes "Ultra Forward" ￥19,800

Next, Enomoto's selection. While the top and pants are in pale tones, the cap and shoes are black to tie the entire outfit together. A waist belt is used to carry my bottle. Incidentally, the item chosen for the top is a technical base layer from the Summit line for hard activities. It diffuses and dries sweat quickly, providing comfort even when running.

(LEFT)Sleeveless T-shirt "S/L Better Than Naked Crew" ￥7,260
(Right)Sleeveless T-shirt "S/L Flight Hypervent Crew" ￥10,890
Shorts "Enduris Racing Short" ￥10,450
Shoes "Ultra Forward" ￥19,800

Lastly, Shibayama's selection. He chose a sleeveless top, the most conservative of the three. On the day of the competition, I want to go all out from the beginning and aim for a good record! I want to go all out from the very beginning of the race and aim for a good record! He was not sure about the color of his sleeveless jacket until the last minute, but decided to bring both colors with him to the race, depending on his mood on the day of the race. He said he would carry his own bottle, a must-have, in a mesh pocket on the waist of his shorts.

The 17th Shonan International Marathon is just a few days away. On the day of the marathon, the three runners will run along the beautiful Shonan seaside, each in his or her own way. What will the world's first "My Bottle Marathon" be like? We will report on the day's events at a later date. Please stay tuned!

Text_Issey Enomoto
Photo_Yutto