2022 Tokyo Marathon Cancelled

Many marathon races have been cancelled or postponed since the start of the pandemic, and the Tokyo races are included.  Usually the Tokyo Marathon is held in late February or the beginning of March. The Shizuoka Marathon is held either two weeks before or two weeks after Tokyo.  

Because so many runners want to participate in the Tokyo Marathon, a lottery is held to choose the participants for the race. A few of my students have run it and the medals are very nice.

In 2020, the Tokyo race was scheduled for March 1st, but due to the corona virus, the race was limited to elite runners only. The race that was to be held in February of 2021, was postponed to October 17th, due to the ongoing pandemic. Because of the State of Emergency in Tokyo, it was just announced that the October race is being moved to March 6, 2022 and will still be called the 2021 Tokyo Marathon.  The 2022 marathon is cancelled. Yes, even though the marathon will be in 2022, it will be the 2021 marathon. (Sounds like the Tokyo Olympics).

The registered runners from last year were given the option to participate in this year's race, with an additional fee for PCR testing.  I suppose that participants will be moved ahead again, if they choose to participate. I'm sure it is a big disappointment for the confirmed marathon runners. With only a month before the scheduled October 17th race, they are probably in great marathon shape and will need to train anew if they want to participate in the March race.  I know there are many marathon runners who keep in great shape all the time, but I also know there are many people who want to run a marathon and are training for the specific race. I guess it can't be helped.

Jacksonville Florida marathon 12/2005

Virginia Beach Virginia marathon 3/2008

Raleigh North Carolina half marathon 4/2008

The Marathon Race That Took Over 54 Years

 

Have you heard of Shizo Kanakuri?  Before this summer's Olympic Games I hadn't either.  I read he is known as the father of Japanese marathon running. 

He was a native of Kumamoto Prefecture, and in November 1911 was selected as one of the only two athletes that Japan could afford to send to the 1912 Stockholm Olympics the next summer. Kanakuri had a difficult 18 day trip, by ship and train, to Stockholm. The race was held in Sollentuna Municipality in Sweden.  Unexpectedly it was 25C (77F) that day and many of the runners suffered from hyperthermia. Kanakuri who was still weak from his long trip from Japan and having problems with the local food and the heat the day of the race, lost consciousness in the middle of the race.  A local farming family took care of him.  Because he was embarrassed at not finishing, he returned to Japan without telling anyone!  

The Swedish authorities considered him missing for 50 years, when finally they found out he was living in Japan and had even competed in other Olympic marathons. In 1967, Swedish Television contacted him and asked him to return to Sweden to complete his race, which he did.  He completed the marathon race in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds. After his finish, he said, "It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and ten grandchildren." 

Kanakuri was chosen to run in the 1916 Olympics, which were later cancelled due to World War I. He did compete in the marathon in the 1920 Olympics in Belgium where he finished 16th with a time of two hours, 48 minutes, and 45.4 seconds. He also participated in the 1924 Olympics but was not able to finish the race. 

In Japan he is known for his role in starting the Hakone Ekiden relay marathon in 1920.  Starting in 2004, the top prize in this race was named after him. He died on November 13, 1983, at the age of 92 in his hometown of Tamana in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.