【Report】Para Athlete Race

The para-athlete (vision impairment T11/T12 category) division started at 8:05 a.m. JST with about 15,000 total runners including elite athletes and general entry runners. Conditions were cloudy with temperatures at 19.1 Degree Celsius and 59.8% humidity.

In the men’s division, there were 6 athletes with the invited athlete, Yutaka Kumagai (Mitsui Direct General Insurance) winning for the second consecutive time. While he didn’t exceed the men’s T12 world record he set last year (1:09:33), he finished with a time of 1:10:54.

Kosuke Oishi (Japan Blind Marathon Association) finished second with a personal best of 1:14:22 and Tatsuya Mochizuki (Japan Blind Marathon Association) took third place at 1:22:00.

Kumagai had pulled a muscle in his right calf this spring, and was not able to run for about two months, but he put on a courageous performance hoping to break his record. He seemed to feel accomplished. “I am somewhat disappointed not being able to set a personal best, but I’m satisfied with the results since I ran hard until the very end trying to break it. It was a bit warm, but it didn’t seem to affect the muscle strain. I hope to bring back my condition toward the upcoming marathon season.”

Second place finisher Oishi ran a great race, improving his personal record by more than 2 minutes. He vowed further growth. “I gained confidence having built up power from last year. But I was hoping to finish close to 73 minutes, so my sense of disappointment is stronger. The heat had some impact, causing my legs to be fatigued after the 10km mark, and my pace slowed. I hope to add more distance so I can last into the latter part of the race.” He also shared his appreciation. “There were many spectators calling out my name, and it was very encouraging. There were a lot of general entry runners as well, and I was able to run well with their energy.”

In the women’s field where 4 athletes participated, Manami Waki (IMV) won for the first time at 1:33:37. Chika Nishimura (Japan Blind Marathon Association) placed second with a time of 1:37:43 followed by Yumiko Konno (Japan Blind Marathon Association) in third place with a time of 1:44:06.

There are many para-athletes with different disabilities participating in the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon. For instance, Takuro Aoyama (vision impairment T00 category/Taito City Athletics Association) participated in the men’s field, and Makiko Yasumoto （T100 category/Japan Deaf Athletics Association）in the women’s field of the hearing impairment T00 division. Both will be representing Japan in the marathon and 10,000m at the Deaflympics which will be held in Tokyo in November. This will be the first time for the event to be held in Japan.

Aoyama was the top para-athlete finisher excluding the wheelchair division, with a time of 1:08:10. He reflected on the event. “I ran in a 30km race yesterday and the half marathon race today as a part of my build up (for the Deaflympics). I felt fatigued a bit today, but I was able to run well since I didn’t want to lose against runners who I train with on a regular basis.”

Looking toward the upcoming major event, his spirit seemed high. “I’ve been able to practice on pace without any injuries. There is some pressure with all those rooting for me, but I hope to be able to enjoy the race and maybe get a gold medal as a result. I will be careful not to catch a cold or the flu.”

In addition, three athletes from the intellectual impairment T20 men’s division participated in the race, and all completed, with Riku Nakasuji finishing in the top spot and recording 1:13:15.

Manabu Suzuki of the Tokyo Marathon Foundation Race Director Division shared his thoughts about the race. “While Kumagai from the T11/T12 men’s division didn’t quite reach his record, his practice seems to be on schedule, so I hope he can build up toward the next race. Second place finisher Oishi had a fantastic race setting a new personal best. In the women’s field, Waki ran smoothly for the win. I’m glad she finished despite the accident. I hope she can adjust her condition slowly to restart.”

He also sent encouragement for the two runners in the T00 division. “Both Aoyama and Yasumoto ran well. I hope this event gives them momentum toward the Deaflympics.” He added, “We will continue to work closely with respective para-sport associations to create an environment that allows more para-athletes to participate.”