Gambatte Kudasai!

Gambatte kudasai! Heard this over a thousand times during my six hours on the Tokyo Marathon course in less than ideal weather conditions. The phrase and the people thus inspired make this marathon especially memorable. To truly enjoy the Tokyo experience, one does not race for oneself, for a personal best, for a medal (although everyone who finishes gets one), or a gold star in your running log. This is a unique chance to enjoy immersion into a profound and inspiring culture, and its incredibly friendly and enthusiastic people.

Gambatte kudasai, means something like "Good luck," "Don't give up", "Hang in there," or most fundamentally, "Try your best!" The Japanese believe that the effort is more important than the result. The joy of running this marathon, regardless of result, is in being pulled along the course by 30,000+ nihonjin of all ages and physiques and abilities, each one giving his or her best effort to achieve a goal known only to the individual runner. These photos gathered along the way capture only a small segment of the totality of that splendid manifestation of this culture and its people, who truly do believe in the honor of doing your best:

It's All About the Tee Shirt

I'm writing from my Japanese style room in the New Sanno (yep, got one at the last minute), just about to bed down into my futon on the tatami mats. This will make an interesting study, being the first marathon eve when I've slumbered Japanese style. How will it affect performance?

I am ready to go. Bib number and timing chip are properly affixed. Garmin Forerunner and iPod fully charged. The latter is suitably programed with Podrunner mixes and a final hour's mix of Eagles, Abba, and Queen. If I've set it up right, I'll be crossing the finish line to "We Are the Champions!" Finally, after much debate and discussion with my fellow runners on what the weather will actually bring, I've decided on my attire for what should be a cool, breezy, and perhaps rainy day: shorts, long sleeved shirt, running vest, hat...and running shoes, of course.


I've eaten my Mediterranean pasta dinner and consumed my proper amount of water. Power bars and power gels are in place for the morrow. All is ready.


Have I ever mentioned how running a race is much like flying to me. I love the planning and preparation almost as much as the actual event. Judging from the crowd at the pre-race Expo today, the Japanese share the relish.