Tokyo Marathon 2021 took place on March 6, 2022, a year after the organizer had postponed it due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eliud Kipchoge won the race by the world's 4th fastest time of 2:02:40. Here is my brief report of how the race unfolded below.
As the gun went off at 9:10 a.m. the elite field split into two groups immediately: a pack of east Africans including Eliud, and the second group with many elite Japanese runners.
Both groups sped down the first 5 K, creating a large margin against the world best time and Japan's best time respectively.
An accident happened between 10 and 11 K. At the Ueno 3-Chome intersection one of the leading police motorcycles took a right into the opposite lane as it ended its mission of navigating the leaders. Though the leaders had to keep straight for another 100 meters to the Ueno Hirokohji intersection where there was a turning point, they followed the police motorcycle by mistake and got off the designated route. They had to turn back on course when official guides frantically waved them back! That cost them about 10 seconds or so. Ordinarily, it may be negligible. But it was not an ordinary race. The race was proceeding at a record-breaking pace! Boy, oh, boy! I only hoped it wouldn't affect the performance by the champion...
It was a great relief that the leaders looked quite composed once they were back on track. They seemed least distracted though its real impact on the runners was only known to the runners themselves...
The leading pack gradually got whittled away as they knocked out one mile after another. By the time they reached the water station at the 36 K mark there were only Eliud Kipchoge and Amos Kipruto. But when Eliud grabbed his personal drink and took a sip, one could tell that a small grin flashed across his face, and no sooner had it happened than a slight gap opened between him and Amos. And soon it started becoming gradually larger until it became clear to all that he bagged a victory.
Japan's best time holder Kengo Suzuki, though running strongly at a record-breaking pace until 38 K, wasn't able to maintain the pace in the last few kilometers. His goal of renewing Japan's best time he owns wasn't fulfilled today. Nonetheless he finished 4th, beating 2020 London Marathon winner Shura Kitata of Etheopia.
In the women's elite field, world best time holder Brigid Kosgei won the race. She was simply on another level. Two top runners of Japan, Mao Ichiyama and Hitomi Niiya, remained neck to neck until the 40 K mark. But when the Tokyo Olympics 8th finisher attacked, there was no strength in Niiya's legs left to respond.
Kengo Suzuki and Mao Ichiyama renewed the previous Guiness record of the fastest combined marathon times of a married couple. Congrats to the newly weds! It must be a great motivation booster.
At 14:38 p.m. I got off the train at Asakusabashi Station. When I got out of the station building into the sunshine, a stream of citizen runners was briskly moving down Route 6. It was more than 3 hours after Eliud crossed the finish line, and more than 5 hours after the race was under way. Asakusabasi is the 29 K mark. To be at this point 5 hours after the gun went off meant that if they should complete the race, their finish time would be 7 hours something. That's a very long journey on the road. But many were giving it everything they'd got, trying to complete the race no matter what. Remembering running the race 10 years before myself, I wanted to cheer on the passing runners. Though spectators were strongly discouraged from cheering on runners on the street, I found a little open space and waved at some of the runners. Most just looked ahead and kept on moving. But some noticed me and waved back with a smile on their faces. It brought back some fond memories from my past races.
Spectating was still strictly restricted in today's race. The energy level was nowhere near that before the pandemic. But I am hopeful. A day will come in the near future when runners can run and spectators can cheer without worrying about viral infection. Let's keep our fingers crossed, and our mask on as well.
