My First Marathon Was a Nightmare, Yet Here's Why I Keep Running

Why I Run: Stories from Runners
Vol. 4 Harry Sugiyama (Part 2)

Text:Shun Sato

No more marathons

"I'll never run again."

In February 2018, Harry Sugiyama apparently thought this after running his first marathon, the Tokyo Marathon.

He started running as part of a TV project to cheer up his father, who was battling dementia, but the process leading up to his first race was disastrous. In December 2017, he ran a half marathon and injured his IT band. He continued to run despite the pain, and a week before the race, he participated in a 10km race, where he crashed and burned. At that time, he was training alone and had no knowledge of treatment or friends to rely on. After discussing with his agency staff, he visited a sports doctor and received six painkilling injections. During the race, he felt pain from the 5km mark but gritted his teeth and finished in 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 6 seconds.

"It was really tough. I had felt bad as a child, but this was far beyond that level. I never want to do another marathon. Everyone is crazy for torturing their bodies like this. I thought everyone was out of their minds (laughs)."

Despite saying this, he continued to run marathons, but his passion truly ignited when he started hosting "Runsma Club" in April 2021. Talking about running with Tetsuhiko Kin, the MC of the program, and Runsma members Toshihiko Seko and Arata Fujiwara, he learned about running knowledge, training methods, and recovery techniques, and gained running companions through location shoots. Furthermore, he formed a running team called TEAM NASTY, allowing him to experience the joy of running with friends.

Farewell to a beloved father

In 2021, as marathon events were successively canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mito Manyu Marathon, which Harry had planned to run, was also canceled. With his target race for a sub-3.5 gone, he decided to run 42.195km along the riverbed with his NASTY teammates for the Tokyo Marathon the following year. However, he had to stop at the 25km mark. Mr. Kin criticized him, and Harry thought, "This is bad," but he corrected his course and achieved a sub-3.5 (3 hours, 28 minutes, 49 seconds) in his second marathon, the Tokyo Marathon, in March 2022. From there, he gradually aimed for a sub-3, but 2022 turned out to be a significant year for Harry in many ways.

In April, he achieved a 15-minute improvement, clocking 3 hours, 13 minutes, 41 seconds at the Nagano Marathon.

"I thought, 'I did it!' and called my mother right after the race. That's when I heard that my father had passed away that morning. I had visited him at the nursing home the day before going to Nagano, said 'I'm off,' and left, but I never imagined his condition would suddenly worsen in just one day."

Harry's father was diagnosed with dementia in 2012, and home care began shortly after. Harry was then consumed by 24-hour care, which took a toll on his mental health and affected his work and daily life. His mother also became exhausted from caregiving, pushing them to the brink of family breakdown. Seeking relief, they switched to a nursing home in 2015, reclaiming their lives and improving the quality of life for all three of them. From 2020 to 2022, visits were denied due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing continuous worry.

"Although my father's death was sad, for me, it felt like a turning point. It was tough when he had dementia, and during COVID, we couldn't see him for days. As his illness progressed, I spent days overwhelmed by an unspeakable sense of despair. Looking back now, Nagano was a race that freed me from COVID and caregiving."

Sealing off negative emotions

Six months after the Nagano Marathon, Harry participated in the Mito Manyu Marathon with the goal of breaking 3 hours, 10 minutes. This was also broadcast on "Runsma Club," showing a very real side of Harry during the race. In the latter half, he injured his leg at Lake Senba, and his expression became grim, complaining and repeatedly saying "damn it" and "it hurts" as he ran.

"I definitely said 'damn it, it hurts' (laughs). I felt quite pathetic using the fact that I had a mic on as an excuse. And I thought I sprained my ankle at Lake Senba, but after watching the VTR many times, it wasn't much of a sprain at all (bitter laugh). My foot just turned inward a little bit, it was nothing serious, but I think I had used up all my energy there, and my mind became completely unstable."

After that episode aired, Harry promised on the show to refrain from negative remarks. He vowed to eliminate excuses and escape routes, and to face his true self in marathons. After making that resolve, his expression became more determined, and he felt a change. Indeed, from that point on, Harry steadily climbed the marathon ladder. Incidentally, at the Mito Manyu Marathon the following year, 2023, a large "Watch Your Step" sign was placed at the point where Harry had his injury.

"This is completely my responsibility, or rather, a message directed at me, isn't it? Because I'm probably the only one who nearly stumbled and sprained their ankle there (bitter laugh)."

This anecdote illustrates the immense influence of television, and if the warning sign continues to be present, it might eventually be dubbed "Harry Point" and become a famous spot, much like "Terada Crossing" in the Hakone Ekiden.

Running is mental decluttering

In November 2023, Harry achieved a sub-3 at the Tsukuba Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, 41 seconds. In the 2025 Otawara Marathon, he set a personal best of 2 hours, 53 minutes, 53 seconds. Currently, Harry is training for a sub-2:50 (sub-Ega).

"Ideally, I'd like to aim for a sub-Ega at the Tokyo Marathon in March (※He actually achieved a personal best of 2 hours, 52 minutes, 54 seconds at the Tokyo Marathon 2026), but it's not that easy. I've become comfortable running at a 4-minute pace per kilometer, but I'm not yet at a jogging pace. I think I can seriously aim for it once I get close to 80 minutes for a half marathon."

He is meticulously combining training menus to improve his running ability, but what does he consider important for achieving his goals as he continues his practice?

"Not getting injured. If you get injured, everything you've built up can disappear in an instant. I always train while considering where that absolute limit is to avoid injury. You don't need to give 100% in every session; I steadily accumulate sessions where I can complete about 80% of the menu, gradually raising the bar and pushing myself."

He also emphasizes post-training recovery. It's often said that good training comes from good recovery, and Harry uses compression boots, wears recovery wear, and makes an effort to avoid lingering fatigue. Of course, he never skips stretching. This is almost a professional lifestyle, but does he have a target runner?

"It's eyron from Sonar Pocket. Even after not running for about a year, he came back and immediately ran a time under 2 hours, 35 minutes. Eyron is a wonderful artist and person, and I truly respect him as a runner. I haven't even achieved a sub-Ega yet, so that realm is unimaginable for me, but I hope the day comes when I can casually run in the 2 hours, 30 minutes range."

If he can continue training without injury, a new perspective will eventually come. We asked Harry, who will continue to run, one last question.

Why do you run?

"For mental stability and to declutter my mind. When I run, my brain, which is cluttered with thoughts about family, work, and the future, gets organized. And various hormones are secreted, so I can face tomorrow positively. It's amazing that simply running can achieve that (laughs)."