Marathons help me unleash my potential

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

10th Course B Team (Goal: Full marathon sub 3 hours 30 minutes) MVP: Futoshi Kimura

Finishing the Yokohama Marathon with a refreshing feeling

I achieved a sub-3.5 time (3 hours 23 minutes 20 seconds) at the Yokohama Marathon, but honestly, I didn't expect to achieve such a time. My previous personal best was last year's Kyoto Marathon (3 hours 48 minutes 05 seconds), and I was completely defeated at this year's Osaka Marathon (3 hours 57 minutes 53 seconds), so I was hoping to somehow break 30 minutes in Yokohama.

I'd heard a lot about Yokohama, like how the banking on the highway is tough and how hard it is to get a good time, but actually, when I ran there, it was even tougher than I'd imagined. There were no supporters on the highway, and the expressions on people's faces were completely different to when I was running in my car, so it was truly a battle with myself. I was able to endure because I remembered that I had overcome the tough training at RETO. I had some energy left at the half marathon, so when I passed the sub-3.5 pacer, I thought I could probably break 30 minutes. When I crossed the finish line, I was surprised and thought, "I ran that time!" Usually, I get cramps in my legs and collapse after a race, but that didn't happen this time, and I was able to finish feeling refreshed.

Motivating each other to improve

The most beneficial thing about my time from Osaka to Yokohama was joining RETO. I joined in the 9th term (May-July 2024), and when I attended my first RETO practice session, I saw everyone running until they collapsed, and I thought, "Everyone's amazing, I must be in the wrong place." But when I ran with everyone on the B team, watching their backs, I could tell they were working really hard, and seeing the whole team pushing themselves towards their own goals and improving each other, made me want to try harder too. I really get a lot of energy from everyone at RETO.

Run for health

I based my training on RETO, and was also inspired by watching other people running on Strava, so I tried to run as much as possible. My monthly running distance was around 180km. Up until then, I had only run around 100km, so this was a big change for me. I basically ran on weekends, and on weekdays, after coming home from work, I would run a little while the bath was heating up, so I gradually built up my distance. As I continued running, I lost weight, my physical condition improved dramatically, and my health checkup results also improved, so it's only been good things.

My life changed

I've never really liked marathons or long-distance running. I'd always played baseball, and only started running after I entered the workforce and was invited by a senior colleague at work. It was about seven years ago, and my first marathon was the Shonan International Marathon. Since then, I've continued running alone, participating in marathons once or twice a year. A few years ago, I was transferred to Tokyo and was attending practice sessions on a one-off basis, but when I was drinking, I saw a job posting for RETO on Facebook and applied on impulse. I was lucky enough to get in, and it has changed not only the way I approach marathons, but also my life.

Marathons bring out personal growth

-Why do you run?

Until now, I've been running with the goal of finishing a marathon and continuing to feel that sense of accomplishment, but recently my thoughts have changed a bit. To be honest, I never thought my times would improve this much at my age. But seeing the reality of how much I've actually improved, I realized that there are still areas where I can grow that I just haven't noticed. I think marathons can help me bring that out. I think this is something that applies to my lifestyle and my work, so I hope to continue running and continue to draw out my potential and grow.