My goal is to complete all six World Marathon Majors races

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

10th Course C Team (Goal: Full marathon sub 4 hours 00 minutes) MVP YURI

Starting amid the COVID-19 pandemic

I started running when I started working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I felt like I wasn't getting enough exercise, so I started going to the gym.At first, I did strength training, but my trainer told me, "When you're not at the gym, you should do aerobic exercise," so I started running.

The impact of the Honolulu Marathon

At first, I ran 5 kilometers in about 30-40 minutes, but I gradually started to enjoy it. I mentioned it to my trainer, who suggested I try a marathon. At that point, I decided to run my first full marathon in Honolulu. There was no time limit, and it was in Hawaii, my beloved state. However, I couldn't go that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I ran the Honolulu Marathon the following year in 2022. At the starting line, a black woman sang the American national anthem on a red paper marker, which was so exciting I got goosebumps. Having experienced that exciting race overseas, I've been wanting to run another overseas race ever since. I was lucky enough to win the lottery, and three months later, I was able to run the Tokyo Marathon. I learned about the World Marathon Majors, and I decided I wanted to complete all six of them someday. I've already competed in Berlin, London, and New York, so my next goal is to run Chicago and Boston, completing all six of the World Marathon Majors.

Crossing the Wall in Berlin

On race day in Berlin, the temperature was around 15 degrees, which was very good, but based on my training over the summer, it was definitely not the kind of condition I was aiming for in a sub-4 time, so I set off thinking I'd just do a fun run. I'd already taken over two hours for the half marathon, so I didn't think I'd be able to do it in under four. Then my pace gradually picked up, and I had more fun running than I'd ever felt before. With five kilometers left, I realized, "Maybe I can do it in under four," and then I got scared. My heart was pounding, and I made a final sprint, remembering all the tough training I'd done, and just barely managed to achieve a sub-4 time.

A depressing training session

I joined RETO in November after Berlin last year. I wanted to join after seeing everyone on Instagram update their personal best times, and I applied because I had a goal of achieving a sub-4 time. At first, I thought I'd come to a crazy place. When the training menu was announced, it was clearly faster than the sub-4 level menus I'd experienced in previous training sessions, and I thought, "There's no way I can do this," and I started to feel depressed about going every time. There was no way I could complete the training, and at one point I was so discouraged I wanted to quit, and I even consulted Seiya and Tamken about what to do.

What I felt deeply

Due to work commitments, I am not always able to attend official training sessions, and I have rarely participated in training sessions or drinking parties outside of official training sessions. To be honest, I'm surprised that someone like me deserves to receive the MVP award. Even so, when I attend training sessions, everyone, including Mr. Kamino, always takes care of me and speaks to me, and Mr. Seiya helps me arrange the menu. Above all, the sense of accomplishment I feel after completing a tough menu is exceptional. Every time, I'm glad I came to training, and touched by everyone's kindness, I'm really glad I continued with RETO, even when I was feeling down. I truly feel that it was thanks to everyone at RETO and the hard training that I was able to achieve a sub-4 time.

Keep running at your own pace

-Why do you run?

Because I love running. And the sense of accomplishment I get after a run. No matter how slow I am, when I reach the finish line I feel like, "I did it! I'll try my best next time." Plus, running puts me in a positive mindset. When I jog while listening to music, I enter my own world, lots of ideas come to me, and I feel motivated to work hard. It enriches every aspect of my life, so I want to continue running at my own pace.