"Hokkaido Marathon 2023" - A fun and exciting event held as a team by RETO RUNNING CLUB

Text: Shun Sato

As many as 30 runners from the RETO RUNNING CLUB participated in the Hokkaido Marathon.

It was a summer marathon, and the location was Sapporo. It's rare to see so many members from one team competing in a marathon in a regional city.

This time, there were not only runners, but also members who participated to cheer and support, and some who participated as pacers to help members improve their personal bests.

Yusaku Tsuchimoto ran while supporting Takahiro Ichikawa.

"I entered the Hokkaido Marathon, but I didn't set a personal best, so I thought I'd use it as practice to support people who are trying to achieve their personal bests. It was my first time, but when I asked for help at practice sessions and in chat, I got in touch with Ichi and said, 'Please let me do it,' so I decided to do it."

Ichikawa said he was extremely grateful for Tsuchimoto's support.

It was at the water stations that Tsuchimoto realized how much support he received during the race. Up until then, he had been "not good at drinking water," often drinking too much or slowing down to get a cup. Tsuchimoto understood this when he saw Ichikawa's reaction at the first water station.

"When it came to the water supply, he would go to the first crowded place to get it, and he didn't grab the cup from above, he held it by the inside of the cup. When I saw that, I thought it would be better for me to be the one to supply water."

From the second water station, Tsuchimoto-san brought water and sports drinks to the runners, as running without stopping at water stations would help them avoid speed loss and accidents such as falls.

Ichikawa had brought all the necessary gel with him, but Tsuchimoto had asked his support runner, Koyamauchi Maki, to provide oral rehydration jelly at the individual aid stations at 15km and 35km.

"Macky supported me, but when you receive aid at a station like that, your running changes a little. In summer marathons, if you're dehydrated or lack salt, your legs can cramp."

Ichikawa had a complete support system in place to help him improve his personal best.

Osanai, who was waiting for Tsuchimoto and his team at the 15km point, was originally scheduled to run in the Hokkaido Marathon, but five days before the race he noticed something was wrong with his eyes and was advised by his ophthalmologist not to run, so he decided to provide support.

"The reason I decided to go as a supporter was because it was a race I had always wanted to run in, and going with a large group of 30 people seemed like a lot of fun. I'd seen everyone working hard at the practice sessions, and there was a party to celebrate, so I thought I'd have a lot of fun just cheering them on, so I decided to go."

Oyamauchi arrived in Sapporo in the morning, and in addition to the frozen oral rehydration solution he had brought with him, he bought ice and other items at a convenience store near the station, then took a taxi to a point 15 kilometers away.

Something unexpected happened during the race.

When they spotted Osanai at the 15km point, many of the other members began asking for ice and oral rehydration solutions. The temperature in Sapporo that day was about 30°C at the start, and the humidity was high, which was taking a toll on the runners more than they had imagined.

"I tried to give the jelly to Seiya (Coach Takagi Seiya) but couldn't get it right, so he turned back and got it. That's when I realized that even someone like Seiya must be in a tough spot. While I was waiting for everyone to arrive, I didn't feel that hot, but when Hamataka (Hamada Takayuki) walked over, I was shocked. I thought this was really bad, so I quickly packed ice in."

The bags of ice were quickly gone as we provided them not only to the team members but also to any runners who wanted them. At the 10km point, I received a message from Miwa Obuchi, who was handing out ice, saying she was on her way, so I contacted her and asked her to buy three more bags of ice.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to use up all that ice by the 15km mark. When I ran the Hakodate Marathon last year, I thought I understood how difficult it would be to run a marathon in temperatures over 30 degrees, but seeing the other members struggling made me realize just how tough a summer marathon can be."

After this, Osanai tried to move to the 37km mark in the opposite lane 15km from the start. But, naturally, volunteers and police told him, "You can't cross." Towards the latter half of the race, gaps began to open up between the runners, so after getting permission from the police, he blended in with the other runners, moved to the 37km mark, and met up with Obuchi. Osanai's quick thinking made it possible to cross the course, which is normally impossible.

Ichikawa was progressing smoothly up until the halfway point, with Tsuchimoto pacing him, but after 23 kilometers, he was suddenly overtaken.

Tsuchimoto felt his pace slowing down.

"Around the halfway point, I felt like Ichi was pushing hard, so I thought it might be tough, but then he started to slow down quietly from 23km onwards."

Ichikawa's pace slowed to 4 minutes 40 seconds per kilometer, and Tsuchimoto encouraged him to "recover for a bit. Wait until you've recovered and then we'll pick it up again."

After the 28th kilometer, we were hit by rain. My shoes got wet, my feet got soggy, and I got blisters. From there, the gap between me and Tsuchimoto started to widen, but after a little while, he stopped and waited for me.

"You can't walk or stop. It will have a negative effect on you as an experience, so you need to focus on running to the end."

With Tsuchimoto calling out to him, Ichikawa also switched gears and struggled desperately at a five-minute pace.

Imagawa Riku was waiting for the other members to arrive at the 31km point.

"Summer marathons are hot, and with so many people participating in the race, I thought it would be worthwhile to support them, so I came with my parents."

By the way, when he showed up at the starting point in the morning, his hair had turned blonde, surprising everyone around him.

The 31km point was decided after talking with Shusho Arimoto, and we travelled there in my parents' car. There is nothing around the 31km point and it is far from the station, so having a car was the perfect place to provide support.

"Riku-kun's encouragement helped me."

That was Ryuji Nagata. He suffered from heatstroke, and at the 31km mark, he suddenly came to his senses when Imagawa asked him, "Are you OK?" He then walked a little to the aid station and decided to DNF.

"Ryuji looked like he wasn't in good spirits as he walked, so I thought it was serious and called out to him. We were able to talk normally at the aid station, but he looked frustrated."

Imagawa's aid station at the 31km point became an oasis for many members, and the ice in net bags was particularly popular. The net was made of a shrinkable material, which allowed the ice to be distributed more directly than plastic, and it was easy to use, so it was a lifesaver for many people.

"The idea came from E (Katayama), who asked me to put them in this net and hand them out. When I tried it, I thought it was great, so I stole it and decided to give it to everyone (laughs)."

Not only RETO members, but many runners also asked for the nets of ice that were offered to them, and received words of gratitude, "Thank you very much."

"When I received thank yous not only from RETO members but also from strangers, I felt that it was worth doing and that I was able to be of help."

His parents also helped put the ice into the net. At the after-party, they even brought some alcohol. Their support not only in the race but also at the after-party made me feel really warm inside.

At the 35km point, Obuchi Miwa and Oyamauchi were waiting at the individual aid station.

"Originally, I was planning to run as a relief runner."

Obuchi is a registered nurse. During the Nagoya Women's Marathon, she saw paramedics and nurses providing support and rescue to runners who fell ill during the race, and decided to try it herself, so she decided to participate in the Hokkaido Marathon as a rescue runner. However, she suffered an injury a few days ago and was unable to run this time, instead choosing to focus on supporting the other runners.

As we were leaving the 10km point, Osanai contacted us and we quickly bought some ice at a convenience store. The cost was covered by the kindness of fellow member Kazuya Mizoguchi. We were truly grateful for his thoughtfulness in supporting the other members, even if he wasn't going himself.

At the 35km mark, many runners, including the RETO members, had looks of distress on their faces, but there were also some who looked energetic.

"Asuka (Yamamoto) was in good spirits, and Eri (Matsuzawa Eriko) reacted when I tried to hand it to her, saying, 'It's okay,' and continued on, but her body was moving like crazy. However, most of the other members looked like they were in pain, and it seemed like they didn't have the time to respond to me."

Not only RETO members, but many runners also came up to me asking for ice, so I tried to give them as much as possible.

"Supporting this time was not a fun experience. When that many members are running, some people inevitably get away. There were some people I couldn't support while I was traveling, so I felt really sorry for them."

It was a summer marathon, and unlike previous marathons, I wasn't as prepared.

"I've been to many different support events before, but this was the first time I had to prepare so much and wait for everyone. I had a strong feeling that I had to find everyone. I had to give everyone ice. I like spending time thinking about what I can do for everyone."

Obuchi and Koyamauchi left the 35km mark after seeing off Keisuke Mishina and Kazumi Kaneko, who were the last to walk.

"I'm feeling a bit better now."

As he entered Hokkaido University's tree-lined street, Tsuchimoto sensed this from the sound of Ichikawa's footsteps behind him.

"After passing the prefectural office, his strength started to return and he was on par with me, squeezing out all the momentum at the end."

Ichikawa mustered his last bit of strength.

"At the end, about 300 meters before leaving the prefectural office, Amane (Arimoto) was there, and we all sprinted for just 300 meters at the end, and it felt great to reach the finish line. It was tough along the way, but Macky, Riku, and Miwa were there to help me, and I'm really grateful to Tsuchiya. I was really moved after it was over. I'd always felt the importance and encouragement of my teammates in my regular training sessions, so I was happy to be able to feel that in the race as well."

Tsuchimoto said he found it difficult to follow one pacer.

"It's difficult to be a pacer if you don't know your opponents. Even during the race, I didn't know how to fix my gaps, and when I got too far away, they stopped chasing me, so it was difficult to get a good sense of distance. But even though I was on the verge of stopping, I did well to the end. It was partly my own training, but more than anything, I felt a sense of fulfillment from the support I received. I'd like to do it again next year for someone else."

Those who reached the finish line in around 3 hours and 30 minutes had their photo taken under the TV tower, while those who reached the finish line in around 4 hours waited for the following members near the finish line using their cheering navigation systems. It was always nice to have friends waiting for you at the finish line.

Of the 30 participants, Nagata, who was the fastest in RETO, DNF'd, but the rest all finished the race. Considering that the completion rate was 81.1%, a 9% drop from the previous year, RETO's completion rate was 96%. The fact that four of them achieved personal bests is a great achievement for the team.

Once you reach the goal, you feel a sudden sense of relief.

The first party of the celebration was Jingisukan, the second at a seafood izakaya, and the third at the Cherry House, rented by Tetsuya Sakurai and his friends, where the party continued until after 1 a.m. What on earth gives them the toughness to run a full marathon in that heat and continue drinking energetically until the middle of the night?

"We went back to the inn and talked about love some more."

Obuchi and her group of girls chatted until late into the night, and the next day they enjoyed sightseeing at Triton (a conveyor belt sushi restaurant) and Escon Field. "It was like a school trip," she said with a smile, but while they are serious about running, they also enjoy themselves thoroughly when it's time to have fun. This attitude is also part of the culture that has been cultivated at RETO.

The Hokkaido Marathon was the perfect race, allowing me to pursue both seriousness and fun.