Extraordinary Strides
Welcome to Extraordinary Strides, the podcast that celebrates the spirit of running and the inspiring stories of those who lace up their shoes and hit the pavement.
Here, we dive into the heart of what makes running an extraordinary adventure.
Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just starting out, Extraordinary Strides is your go-to source for expert tips, motivational stories, and the camaraderie of the running community.
Our episodes feature seasoned runners, coaches, and everyday athletes sharing their triumphs, challenges, and the joy they find in every run.
Join us for casual, uplifting conversations that will leave you excited to put on your running shoes and hit the road. We believe that every run, no matter the distance, is a step towards something greater.
So, subscribe now and join our community of runners who are making every stride extraordinary.
At Extraordinary Strides, we're here to inspire, motivate, and celebrate with you every step of the way!
Extraordinary Strides
Running the Majors: Mastering the Tokyo Marathon Experience
Ever wondered how it feels to run through the heart of Tokyo, where bustling city life meets ancient tradition on one of the world's fastest marathon courses? Join us as Coach Christine and Ashley from Mystical Dream Travel guide you through the exhilarating Tokyo Marathon experience. Together, we unravel the storied evolution of the marathon from its 2007 beginnings to its status as a must-run race on the global marathon calendar as it joined the Abbott World Marathon Majors. With 38,000 runners vying for a spot, it's a race that blends fierce competition with the serene beauty of Tokyo.
Embark on a journey as we explore the intricacies of the Tokyo Marathon course, from the imposing skyscrapers of Shinjuku to the historic allure of Sensoji Temple, all set to the rhythmic accompaniment of taiko drummers. Discover strategies for tackling the unpredictable early March weather and learn the secrets to maintaining energy with local on-course staples like Pocari Sweat. We'll also equip you with insights into Tokyo's unique sweep policy and offer essential race day tips to ensure you're primed for success in this challenging yet rewarding environment.
Prepare for your Tokyo runcation with our expert packing guide, where we share essential travel tips and cultural etiquette to help you navigate this vibrant city with ease. Whether it's packing the right gear, securing accommodations in Shinjuku, or understanding the local customs at Tokyo Disneyland, we've got you covered.
Join the conversation with fellow marathon enthusiasts on platforms like the Women of World Marathon Majors and the Stride Collective, and get ready to set your sights on the next marathon in this special WMM series, Boston!
Have questions or want to chat? Send me a text!
Join the newsletter list for updates, special offers, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Join fellow pod and running enthusiasts at The Stride Collective community on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.
Hey friends, welcome to Extraordinary Strides, where we lace up, lean in and stride toward extraordinary feats. I'm Coach Christine, and joining me today is Ashley from Mystical Dream Travel. She is no stranger to this podcast, she's quite the friend here. So in this special series, ashley and I are very excited to be teaming up to take you on a global adventure through the Abbott World Marathon Majors. And today we're going to head to the land of neon lights, rich tradition and one of the fastest courses on the planet the Tokyo Marathon.
Speaker 2:That's right. Tokyo kicks off the major marathon calendar in the spring. It's a blend of speed, tradition and modern wonder. Whether you're aiming to qualify for it or just dreaming of running the streets someday, we'll be covering everything you need to know the race's history, how to get in the course highlights, some must-see sites and even some pop culture fun to get you hyped up for this race.
Speaker 1:Plus, don't forget friends, if you're looking for more information and to stay connected with us, we have the Women of World Marathon Majors Facebook group and also the Stride Collective. You have more race tips, motivation and, of course, lots of community discussions. You'll find those links in the episode's notes. Ready to dive into Tokyo, ashley, let's take that first stride. Okay, I know I said we're going to take a first stride, but I have to ask you where in the rankings of excitement do you have Tokyo? Like what of the world marathon majors that?
Speaker 2:you're working on tackling. Where on the list is Tokyo for you?
Speaker 1:well, probably more towards the end that's kind of how I felt about it too.
Speaker 2:I wasn't as like called to it as I was with some of the others, yeah because I feel like obviously, like Chicago is the easiest to kind of get into and obviously the most close for myself at least, to get to Right. But Tokyo, I mean, is very interesting, very unique. But you do have to take some time to kind of get up to that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel like you have to be more of an advanced traveler because, I mean, it is such a whole different world. But also, we're going to get into this conversation today. This course is very unique as opposed to some of the other courses and we're going to dig into why you should really take into consideration a few different things. But before we get into that, we're going to talk about how the Tokyo Marathon officially became part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2013. And prior to Sydney, it actually was the newest of the world marathon majors, but its story and history begins long before that. Originally, there were two separate events the Tokyo International Marathon and the Tokyo New York Friendship Marathon. They combined in 2007 to create what we now know as the Tokyo Marathon.
Speaker 2:The Tokyo Marathon quickly became a must-run race for so many marathoners out there. It's known for its fast course, incredible crowd support and the fact that it's a cultural experience as much as a race in itself. You get to see and do so many wonderful things on this course.
Speaker 1:It really is completely different, but let's talk about that speed, because if you are looking for one of the faster or flatter, I should say of the courses, it's up there. It's not quite as pancake flat as Chicago, but it's also no stranger to world class performances. So here are some of the updated course records as of right now, when we're recording this, in 2025. This could potentially be blown away in just a month or so, but as of right now, men is the course record is two hours two minutes and 16 seconds which blows my mind by Benson Kiprudo. That was set in 2024. Women's was set at 215.55 by Satumi Assefa-Kibedi at 2024 as well, so that was a standout year. Men's wheelchair is 120.57 by Marcel Hug in 2023. And also in 2023, we have the women's wheelchair record at 136.43 by Manuela Scharr.
Speaker 2:Those are just mind-blowing times. I can't even imagine the course is so flat and fast and these runners really just show that and the chair athletes. But don't let that fool you, because it is a very challenging course because it have a long out and back sections that can be very mentally tough when you're running.
Speaker 1:I'm curious what do you feel about out and back? How do you feel about them?
Speaker 2:Oh, you have some mixed feelings when you're on that out. It's very, very difficult when you're on the back. You have a lot of motivation in you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I do get motivated by seeing the faster runners and super exciting, especially when you get to see the front runners, because I think that's one of the special times where you get to be like, wow, we are actually doing the same thing as the elites, because sometimes on these courses the elites are so like they're in their hotel rooms by the time I get started. So the out and backs do have that, but it can be mentally a little bit challenging, so definitely have to train for it. But one of the best parts of this course is that it takes you through Tokyo's most iconic districts, so from the skyscrapers of Shinjuku to the historic Akasaki I'm pretty sure that I'm going to mispronounce quite a few words today, so you guys bear with me, don't come at me for it and of course, the luxury shopping in Ginza, which is pretty amazing when you run past it. So there's something to keep you motivated and interested at every mile, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And let's not forget to talk about the amazing course. So there are 38,000 spots, but there's more than 300,000 people that apply for this race every year. That is incredible.
Speaker 1:I don't know how to math that, but I think that if I was to math, we're looking at what like maybe 14%, probably a little bit higher, like a 16% possibility of getting in, and that was just at the last time that we pulled these numbers, who knows? Every year I feel like the majors are becoming so much more well-known and more applications are coming in, so it's super competitive. But this particular course and race have quite a few different ways to get into. So there's the general lottery, which I think we all kind of throw our hat into the ring. With that you can enter the lottery. It generally opens up in August, the year before the race. What are some of the other runs or ways that you know of Ashley of getting into this?
Speaker 2:So if you've hit a qualifying time, there is a run as one category. You can apply for this category, just for better chances. There is also the charity entry, so there's a bid of at least 10 or 100 000 yen, I'm sorry, that's approximately 680 us dollars as of today. Obviously the conversion rates change all the time, which makes this race a little bit different than some of the other majors. But you can bid on that spot through one of at least 39 approved charities.
Speaker 1:I think when they first introduced the bidding it was really very complex. I don't know if I 100% got it. I get it now. Basically, they really want to see that you're very serious about this. They also want to see that you have the skills to be able to bring in that fundraising. But the fact that you have to commit to that fundraising minimum or actually that bid before the lottery opens, before the fact that you even you know you have to kind of pay that first and then maybe fundraise to get the money back if you so choose, but it is it is a little different.
Speaker 1:For sure, one of the ways that I feel like people are starting to use more and more frequently is tour operators, because it does kind of take a little bit of headache out of the securing your bib. So there's approved tour operators that offer guaranteed entries as part of their travel package. And, of course, if you are pursuing the World Marathon Majors I know that you have all already made your profile on the Abbott World Marathon Majors site because if you have and you're registered with them, you can gain entry through their lottery. Specifically for this race you have to have at least five stars, but some of the other races have some different star requirements, so we'll talk a little bit about those and those specific runs too.
Speaker 2:And don't forget, there's always the Road to the Majors Challenge series. If you participate in a virtual half marathon through the Abbott World Marathon Major Global Run Club, you can get extra entries into the draw for these races.
Speaker 1:I think that's such a fun way to stay motivated with your training anyway, and it's just $50. And if it gives you an extra chance to get in, people do get in through these methods. So don't discount them, friends, because truly you have to get more creative when it comes to the majors. But we're going to talk about, let's just say, you won your golden ticket, you're lucky, you got into the lottery or one of the other methods and you're going to make your way to Tokyo. You've secured your entry. We're going to give you, all the down low, a little bit of information as to what to expect once you get there. Now we're going to talk a little bit about where to stay and all of that jazz. But right here and now I want to talk about the expo, because it is also one of those opportunities that I can say that it's going to be a little different.
Speaker 1:So of course, the expo dates change from year to year depending on when the actual race is, but generally it's a Thursday and Friday and Saturday before the actual marathon.
Speaker 1:All hours that they have listed are based on their Japan standard time and the registered runner must actually do the packet pickup. I think you're going to see that is actually common for the world marathon majors. You can't send somebody else with you. You have to, of course, have identifying information. The packet pickup is not available on race day, so you must plan to get there early, and the location or at least where it's been the past couple of years is the Tokyo Big Sight South Exhibition Halls. I will say this particular location is not as close to the race course, so do know that you're going to have to do a little bit of traveling to get to this location, and the packet pickup is actually in the same location as the expo, so the expo has similar hours. What I found interesting about the expo is it was a little smaller than what I expected it to be and a lot of the vendors only took cash, which I think it's important to know if you're going to want to pick up some things there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's a really big thing, for obviously, if you're traveling to this area I think most of our runners are not native to Japan, so many people are traveling into this area, so make sure you're factoring that into your consideration for running the Tokyo Marathon is that conversion rate and figuring out how and when to get some money converted?
Speaker 1:I'm ready to talk about the course, because I think that's what we're all about. Right Is getting into the nitty gritty, so let's break it down. It is a point to point. Even though we talked about those out and backs, I don't think that it's just a typical point to point. I mean it starts in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building area in Shinjuku. It finishes near the Tokyo Station, close to the Imperial Palace. You really do get this incredible wide variety.
Speaker 2:With this course. Like we said, there's many out and backs. They are manageable because of the scenery. You'll pass by many major landmarks. Some of them are the Godzilla head and Shin. I'm going to fumble over this.
Speaker 1:Shinjuku. It's okay, hey friends, if you guys can pronounce this better than we can, we probably can, but if you can, we're here for it. Give us a little bit of a down low as to how we should pronounce in the future. I think this is Shinjuku. I think Shinjuku.
Speaker 2:District. Yes, there we go. Oh, there's so many lovely things and I feel so bad when I don't know how to pronounce them.
Speaker 1:My friends, I feel that way every single time. I have to like do names and the elites, because I'm like I know I'm not going to get this right. I know I'm not going to get this right, but the Godzilla head is super cool. It was actually probably one of my favorite parts. It's early on in the race, but there's also the Sensoji Temple. Of course, there's taiko drummers. There's like a military performance of their I think it's the Japanese Navy, so there's tons of entertainment along the course.
Speaker 2:And that's how they keep you motivated and keep you running through. And there's still many wonderful things to see and do. And then we get into the race conditions. What can we expect when we go into that race day? That is what everybody wants to know many, many months beforehand. But Tokyo in early March typically has full weather temperatures. They range anywhere from like 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for running, obviously, but those mornings can be very chilly, especially at the start, and something runners don't like to hear all the time. There is definitely a chance of rain, so be prepared. It's not a guarantee, but it could still happen. And then the rain can bring in some wind, and in some years there have been some very gusty winds, particularly near those waterfront areas, making for a very chilly, chilly run.
Speaker 1:So you can't really sign up for a spring race and not expect there to be some rain. So I think that's the commonality of all of our spring races. For everything, but especially the majors as well, I will say, of course we know that if you do have those chilly mornings to have that throwaway layer, which we'll talk a little bit about, because that's how I lost my fuel that I was prepared to consume on the course, so fueling on the course, do you know that they do have aid stations? Of course they have water. They have Pocari Sweat as their go-to. It's their version of Gatorade. I trained with it. I love it. It's actually a little bit less sugar.
Speaker 1:They do have some food options and things that you would recognize or know a bit more, but I will say their energy gels are not typically something that you would have as much exposure to for us here in the Western world. So that's why you should bring your gels and your chews but put them on your actual like base layer versus like I did in my throwaway layer, because that was pretty sad for me. And then there are some incredible spectators who have, as you guys know, my favorite stranger danger aid stations. So that may be some of the times that you get to partake in some of the really fun Japanese dishes or candies. So I don't know that I'm allowed to say that you should partake in them, but I do.
Speaker 2:I can definitely account to that. Stranger danger stations can always come in right. When you need that little extra, pick me up that you weren't thinking you needed. They do, but always use caution.
Speaker 1:Like if the person's there I feel more, I feel safe. Isn't it? Every woman's marathon that we ran together there was somebody who had left stranger danger aid station and they weren't there. Yes, yeah, I see that that doesn't feel right to me, because I want you to look at me in the eyes if you're going to poison me, like you can't just leave me, poison and then walk away. I want us to have that like I'm going to be able to pinpoint you in a lineup later on.
Speaker 1:But let's talk about common mistakes to avoid, beside the original one that I just specifically told you Again having your fuel on your person, training with Pocari, if you're going to be utilizing Pocari, or training with the fuel that they have on the course, if you don't want to worry about packing your own. These are all things to kind of take into account or packing them. But we would be remiss if we weren't to get into a nitty gritty discussion about the cutoff points and the sweep policy, because this is really the differentiator between Tokyo and all other races. So, ashley, let's talk about it.
Speaker 2:So this course is very much known for these checkpoints. There is an overall finish time of the seven hours does not mean that you can take it easily, so the course is divided into several different checkpoints. These are every year, something you need to take into consideration. You do need to maintain a pace of around 14 minutes per mile, or faster, to avoid being swept. But there's a catch to this. Their cutoffs are always based off of the original gun time, which is different than many, many races that we are used to. So it gives kind of that runner that little more anxiety right out of the gate. But that's why we're here, so you can be all prepared and know what to expect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is that they have eight checkpoints throughout the course and unlike other races, where sometimes I mean Marine Corps also has this. So there are definitely other races to take this into account, but I think with Japan the thing is is that they are almost like a Swiss clock or they're extremely like time focused. The minute that clock changes they will close off that part of the course and you will be escorted to the sweeper bus, which we know can be absolutely devastating. So we want you to be prepared, take into account and really create a race strategy that you train with, so you feel confident and comfortable that you will not have to worry about those pace cutoffs. Generally you start to be able to breathe a sigh of relief, unfortunately, around mile 20, because the course cutoff becomes much more lenient at that point. But prior to that you kind of have to move and hustle a little bit.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. But just because you don't make one of those sweeper points and make that dreaded walk to the sweeper bus doesn't mean that your race is over. You can still have a wonderful time exploring the area, seeing all that Tokyo has to offer and cheering on some of your best friends that you just made on that course.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. Actually, that's such a great way of saying it. I'm going to be honest, I'm going to be salty if I don't make it through the course got off. But I now know who I'm going to call and have you like on like speed dial so you could give me a pep talk, because that was a beautiful speak, a little pep talk there. So, friends, we're going to call Ashley if we ever need that kind of a pep talk.
Speaker 1:Me personally, I would think I'd be so salty about it, but that's neither here nor there. Well, let's talk about other mistakes to avoid, because one of the things that can be a bit overwhelming is packing for this big of a trip, especially if you're gonna spend some time there. And for me, one of my things that I help to reassure myself with whatever I'm packing is Christine, don't worry, there's gonna be stores there that I can purchase things, but because of the size, conversion, no-transcript, and avoid overpacking, of course. What are some other things that you think we need to avoid on that Tokyo Marathon course or for that trip?
Speaker 2:So, obviously going out too fast because it's a flat course we all want to do that big. That gun goes off and you're like, okay, I'm ready to go, but you need to make sure you're conservative so when you hit that mile 20, you can still be on that course.
Speaker 1:You want to be able to finish, and I would say for back of the pack, you may have to do a little bit more of a positive split strategy where you do start a little bit faster, but you really need to be working that with your training because it will definitely take a toll on your energy levels in those later miles. I think a really important thing that people don't really take into consideration is ignoring that jet lag factor, because for a lot of us here in the United States we are going to be traveling a full, pretty much day away. So if you can arrive early to acclimate that's great. If not, I also am a big fan of the time shifter app. It's what I used for Tokyo. But I want to talk with you because you are our travel pro specialist. What are some gear and packing essentials that you recommend for Tokyo or for races in general?
Speaker 2:When I go on any trip, especially a runcation, though I make sure I'm prepared prior to so, being that it's Tokyo and there's a big size conversion and everything, I would suggest packing extra, extra early, making sure you're laying everything out. What I love to do is, before I go on a run, making like a little mental list of okay, I pull my KT tape out, okay, I pull my race fuel out, and as I'm packing, I make sure I have this day laid out and I have that day laid out, so I know I have everything for at least the days that I'm there. But for flying specifically, always love compression gear, leg sleeves, anything to kind of keep that circulation going. I love traveling with a massage gun or something like that to kind of make sure you can get any of these little tweaks that might come up. And I love carrying a water bottle. Yes, you cannot take water through airport security, but you can take a reusable water bottle that's empty and fill it up once you're through. And that is imperative when you're flying, because you do actually get dehydrated even though you're not doing very much and a lot of people forget that. So making sure you have that kind of portable water bottle.
Speaker 2:Another big thing is a portable charger. You need to make sure that you can use your devices while you're there, because you'll be out exploring the area. You'll be trying to make your next flight Any of that information. You want to make sure that your devices are fully charged. Another thing that you always want to make sure is, again, your snacks and your familiar fuel. I always like to travel with some of my snacks. Again, can't take liquids through TSA, but you can take goldfish, you can take pretzels, you know all of those little home comfort creatures. You can take those through TSA. So never be scared to take your snacks with you. If there's something that you absolutely love and can't live without, take it with you. Another thing that I have I will tell myself I have forgotten is my shoes, your actual running shoes.
Speaker 2:Yes, I had forgotten before and I'm like I can't believe I did that.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think that's a great thing to do here in the States because we can use it as an excuse to buy a new pair, but generally from Japan it might be a bit more challenging. Well, at least it is for me. I have really really, really, really big old feet, but yes, I think that's definitely top of the list. Am I the only person who's anxious and like I'll pre-pack, but then I'll have to go double check that I pre-packed what I thought that I pre-packed? Is that just me? I feel like you're such a cool cucumber.
Speaker 2:Absolutely not. So I actually will pack and like and like those last minute things. I make a checklist on my phone to make sure that I have those last minute things and I don't check them off until they are physically in my bag. So, like the phone charger that I might not throw in until the day before, I will make sure that's on my checklist and I do not check it off until it's in that bag.
Speaker 1:Well, I can attest that, the couple of times that I've been able to see you after your travel, that you do look glowing and really happy, and I do think that I'm going to say, I'm going to call out your water bottle as the reason for it.
Speaker 1:So, friends, especially for race weekends gosh, please do listen to Ashley here, because it does make a big difference to how you feel during that race weekend. I mentioned it before for the expo, but I'm going to stress this again, and this will likely change as we continue to see a lot of cultures change overall, but Japan is still, at this point, really more cash focused society, so, please do be prepared with yen or getting your dollars or currency exchanged when you get there. I personally just had them. I had them exchanged before. I had some yen on me that I had my bank send my way, so it was just easier for me to be prepared with that ahead of time. I think, though, ashley, since, again, you're our travel pro, tell me something about what you would suggest for different locations and maybe some pros and cons for different districts for people to stay at.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Tokyo is a huge city with so many different options, but the public transportation system there does make it very, very efficient to get around. So for proximity to start line I know some people are very anxious about getting to the start area. The Shinjuku is the best area, so, again walkable to the start line, you don't have to kind of worry about where I'm going. There is a vibrant nightlife and amazing food in this area.
Speaker 1:I loved it. I'm going to ask you are you team start line or team finish line when it comes to an out and back, like a point to point, I feel like I'm more start line.
Speaker 2:I am not anxious Like I need to know I'm going to get there on time. I'm not a finish line girl.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and plus I feel like for me, who cares about the finish line? I can meander, take eight hours to get back to my hotel. Who cares at that point? It's like getting to the start line is the most important part. Plus, I want my extra five minutes of sleep. So there are some really great accommodations and hotels there.
Speaker 1:I will say that if you can book your hotel as early as possible maybe even before you secure your actual lottery, because you could always potentially cancel it closer too, because Park Hyatt Tokyo sells out very quickly. Kiyo Plaza Hotel Tokyo sells out very quickly. So if it's in Shinjuku, they do go really, really quickly. If you did miss the mark there, or maybe you don't want to stay there because the cost is a bit more expensive, you could stay in Ginza, which is best for those post-race celebrations, since it's close to the finish line. Recommended hotels there might be the Peninsula Tokyo, mitsui Garden Hotel, ginza. There's also the Four Seasons. If you got tons of cash, friends, and if you do have tons of cash, give us a call, because I want to high roll through the Four Seasons down there myself one day. And then if you want more traditional vibes when you're staying there, you could always stay at the Asakusa.
Speaker 1:I hope I said that correctly. I am being very respectful, honestly, please. If I did not say that correctly, feel free to correct me on this, and I know I have a couple of you guys out there in Japan that can help me with it. But this is near some of the historic landmarks and, of course, it's a little bit quieter than the city center. Now, one thing that I think that comes to mind is you already touched on it, ashley is that there is a great public transportation area in Japan Japan in total, but especially in Tokyo. One of the things that people talk a lot about is this JR Pass. So let's talk a little bit about that, if you don't mind, because I think it'd be really great for folks to kind of hear a little bit of the differences between JR Pass mode and the Suisa card, between JR Pasmo and the Suisa card.
Speaker 1:I know that for me, I use the JR Rail Pass because it covered travel within Japan and I was going to be there. I stayed there for over two weeks. But if you're not going to travel to Kyoto or go to different locations and you're not going to be there for a long time you may not need it at all. You could just get away with just a Metro Pass, which is the Pasmo or Suisa card. Again, they may not carry or they may not allow you to pay for it with a credit card. So take into account having the cash with you or having the yen with you. What do you generally do, like when you go on these types of trips? Do you try like when you're thinking about Tokyo? Are you thinking you're going to want to stay for as long as possible? Or do you think that, because they are so expensive, you're going to kind of like maximize getting in there, focus on the race and then head out Absolutely?
Speaker 2:I mean I love obviously exploring that culture, kind of diving into that area. But you're going so far and quite honestly I don't know when I would get back to that specific area because there's so much world to see. So I would definitely if it was my trip. I like to bounce around to different areas so I totally would be going outside of just Tokyo, spending some time there, kind of getting that culture, getting adjusted to the time. That probably would be towards the front of my trip If I had to plan it that direction and then have some kind of like my fun adventurous of other areas towards the latter half before heading home. Just because that's your celebration, you know you did it absolutely.
Speaker 1:So I will say if you do decide that you're going to visit some of the other areas and you're going to get the JR rail pass JR rail pass you have to pre-order it before you leave the states. So, friends, that is a little, a little bit of a difference. They're not going to send you the actual pass, they're going to send you a voucher, and then you need to go to the voucher or to the actual corporate office to exchange it. So that's something to keep into mind. Once you're there, you cannot actually purchase the JR Rail Pass, so you have to do a little bit more preparation beforehand. But you know what I love to talk about too, and what makes Tokyo so different is like the pop culture and all the different references that maybe we've seen or we want to know more about. So tell me some of your favorites.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. There's so many movies and different things that have happened in Tokyo that kind of gives us a little taste into their culture already. Some of those include Lost, in Translation from 2003. Crazy to think that was so long ago.
Speaker 1:I know why did he even say that? I didn't need to know that part. I was just going to ignore the text.
Speaker 2:I know, I know. And then you have Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I mean, who doesn't want to talk about food? I mean, come on. And then your Name was from there as well, a beautifully animated film that highlights the Tokyo magic, so you can kind of get a little dive into there.
Speaker 1:A little bit of Japanimation, of course. I mean that's a totally part of the culture there. So I'm going to say, for music, you're going to want to add a little bit of Tokyo drift to get the Too Fast, Too Furious vibes onto your playlist. We are by 1OK Rock and know that they have a really big J-pop scene. So I know a lot of people are fans of K-pop but they have Japanese pop as their go-to. But I'm always down with those traditional taiko drum playlists. I like, absolutely love them. To get me some extra bit of pep in my step, let's talk about getting that medal. What is the first thing that you think you're going to do when you get your Tokyo Marathon medal?
Speaker 2:Dare at it. I mean, who doesn't love it? I know you're like the queen of I got my medal. I'm good, let's go, come on. But the medal is all of your hard work. You've worked months and months to get there. Yes, yes, in months to get there, yes, yes, because I mean, let's not discredit, getting into the race is always half the battle. Yeah, the training is great, but that, literally, that medal is your celebration of that victory lap that you just took. Do you cry Sometimes?
Speaker 1:yes, okay, I definitely did cry at the end of this particular race. I actually was so stoked to get my medal and the six star medal, but I was also super excited to go to the Imperial Palace Starbucks, which is probably the prettiest one of the prettiest Starbucks I've ever seen. I know anybody who knows me does is not surprised by that. But a few other ways to celebrate. I would absolutely suggest visiting an onsen to relax your muscles. There is a couple that are actually in Tokyo. Most of them are outside of Tokyo. The one thing that I want to caveat, though, is that it's still a society that doesn't love body artwork, so you have to take into account to maybe book a private onsen if you are more colorfully decorated or you have some tattoos that are visible. Oh, grabbing some sushi or ramen. I also think I went to the Shinjuku Alley drinking pub crawl kind of a thing. So there's so many different fun ways. What are some of the ways that you think that you might want to celebrate?
Speaker 2:Well, something that they're very well known for is their bullet train, so who would not want to take a ride? Go see Mount Fuji Again. You're across the world seeing somebody else's culture and just trying to like take it all in and then use, but it doesn't stop there, Like their rail system is incredible. So there's so much to see and do. Now, if you're traveling with maybe some family and friends, there are some activities around that are not for runners. Specifically, there is the you know zoo that is obviously for kids. You can go see different animals that you might not see in the States. There is also a Dobby, I think is how you say it. I think so. It's a futuristic vibe and waterfront attractions. So, you know, go have some fun. You know you finished it. Everybody loves kind of some different vibes of that area. You see different things, do different things.
Speaker 1:Why not Tell me what you're really excited about?
Speaker 2:You know my heart is with Disney and I cannot go to Tokyo without going to Tokyo Disneyland or Disney because, like, why, why it's so different than the US parks.
Speaker 1:So absolutely, and you have to go to both, like you can't go to just Disneyland, you have to go to both DisneySea and Disneyland, and that's also something that you could buy your tickets ahead of time, and you should buy your tickets ahead of time, as you know. So, of course, it would help point folks in the right direction of all of that if you had questions, a couple of things that we didn't touch on that I mean, we could probably spend hours just talking about each individual race, but this is something where you should make yourself really well aware, no matter where you're traveling, but specifically for Tokyo, of the different cultural etiquette that should be taken into consideration. It is a bit more of a quiet society. They generally don't eat while they're walking. So a few different things to take into account so that, of course, we continue to be welcomed back with open arms to run Tokyo year after year.
Speaker 1:We would love to hear, if you're running Tokyo, if you have run Tokyo, what your favorite parts are. Love to hear, if you're running Tokyo, if you have run Tokyo, what your favorite parts are. We want to absolutely thank you so very much for joining us in this adventure as we continue to go through all of the World Marathon majors. So hopefully you enjoyed this deep dive. Of course I'm going to welcome you guys to come on into the Women of World Marathon majors or the Stride Collective on Facebook to continue this conversation. And then my friend, where are we heading next week?
Speaker 2:We are heading up north to Boston to chase that unicorn.
Speaker 1:Well, until then, friends keep striding toward the extraordinary.
