The darling harbour city of Yokohama proudly presents the 34th edition of the Yokohama Marathon on Sunday, 15 March 2015. Expecting to host a whopping 25,000 runners, the Yokohama Marathon is the 3rd largest marathon event in Japan for the general public, after the Tokyo Marathon and Osaka Marathon.
34 years ago, Yokohama citizens carried out a zealous campaign for a full marathon that all can participate in and garnered more than 100,000 signatures! Today, the community’s sports fervour remains strong—the mega race, organised by Yokohama Association of Athletic Federations, warmly welcomes participants and spectators of all ages.
Wheelchair athletes as young as 7 years old, as well as runners aged 18 years and above, are invited to take part. Staying true to its goal of promoting sports and healthy lifestyles, the nationwide, JAAF-certified event opens the following categories: 42.195km, 10km, 10km (wheelchair) and 2km (wheelchair).
The 2km wheelchair category will start and end at the PACIFICO Yokohama, one of the largest convention complexes in the world. Meanwhile, the other three categories will flag off at the Minato Mirai Ohashi Bridge, in the central district that’s also the symbol of Yokohama.
Passing through the Kannai and Yamashita districts, athletes will head south along the coastline on relatively flat terrain. Catch glimpses of numerous sightseeing spots including: the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, which houses theatre performances and unique shops, the Yokohama Three Towers, Nihon-odori Boulevard and Yokohama Chinatown.
While the 10km participants finish at Yamashita Park, a seaside park located right in front of Yokohama Port, the full marathoners will march on to the Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore Route. Enjoying the sea breeze, they will go up and down elevation equivalent to Yokohama Bay Bridge to their right, before rounding off their run at PACIFICO Yokohama, where the festivities continue.
Promote sports for the disabled—that’s the race’s charity theme, as they collaborate with charity organisation Yokohama Rapport. The marathon’s charitable efforts will go to developmental support for athletes and the next generation, particularly for national and world events such as the Olympics and Paralympics.
Find out more about the Yokohama marathon on their website.
Psst! RunSociety’s tip: If possible, arrange to go at least a week earlier to catch the delicate plum blossoms at Yokohama’s Sankeien Garden. There will be rice cake pounding, music performances and various other culture-rich events as well!
