【Report】Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon 2022 Para-Athlete (Wheelchair) Race

The inaugural Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon started at 8 am, with the wheelchair race, under somewhat cloudy conditions, with a temperature of 23.5 Celsius and humidity at 70%.

In the men’s field, Tomoki Suzuki, the world record holder, finished with a time of 42:19 becoming the winner of the inaugural race. He was in the lead from the start, breaking off from Sho Watanabe who was close behind at the 7km mark. He was on his own for the remainder of the race, finishing with an amazing 3:41 lead over second place finisher Watanabe. He finished powerfully, with his right hand raised high above.

On a course that overlapped with the first half of last summer’s 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, he raced as if to wash away the regrets of placing seventh in the rainy race. He reflected on his thorough race. “I positioned this event as a transition for my next race. It was a heartwarming event with the encouragement from the spectators and other runners. My condition was good, and I think I’m on the right track toward the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris next May.”

In preparing for the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon where he will be competing against many international athletes, he reflected on this race in which only Japanese athletes participated. “I knew I had to run solo (at my pace) and win with a big lead in order to be able to achieve good results in Oita.” Expectations are high for him to make amazing progress after finishing an ideal race.

Second place finisher Watanabe shared that this was his first race after just returning from three major races overseas. Although he finished second, he shared his appreciation. “I could tell I’ve become more powerful. Suzuki left me behind just before the 7km mark, but I was able to train well before the multiple races abroad, and it’s significant that I was able to hold on (without losing speed in the latter half). There was encouragement from participating runners, and it definitely gave me energy in the steep hill at the end.”

In the women’s wheelchair field, Wakako Tsuchida, the Japanese record (48:46) holder took her first win with a time of 50:01. She raced alongside Tsubasa Kina from the start, but she took the lead at the ascending hill in the latter part of the course which she had predicted would be the decisive factor, and won with a 20-second lead.

She shared her impression. “I tend to prefer the inclines, so I was hoping to make a break on the challenging hill. Although I wasn’t able to set a new record, Kina added to the energy, and I’m glad it ended up being a high-paced race. Returning to the course of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, it was a race that brought back the joy of being able to compete (against each other).”

The wheelchair race tends to be very fast, and many often use a technique called “rotation” to avoid losing speed when racing into a headwind. In this racing technique, a small group is formed with the athletes taking turns (rotating) the lead position to maintain the pace.

Tsuchida shared her expectations as a member of “Team Japan” commenting, “Kina is good at racing at high speeds, so we are able to develop a fast pace. Our strength lies in each of us being able to make the most of our unique qualities.”

Kina shared the reason for her loss. “I’m not very good with steep hills, so that was the difference. It was like Tsuchida was running a totally different race.” She also commented on the merits of having a rival. “It’s great to have someone to compete against, and being able to form a rotation adds immensely to the race.” She also committed to trying to improve by learning from Tsuchida. “I want to become strong enough, so I don’t lose on courses with hills.”

Having finished the first Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon, the wheelchair athletes shared their appreciation. “The clapping of the runners as we passed them was heartwarming, fun and gave us the power to race.” With para-athletes and amateur runners of all abilities encouraging each other, the course was filled with symbolic moments of the legacy event.