【Report】Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon 2022 Para-Athlete (T11/12) Race

The para-athlete (T11/12) division started at 8:05 am along with the elite and recreational runners.

Kenya Karasawa (T11), who won the silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, ran a great race with a time of 1:08:30, breaking his own world record for the men’s T11.

Karasawa, who runs with a guide runner, pulled out from the start to avoid colliding with other runners and possibly falling due to congestion at the starting line. He shared that “I was determined to get a quick start and run in a good position”. He kept a fast pace, passing the 5km mark in 16:59 and keeping his pace at around 3:10/km. He held on during the last incline, leaving the other runners behind.

He exuded a sense of accomplishment. “I’ve been training well during the past 6 months, so I was confident going into this race. I was able to demonstrate the results.”

Karasawa was balancing a full-time job with his training until this past March, but he has been able to focus on his training since joining the SUBARU track and field team in April. The ideal result in the half marathon allowed him to verify his stamina and the strength of his legs as he prepares for the track race, which is his main focus. We look forward to his continued progress.

Shinya Wada, who won two medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, placed second with a personal best of 1:10:53. While he was expected to run head-to-head with Karasawa, he reflected on the race commenting, “Karasawa was powerful. He was fast from the start, so I decided to run at my own pace.”

He had a positive outlook. “I wanted to give it my all until the finish, and feel my performance will carry over to the marathon.”

In the women’s field, Natsumi Inouchi (T11) won the inaugural race with a time of 1:31:41, which was 1:51 faster than the world record held by a South African athlete.

“I’m very happy to have set the world record which was the goal for my training. I had the support of so many people to get this far, and I’m really happy to be able to finally express my appreciation with this result.”

Inouchi is hoping to participate in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games for the first time in the marathon, and this event was part of her challenge to set a record at a marathon in December. “It gave me confidence to better my goal by more than 1 minute. This event has given me the positive outlook to devote myself to my training, so that I can give my best to the very end even at twice the length.” She seemed happy with the result of the event which she considers to be a step up.

Misato Michishita and Chika Nishimura who were the first and third to cross the finish line respectively, were disqualified because their guide runners crossed the finish line ahead of them. Competition rules dictate that the athlete must cross the finish line before the guide runner, and the athlete is disqualified even if they cross the finish line at the same time.

The goal of the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon is to provide an environment that enables anyone to participate, regardless of whether or not they have a disability. We will continue to improve on the operation of the event and provide a supportive setting, so that all para-athletes are able to perform at their best.

Our sincere appreciation to all of the para-athletes who participated.