【Report】Para Athlete (T11/12) Race

The Para Athlete T11/T12 (vision impairment) division started at 8:05 am (JST) with the elite and general entry runners. It was raining with temperatures at 18.2 Degrees Celsius and humidity at 57.5%.

In the men’s division, Yutaka Kumagai (MS&AD Insurance), who represented Japan at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, secured his first victory with an amazing time of 1:09:33, setting a new world record in the T12 class.

Kumagai prepared for this event while also recovering from the Paralympic Games at Paris 2024, and shared that he was “somewhat concerned” after not doing well during his focused practice before the race. But once he started running, “it wasn’t that bad, so I continued to run and trust myself without worrying about my time.” He invited nearby general entry runners to compete with him toward the end of the race, and the battle to the finish contributed to a great time. True to his comments from the pre-race press conference, Kumagai was able to truly experience “the appeal of this event is being able to run without thinking about my (vision) disability.”

He was disappointed with a tenth place finish after falling during the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. He shared his motivation for the future. “My first win is a good start. I did really well. I hope to participate at my best in many more races by managing my condition.”

Kenya Karasawa (SUBARU), the winner of the past two races, placed second by 24 seconds. He did well at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, winning a bronze in the 5000 meter event (T11, vision impairment) and placing fourth in the 1500 meter event (T11, vision impairment). He shared how he prepared for this race. “This is an important event to continue the legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games to the next generation. (As a blind runner,) I wanted to be able to run well to relay the appeal of para-sports to as many people as possible. That it’s `possible to run even if you can’t see`.”

Although he missed his opportunity for a third consecutive win, he praised the winner after the race. “I had to prepare quickly with little time after the Paralympic Games. I gave it my all and managed to meet my target time. First place finisher Kumagai had an amazing run that exceeded our expectations.”

Tadashi Horikoshi (NTT WEST), who placed seventh in the marathon (T11/T12) at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, came in third with a time of 1:10:59.

In the women’s field, Misato Michishita (Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group) secured her second consecutive win with a time of 1:26:46. Only a little over a month has passed since the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 where she won a bronze in the women’s marathon (T11/T12). While her condition was not perfect, she reflected on the race and her ability to display her strength. “I was able to maintain my pace from the first half with Yamashita (guide runner), and built up speed in the end.” Participating in her third consecutive race, she expressed her gratitude. “It was nice to be recognized with increasingly more people calling out my name along the course. It was also easy to run since runners ahead of me would let me pass.”

She is 47 years old and considered a veteran, but is also setting her sights on the Paralympic Games at Los Angeles in 4 years and shares her enthusiasm. “I want to be able to run well and give it my all, competing with the younger runners, so that I can pass on the baton to them.”

Manami Waki (IMV) placed second at 1:32:02, and Chika Nishimura (Kishiwada Kenkou Club) came in third with a time of 1:35:44.

Kaoru Shinjo of the Race Management Division expressed relief as he reflected on the race where the T11/T12 para-athletes start at the same time as the elite and general entry runners. “I’m glad there wasn’t any confusion at the start and finish.” He praised Kumagai, who won in the men’s field for “showing a very strong race” and shared his expectations for women’s winner Michishita. “She had a powerful performance that belied her age, and I hope she aims to break the course record again.”

Many other para-athletes challenged themselves to reach their goals. We look forward to welcoming many more para-athletes again next year.