Starting the Year Running: Tokyo New Year Half Marathon
- Alex
- Jan 13
- 3 min read
Coming back to Tokyo after the New Year, this race felt less like a test and more like a marker. A chance to move, reflect, and start 2026 feeling strong, focused, and excited about what’s ahead.
Back in Tokyo
It’s been a week since I arrived back in Tokyo after spending Christmas and New Year’s in Hawaii with my family.
There was a lot of walking, running, and hiking over the break, so my legs felt strong coming back.
The point of the Tokyo New Year Half wasn’t to race hard or chase anything, it was simply to give myself a shakeout and start the year strong back in Tokyo.
Race Morning at Arakawa
On Sunday morning, I didn’t have to wake up too early to get out to the Arakawa River where the race was being held. I woke up around 5:30 and followed my usual race-day nutrition. Oats and berries, without the five eggs I usually eat every morning lol.
I started hydrating early because the sun was going to be out and it was shaping up to be a warm winter’s day, potentially reaching around 15 degrees!
After eating, I packed my racing gear and headed out the door at 7:30. My start time was scheduled for 9:40, and I wanted to arrive about an hour, or a little over, before the race. The train ride took roughly an hour.
On the way out, I was feeling really good. There was no pressure at all because I already knew I was going to run this race controlled and comfortably :)
Letting the Race Happen
The plan was to run at around a 4.10/km pace. I wanted to see what it would feel like holding that pace for 90 minutes, as that’s roughly what I’m hoping my first marathon pace will be. My first marathon is coming up in mid-February at the Kyoto Marathon, and this race felt like a good opportunity to test things without forcing anything.
When I arrived, there were tens of thousands of people. Runners everywhere moving in all directions. Warming up, stretching, organising themselves. I found a small spot to put my things down, did some stretching and warming up, and made my way to the start line around 9:30.
Standing on the start line, I felt really good, not just physically but mentally.
It’s been exactly one year since I took control of my life. I stopped drinking. I started taking responsibility for all aspects of my life.
Being there on a Sunday morning, surrounded by all these other people showing up and giving it a crack, gave me a lot of energy.
I went out at around 4.10 pace, as planned, but by the second kilometre it had dropped down to 4 minutes/ km. After that, I naturally settled into around a 3.50 pace. It felt easy, so I held it through the first 5km, then the second, then the third. At that point, I figured I may as well just hold it all the way to the finish.
Finishing the Day
I don’t want to run my first marathon at that pace. For my first one, I want to enjoy the distance and understand what the marathon actually feels like. A 4 minute pace marathon could be a soft goal, with a three-hour marathon, 4.14 per km, as the hard goal.
Overall, I was super happy with the race. It’s a beautifully fast course, mostly flat, and entirely along the river. The atmosphere was great, with so many people out there giving their best. What a blessing to be alive and living like this!
I even brought my own baked Japanese sweet potato, which I’ve been loving lately, and ate that straight after finishing.
The afternoon was intentionally very chilled. I stayed home, watched some Japanese anime. I don't watch shows or movies often, but this was a chance to really slow down. I try to watch shows in Japanese so the afternoon didn't feel like a waste haha.
I wasn’t really pushing during the race, but I still finished just a few seconds off my half marathon PB which was nice. My PB is 81 minutes 7 seconds, and I ran 81.11 officially.
It felt like a simple, honest way to start the year and I’m really excited for the races coming up.
Thanks for reading :)
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