Hokkaido Marathon

“This was my comeback race after injuring the meniscus in my left knee, so the time was what I had expected.”

The runner entered this race as a comeback after a left meniscus injury, controlled the pace at around 6 minutes/km, and completed the race in a net time of 4 hours 9 minutes 59 seconds. In 2026, the weather was cool, and the runner ran while monitoring the knee and taking water and energy supplies in the latter stages.

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“The heat I had been worried about was not a problem at all; the overcast conditions and 20-degree temperature were ideal.”

After missing the cutoff in 2025, the runner continued training and tried again at the 2026 Hokkaido Marathon. They wrote that it was overcast on race day, with temperatures of 20°C.

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“The support from the consulate was the most reassuring pacer and the factor that made me shake pace.”

The runner followed a strategy of maintaining 6 minutes 30 seconds per km for the first 30 km and then increasing the pace. The support gave the runner strength, but the runner also controlled the pace and finished in 4 hours 26 minutes, about 29 minutes faster than the previous year.

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“It was a moment when I keenly felt how much encouragement can help.”

In 2025, the runner was unable to finish because they got caught at the 25 km time limit, but trained again and finished in 5 hours 26 minutes in 2026. The runner experienced knee pain and had to walk during the second half, and said that the support from their family and the people around them gave them great strength.

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“The gel went down the wrong way, and I choked. I kept coughing—really badly.”

When an early-race energy gel went down the wrong way and made it difficult to breathe, the runner even considered withdrawing, but continued the race after drinking water at the aid station. The runner finished at the finish line amid headwinds on Shinkawa Street and encouragement in the latter stages. The runner's gun time was 2 hours 54 minutes 58 seconds.

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“I withdrew during the race.”

The runner started despite the heat and insufficient training and passed the 30 km checkpoint, but ran out of fuel and withdrew around 33 km.

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“My time was 2 hours 58 minutes 54 seconds.”

The runner’s pace dropped after 30 km because of the heat typical of summer races, but they used the aid stations and cooling facilities to finish in under 3 hours.

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“Thanks to that, I enjoyed running while receiving plenty of support.”

The runner completed the 2025 Hokkaido Marathon in 3 hours 47 minutes 51 seconds. In temperatures of 22–26°C, the runner suddenly ran out of energy after 30 km and their left foot stiffened, but they enjoyed the Shinkawa-dori section and the support from the crowds and kept their time under 4 hours.

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“I just managed to finish under 3 hours 30 minutes.”

This is a participant report detailing the experience before and after the race. The runner began at a pace aimed at finishing in under 3 hours, but the pace slowed significantly from around 30 km onward because of the heat, humidity and monotonous straight sections, and the runner also walked at times. The runner started running again at the end and just managed to finish in under 3 hours 30 minutes.

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“It was the toughest race I have ever run, and I think I would have given up if it had been any more difficult.”

The runner finished the 2025 Hokkaido Marathon with an actual time of 5 hours 49 minutes 49 seconds. It was extremely difficult because of the summer heat and the lack of long-distance training, and the runner came away feeling that long runs are important for preparing both physically and mentally.

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“My final result was 2:55:44 (average 4 minutes 10 seconds/km).”

Despite the heat, the runner maintained their pace early on, adjusted their pace after 30 km and finished in 2:55:44.

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“The cola and pouring water over myself really woke me up!”

The runner completed the Sapporo full marathon in a net time of 3:24:24. They kept taking water and pouring it over themselves in the heat, while the headwind on Shinkawa-dori was tough. The cola from the private aid station and the continuous encouragement carried the runner through, and near the end they picked up the pace and crossed the finish line smiling.

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