Gelmisa leads Ethiopian trifecta at Tokyo Marathon

Used to pay those ridiculously high entrance fees to run overcrowded marathons along boring courses until I figured out I could use Google Maps to chart my own more scenic courses and run 42K for free. Plenty of water available at house garden hoses en route, and I bring along a￥1,000 note for a 7-11 beer at the turnaround.

Great to see a minion taking part - and he is quick too, beating most of the field!

Well done to all participants. They're all champions in my books.

Used to pay those ridiculously high entrance fees to run overcrowded marathons along boring courses until I figured out I could use Google Maps to chart my own more scenic courses and run 42K for free. Plenty of water available at house garden hoses en route, and I bring along a￥1,000 note for a 7-11 beer at the turnaround.

I get that. You can run a marathon any day of the week, and that is fine, and that is good. I do that every once in a while too.

And yet... nothing beats running through the city streets, all the traffic stopped FOR YOU, all the people cheering FOR YOU. It's an experience like no other.

38.000 runners, but only about 2 dozen wheel-chair athletes is rather pitiful for a World Marathon Majors event. And sadly not a single mention in this article ...

This was my third Tokyo Marathon. The predicted rain from all week disappeared on race day, and we had beautiful cool and slightly sunny weather throughout. The Tokyo Marathon is extremely impressive in its hospitality element - every single one of the thousands of volunteers along the course cheer and clap for the runners with great enthusiasm, and even the spectators along the way are fantastic, clapping and cheering nonstop for total strangers passing by. It really is a fantastic atmosphere.

I'm no great runner by any stretch of the imagination, but I managed to finish in the top half of the men. I'll take it gladly. And now for that beer and pizza I've been holding off for months on having....

Super spreader! How is this allowed?!

Congratulations to Deso Gelmisa, Mo Esa, Tsegaye Getachew, Rosemary Wanjiru, and to their legion of challengers at the Tokyo Marathon.

Outstanding! Good job. Congratulations!

That crowd of runners without masks?

Would I take part in the Tokio Marathon? Or in a marathon in another large city of any country? No! No!! No!!! No!!!! I know that, like every one else, I have to die one day. But and, this is a VERY big but, I would not like to be trampled to death for a long time by thousands of boots, shoes and high heels should there be a panic.

Would I take part in the Tokio Marathon? Or in a marathon in another large city of any country? No! No!! No!!! No!!!! I know that, like every one else, I have to die one day. But and, this is a VERY big but, I would not like to be trampled to death for a long time by thousands of boots, shoes and high heels should there be a panic.

Do you also not ever leave the house because you would not like to be hit by a car that jumps the sidewalk and kills you?

Would I take part in the Tokio Marathon? Or in a marathon in another large city of any country? No! No!! No!!! No!!!! I know that, like every one else, I have to die one day. But and, this is a VERY big but, I would not like to be trampled to death for a long time by thousands of boots, shoes and high heels should there be a panic.

Nobody cares about this, hunny! Don't make the mistake to believe that the internet and the world revolves around you!

Congrats to all runners! I ran the Tokyo marathon five times (last one last year) and enjoyed it throughout the years. The public is wonderful, the city becomes your playground and the organizers'efforts are well received. Join it if you make the lottery!