Tokyo Marathon 2024
TOKYO MARATHON
SUNDAY 3RD MARCH 2024
Distance: 42.195km
Official Time: 4hrs 13min
Pre-race –
I entered Tokyo Marathon for a few reasons. First and most obviously… it’s Tokyo. A World Marathon Major. One of those bucket-list events that feels bigger than just another race entry. Second, it gave me the perfect excuse to combine running with something I value even more these days, travelling with my family. Brad and I took our two sons, Lucas (17) and Nate (15), and turned the marathon into a full family adventure.
To be honest, by the time Tokyo rolled around, I wasn’t going in with expectations of a PB or some huge performance breakthrough. Life, training, age, travel, and perspective have shifted the way I approach marathons. I still care, obviously. I always care. But this one felt different from the beginning. It wasn’t about obsessing over pace. It was about the experience, the atmosphere, and seeing what I could do on one of the biggest marathon stages in the world.
Leading into the event, my training had been solid enough but not perfect. I knew I had enough in me to get through strongly, but I also knew Tokyo wasn’t the race to go out like an idiot and pay for it later. I wanted to run smart, soak it all in, and respect both the course and the occasion.
Japan itself was incredible. From the moment we landed, everything felt exciting. Tokyo is busy in a way Melbourne could never be, but somehow it also feels cleaner, more organised, and strangely calm despite the chaos. We spent the days leading up to race day exploring as much as possible, which definitely meant a lot more walking than your standard marathon taper recommends. But honestly… no regrets. We navigated train stations, explored different districts, ate amazing food, and experienced Tokyo as a family rather than me hiding in a hotel room trying to “save my legs.”
The marathon expo was huge, polished, and incredibly well organised. Everything about Tokyo Marathon felt next level. Collecting my bib felt surreal. It’s one thing to sign up online, but standing there in person, surrounded by runners from all over the world, made it real. This was actually happening.
Race day –
Race morning felt like a combination of nerves, adrenaline, and logistical precision.
Tokyo doesn’t do things casually, and neither does a World Marathon Major. There were people everywhere, runners moving in every direction, layers of organisation, and an energy that felt massive compared to smaller events I’ve done. Brad and the boys were incredible, supportive, excited, and probably slightly amused by my mixture of focus and anxiety.
Standing at the start line in Shinjuku was something special. The scale of it all is hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. Thousands of runners, helicopters overhead, huge buildings surrounding you, and that strange awareness that you are one tiny part of something enormous.
My plan was simple… start conservatively and don’t get swept up in the adrenaline.
That’s easier said than done in Tokyo.
The crowds were unbelievable from the beginning. So much noise, encouragement, signs, cheers, and energy. It felt impossible not to get carried away. But I kept reminding myself that the marathon starts after 30km, not in the first 10.
The first half went well. I felt steady, controlled, and genuinely grateful to be there. Tokyo is an amazing city to run through. The course takes you past so many iconic areas, and there’s something surreal about moving through streets you’d normally associate with tourism, business, or pop culture while thousands of people cheer you on. I focused on staying comfortable, managing my fuel, and not doing anything reckless.
Weather-wise, conditions were pretty decent, though like any marathon, the real challenge eventually becomes less about weather and more about your own body.
By 25 to 30km, things started to feel like… a marathon.
My legs were getting heavier, the early adrenaline had worn off, and I had to start negotiating with myself more. Nothing dramatic, just the usual marathon conversation. Keep moving. Stay steady. Don’t overthink it. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Don’t spiral.
This is the part of the race where experience matters most. You know discomfort is coming, so when it arrives, it’s less of a shock and more of a question… “Okay, what now?”
What I was most proud of in Tokyo was that I stayed consistent mentally. I didn’t fall apart. I didn’t throw a tantrum. I didn’t let one rough patch define the rest of the race. I just kept moving forward.
The final stretch was tough, obviously, but also incredibly rewarding. Knowing Brad, Lucas, and Nate were somewhere out there in Tokyo, experiencing this whole thing alongside me, gave the day even more meaning. This wasn’t just my marathon. It felt like part of a bigger family memory.
Crossing that finish line in 4hrs 26min felt emotional in a way I hadn’t necessarily expected.
Was it my fastest? No.
Was it my strongest performance on paper? Probably not.
But did it matter?
Not really.
Because Tokyo was about more than numbers.
Post-race and feedback –
After finishing, I felt tired, sore, proud, and very ready to eat everything. Tokyo Marathon is exceptionally organised, but like all marathons, once you stop running, your body suddenly has opinions about everything.
Seeing Brad and the boys afterwards was one of the best parts of the entire experience. There’s something special about finishing a marathon, then stepping straight back into family mode, sharing food, laughs, exhaustion, and stories from both sides. They had their Tokyo adventure while I had mine, and then it all came back together.
Looking back, Tokyo Marathon 2024 was one of the most memorable events I’ve ever done, not purely because of the race itself, but because of everything surrounding it.
It was travel. It was family. It was culture. It was perspective.
It reminded me that marathons can still be ambitious without being entirely about time goals. They can be about gratitude, opportunity, and recognising how lucky you are to be healthy enough, capable enough, and crazy enough to run 42.2km through one of the greatest cities in the world.
Tokyo challenged me, inspired me, and gave my family an unforgettable experience.
And yes… I’d absolutely do it again.
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