Yokota club takes Tokyo Marathon in stride

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Matt Summers
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
TOKYO --  Cloudy skies, strong winds and rain didn't deter more than 90 Yokota Striders Running Club members from enjoying the 3rd Annual Tokyo Marathon on March 22. 

Club members joined 35,000 other runners over a 26.2-mile course through much of downtown Tokyo in a race considered "a national treasure, " according to Jeffrey Dickerhoof, Yokota Striders president. He said more than 260,000 people applied to run this year and competitors were chosen through a lottery. 

"The route is like a tour of Tokyo and people line the roads to cheer runners on," said the veteran of more than 30 marathons and eight Ironman competitions. "Running 20 miles in bad weather, you're not going to set any personal best. It was more about finishing and having fun." 

Despite the foul conditions, some club members did perform near the top of their game. 

Quinn Newton, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron community planner and former Division II All-American runner for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, finished in the top 40 runners with a time of 2 hours, 25 minutes, 56 seconds. 

"I set a goal of two hours and 25 minutes, so to come within 50 seconds of that on a day like today, I'm happy," said Mr. Newton, who had family travel from the United States to watch him run. It was the former steeplechaser's second marathon -- he finished in 2:34 in Phoenix in 2008. 

Kenyan Salim Kipsan won the Tokyo Marathon in 2:10:27 and earned 8 million yen in the process, the first race in Japanese history to award prize money. 

For the Striders' more novice marathoners, motivation to run came from sources other than prestige or money. 

"I had a friend who was a tri-athlete and got me into running," said Staff Sgt. Sonora Vasquez, 374th Force Support Squadron. "I stopped running for awhile and then I said, 'I'll show you I can do this.'"

While stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, she competed in the 2007 St. Anthony Marathon in Padua and afterwards she swore "I would never do it again." 

Following the birth of her son 10 months ago, she decided to get back into shape and began following a popular training program for distance runners. She joined the Striders because "they kick butt" and provide motivation to novice and experienced runners alike. 

Sergeant Vasquez trained 18 weeks for the Tokyo marathon, running on her own during the week and with the Striders on the weekend. She finished in 6:13:37. 

It was the first marathon for Kelly Johnston from the University of Maryland University College at Yokota, who said she "loves a challenge."

"You learn a lot about yourself when you run," said the veteran of six shorter-distance races in the past year. "Your mind plays tricks on you and you believe you're more limited than you really are."

She said the first mental block to overcome is the "I want to stop" feeling. The more experienced a runner becomes the stumbling blocks change to "I need to conserve more energy." Ms. Johnston finished in 4:17:39.

The Yokota Striders, an organized, social running club formed in 1981, counts active-duty military, U.S. civilians and Japanese citizens among its members, said Mr. Dickerhoof.

The club sponsors two major races each year at Yokota: the Frostbite Half Marathon and 5K road race, and the Ekiden 4-by-5K relay race and 5K road race. The races are ranked in the Top 30 races in Japan by Runners Magazine, according to Mr. Dickerhoof.

The club has hosted the Frostbite race in January for the past 28 years, and drew more than 7,000 runners from as far away as Okinawa in 2009. It's a unique opportunity for Japanese runners to visit an American military installation and compete alongside runners from Yokota.

Members also travel throughout Japan to run in races ranging from marathons and triathlons to mountain climbs. Striders stress the fact that theirs is a "social" running club with members on a spectrum from marathoners to once-a-month runners looking for an excuse to get together and have fun, said Mr. Dickerhoof.

"Everything we do is about making friends and having fun," he said, "and once a Strider always a Strider."

To find out more about the Striders, visit www.yokotastriders.com.