I was very excited to run Tokyo and 1) get my six-star medal but also 2) experience a marathon in a country where running is the national sport! I know running is a serious sport in Japan, so experiencing the marathon and running culture there was something fun to look forward to.

Overall, it felt big and well-organized. On par with the other majors in terms of size, experience, etc. There were a few quirks I'll call out below for those serious marathoners that need all the details! If you can get in - I highly recommend it! I got in via Marathon Tours, some others in my group got in via lottery, and others via the Run as One program (for the crazy speedy runners out there).

THE PROS
Mostly flat course! It has a few out and backs so prepare for that, but mostly it's fun to see other runners out on the course.

Entertainment - the city does an amazing job getting numerous dance/singing troupes on the course performing. It made for a lot of run things to look for. Sometimes the crowds paid more attention to the performances than the runners...but I still enjoyed it!

The start is VERY accessible from Shinjuku hotels. BUT the gate system is complicated because of the up-down road system in that area. They will be strict about having to enter your specific gate.

Aid stations - were some of the most organized i've seen!!! People there do not throw their food/trash on the ground so if you are farther back you don't have to worry about trampling over cups (US majors) or bottles (London!). Past the aid station there are volunteers every few years holding out trash bags for you to throw trash if you missed the bins in the aid station. I really loved that it kept the roads so clean.

EXPO - HUGE and also very spacious! Lots to see so definitely go Friday if you can. You'll want to check out all the fun stuff :) It's part of the experience!

BE AWARE
Aid stations are only every 2-3 miles or so. It was on par with Berlin, but less than the US majors offer. So plan accordingly. Also because the course has out and backs, and Japan cars drive on the LEFT side of the road (somehow I didn't realize that until this trip), you run out on the left side and turn RIGHT to come back. That means all the aid stations were mostly on the LEFT side since they did not set-up aid stations in the median. Cups were spaced out on the tables which made them easier to grab, but be prepared to grab (vs have a volunteer handing it to you) if you are in a less speedy crew.

FOOD stations were more plentiful than other races BUT the selection was varied. Also in my groups (around 4:00 pace) the food was in bins (not being held out by volunteers) so runners were flat out stopping to grab food which made it hard to grab and go. I tried the jelly pouch which was not bad. I liked the texture more than gus! I also grabbed some bananas and oranges. But some of the other packaged foods were hard to open and also one was a dissolvable tablet which I was not expecting :) BUT I highly reco trying a tomato! It was surprisingly refreshing And. Electrolytes!

Port-a-Potties - I found western toilets pre-race, but at mile 21 i stopped to use the port-a-pottie and didn't think about the fact that it would be Japanese style! Squatting to pee at Mile 21 was VERY HARD and there was nothing to hold onto...haha!! So...keep that in mind :) And maybe practice peeing in a japanese toilet before hand so you aren't left trying to figure out how to do it on race day. I have used one before but still had challenges.

Post-race Transport -
If you are with MT you get a coach bus back to Shinjuku and that was amazing. Its one of the only reasons I warmed-up. Others had to train back (a la NYC) and I imagine that was a challenge!! So just be sure to pack lots of warm layers in your bag to prepare.

THE CONS
It was a VERY long finish and it took a while to get your space blanket. So I got cold quickly and didn't warm-up for a while. I swear I thought we signed-up for ponchos post race but couldn't find the details. In the future a sticker to keep the blanket on (a la Chicago marathon) would be nice. You also walk a while before you get your medal vs the US majors that give you your medal right away. The walk though got very challenging. Then when you got you back (at least 1 mile away) you couldn't change right away. I didn't even want to change I wanted to put layers on but they were scooting us away. I'm sure this is culturally-related but having walked in the cold for at least 30 min I was dying to warm-up.

SWAG - shirts were unisex! So the unisex Small doesn't fit quite the way I'd want. There was plenty of other race gear so i got something in my size but sad I won't be able to wear my race shirt.

Overall, it was such a fun city to experience. The weather was great.