はじめに：ポッドキャストの再開とマラソンへの挑戦
Audio Japan, Learning Japan with you.
This podcast delves into Japanese culture, trends,and some niche information in English.
If you wanna listen to the podcast in Japanese,please check Audio Japan.
あなたと一緒に日本を学ぶ。
I'm Taiki, and thanks for tuning in.
It's been around 2 years since I posted the lastepisode in 2024.
I resumed not only the Japanese version, but alsothe English version to have people from all overthe world check out the podcast.
I hope you'll enjoy the podcast.
In this episode, I'll focus on how many runnerscan finish a full marathon.
Have you ever completed a full marathon yet?
I have run a full marathon 3 times, 2023, 2025,and 2026.
As I challenge the marathon, I can improve mytime.
But my objective is at least sub 3.5 hours, evensub 3.0 hours.
I applied for two marathon events, waiting to seewhether I win the lottery.
These days, marathon events are a lottery.
マラソン完走者数の現状と推移
According to the data from the RP SportsFoundation, the number of runners who can completea full marathon is about 350,000, increasing by 9,500 from the previous year.
Breaking down by gender, it consists of 276,814men, 67,968 women, and others.
Also, the number of runners under 29 reaches 60,373, which is an increase over 10,000 runners.
I was surprised to know the result, especiallythat under 29 runners are increasing.
Moving on to the trends in the number of finishers.
The highest number was 375,907 in 2018, consistingof 269,547 men and 79,360 women.
In the pandemic year of 2020, the number droppedto 11,198, but in recent years, it has recoveredto around 350,000.
Let's look at the number of events.
A total of 180 events were analyzed, making it thehighest number ever recorded.
In fact, the Fukui Sakura Marathon, which I joinedthis year, was also established in 2024 to attractpeople from outside the prefecture.
This is just my opinion that the local governmentswant people to visit their prefecture.
完走者タイムの分布とサブ3の難易度
Okay, next, let's look at the distribution of thenumber of finishers.
The average time is 4 hours, 35 minutes, 41seconds at men, 5 hours, 8 minutes, 20 seconds onwomen, respectively.
My best time is 3 hours, 44 minutes, 47 seconds atgirls, so my time is regarded as better thanaverage.
However, from the perspective of achieving a sub-3.0 hours time, this corresponds to the top 8.4%for men and the top 1.7% for women.
I have read to a magazine that runners whocomplete within 3.0 continue to run around 300kmto 400km per month regularly.
This shows just how difficult it is to achieve asub-3.0 time.
若年層ランナー増加の要因分析
Based on the data, I have come up with a fewquestions.
Why did the number of finishers under 29 increaseby 10,000 in a single year?
Maybe they fell in love with running afterwatching running-related YouTubers.
I personally know creators like Mitsuka-san, Amujo-san, and more recently, Aiko-san.
Seeing them run and work hard towards their goalsmight be inspiring the viewers.
On a side note, when I ran my first marathon in2023, Yuki Kawauchi was also there,
and I was amazed by the huge line of peoplewaiting to take photos with him after the race.
It really showed me how much of an impact a toprunner can have.
Let's get back to the question.
I think the trend toward more fashionable runninggear is also playing a part.
Compared to 10 years ago, each brand is offeringstylish apparel that looks perfectly natural whenworn as everyday casual clothing.
I also often spend my time running and living myday life in Adidas wear.
Furthermore, those under 29 might have a highlevel of health awareness.
Running clears your mind and helps you performwell in both your work and other areas of life.
In fact, I also noticed that when my condition isn't great, it's often because I haven't beenrunning or exercising for days.
参加者数停滞の理由と解決策の提案
Let's move on to next question.
Why has the number of participants stagnated since2018?
Due to rising prices, entry fees now cost around ¥15,000 to ¥20,000 per race.
As a result, people might limit themselves to justone race a year or hesitate to sign up at all.
To solve this, it might be a good idea to offerdifferent registration tires.
Economy tire, just for running, with no raceamenities or souvenir T-shirts included.
Hometown tux or full-sutton No-Z tire.
Wear company subsidized a portion of the entryfee.
Premium tire.
Priced at ¥100,000, featuring exclusive perks likemeet and greets with famous runners and luxuryservices.
女性ランナー増加のための施策
And last question.
How can you attract more female runners,especially women in their 30s and 40s?
In fact, RB Sports Foundation also shares a strongawareness of this issue regarding femaleparticipation.
How about a Tabi Run Package? Travel and Run Package.
This package could include race entry, local hotelstays, and sightseeing tours.
Runners can enjoy special dynamic diningexperiences with local food after the race.
Also, I think more women would participate if theycould sign up together with someone.
Marathons can be intimidating to enter alone, sohaving a pair discount or a group package mightgive them the perfect excuse to join with afriend.
マラソン完走の意義とポッドキャストの締めくくり
Through this discussion, I've realized running fora marathon might actually be a huge hurdle.
Since I have a background in long-distancerunning, I don't feel any resistance to it, but I'm sure regular people do.
That said, the feeling of accomplishment when youfinish a full marathon is unreal.
It's truly a battle against yourself.
Anyway, thank you so much for listening to AudioJapan until the end.
If you enjoyed this episode, please hit thesubscribe button or following button.
See you in the next episode. Bye.
