When asked to give your impression about Okinawa, what images would come to mind?
Emerald-green ocean reflecting golden sunshine, distinctive local delicacies like Goya(bitter melon), or unique cultural mix of mainland Japan, China, U.S.A, and other Asian countries? Probably one of the most familiar images is its subtropical mild climate, which allows you to enjoy almost all outdoor sports throughout a year. Among the various sporting events, Naha marathon is the most famous and popular on the island. Held on the first Sunday of every December, this year’s race marked its 27th year. Although the recent weather here had been wet and windy, the Sunday December 4th was very much sun-shined, apparently making it tough for the participants to go through the course.
The race started off at 9:00a.m. at Onoyama athletic park, where all the joggers would hope to come back within the time limit of 6hours 15minutes. Every year Okinawa-related celebrities or athletes are invited as to start the event by striking the “Bankoku Shinryo no Kane” (Bridge of Nations Bell). This year’s starter was a young Okinawa-born actress, Hikari Mitsushima. Past starters included pro-golfer Shinobu Moromizato, 2006 Miss Universe Kurara Chibana, and pro-golfer Ai Miyazato. Their participation has added celebratory fanfare to this big race.
I am no athlete, so I couldn’t imagine why so many people would bother to suffer through 42.195km of hardship, but there sure are many charms that would never fail to attract the applicants from not only in/outside of Okinawa but also overseas. According to a local paper, the Ryukyu Shimpo's website, this year saw 27,403 applicants, 17,058 out of whom made it to the goal. The numbers first didn’t ring a bell until I was overwhelmed by the long stream of joggers with no end in site.
I think one of Naha Marathon’s attractions is the funny, colourful costumes of many runners. You could see a super hero Spiderman, a pair of red and blue "Zentais", a man in a princess-like yellow dress, or various headgears such as Mt. Fuji, reindeer, bunny rabbit ears etc. WIth the sun on their back, the athletes kept on running prompting smiles and cheers from kids and adults along the course. This makes the race a kind of leisurely entertainment for non-athletes like myself.
Another charm point of this event is the warm hospitality offered to the athletes. People alongside the course are not just spectators. School kids holding out ice lollies shouting “ Ice lolly, please!”, an elderly lady standing with a tray full of bite-size chopped oranges so that the joggers could take in vitamins, a woman offering a pain-relief spray to the exhausted muscles. There was also the enthusiastic Eisa(Okinawan traditional dance) drum beat to encourage the runners to the goal tape. I found these scenes were very heart-warming and represented the genuine hospitality of the Okinawan people. These cordial show of support from the locals surely has made the Naha Marathon much beloved across Japan as well as abroad.
I’ve never taken part in the race as a runner so I couldn’t tell what its really like to run a full-marathon and how hard it could get. Also I always wondered why a huge number of people come joining the event in this rather warm winter here. But now I’m sure that its literary warm, friendly and festive atmosphere never stops attracting those who love running and cheering on the roads of the southern part of the island. Naha Marathon is surely one of the best opportunities to move your body and heart in the Okinawan winter.
