2025 Winner Interview｜James Wylie

How did you feel when you found out you were selected? (For example: where you were, who you shared the news with, etc.)

I was at home checking my emails and saw an email from the Tokyo Marathon organisers which was unexpected. I was so excited when I found out I had been selected to run the Tokyo Marathon 2026. I really enjoyed the experience in 2025, so when I was selected to run in 2026, I couldn’t wait to get going! I then told my friends, family & colleagues in the UK, and sent a Line message to my friends in Japan that I’ll be going back to run again!

How did you prepare for Tokyo Marathon 2026, and what were your thoughts going into the race?

For this race, I prepared slightly differently to the previous year. I was a little more experienced, so I knew what my body liked and didn’t like, knew the course a little better, and knew what was in store on race day. I bought new training shoes and new race-day shoes. My first carbon-plated shoes! (Asics Magic Speed 4) I also changed my hydration strategy. The 2025 race was so hot! Being from the UK and training through the dark, wet and windy nights, running 2025 in very hot and dry conditions was a total shock! As such, I had to adjust how I would hydrate to make sure I was better prepared for the 2026 race. I better planned my gel intake, my water consumption, the snacks etc.. The preparation was worth it! Luckily, it was a little cooler than 2025, but I was feeling stronger. I knew the course and so knew which side of the road I wanted to run on (sometimes to get some shade from the sun!). In the end, I was able to achieve a new PB of 3hours 43 minutes,27mins faster than in 2025!

What was the most memorable moment for you on race day? (Support from the crowd, scenery, encounters, etc.)

The crowd, as always, were great. Everyone shouting “Ganbatte!” kept giving me the motivation to keep running. My girlfriend also joined me on this trip. It was her first visit to Tokyo, so we’d planned where she could watch the race from, so she could cheer me and my fellow runners on. My colleagues were also tracking me on the app and cheering me on virtually! The race day staff were also fantastic. All the water & snack stations were great. Everyone was ready to keep the runners moving and hand out the much-needed hydration throughout the race.

Was there any particular moment or encounter during the 42.195km that moved you?

Seeing the other runners and their own battles/challenges. Each person on the course was out there for their own reasons. I saw the pros (miles ahead of me!) on the other side of the road in some of the out and back. All competing for times that I could only dream of. I saw other runners in costumes such as Luffy, doing it for fun and great causes. I saw charity runners that I was one of in 2025, raising money for multiple different reasons. I saw people pushing those not able to run the race in wheelchairs so they too could experience the race. Everyone out there was racing their own race, their way, for their own reasons. I was one of them.

Is there a person or moment from Tokyo Marathon 2026 that left a strong impression on you?

Not one person. But the people. Especially the locals! Great to see some traditional music from the bands, dancers and performers at various points in the race. They gave up their Sunday to come and watch people they had never met, and would most likely never meet, to cheer them on. Which is extremely generous of them. So I made sure to give them a clap each time I passed them.

How has this experience changed you?

Tokyo is my favourite city in the world. I’m very lucky to have had the
opportunity to run this great race twice. I thought once would be enough, but it changed me in that now I want to run it again and see if I can set a new PB! So hopefully I can come back again for round 3 and the 3rd part in the Tokyo Marathon trilogy for me.

Now that you have finished, what does the Tokyo Marathon mean to you?

The Tokyo Marathon mantra “The Day We Unite.” says it best. And I lived it. My girlfriend travelled to Tokyo to come watch me run. My colleagues in Tokyo arranged for us to meet up in an izakaya for food, drinks and a catch-up while I was in town. My colleague from the US, whom I’d never met, but we met up after the race and shared some food and laughs after running through Tokyo. My long-lost friends who were foreign language students in my family’s house 20+ years ago, whom I met in 2025, I got to meet again in 2026 and spend time with their families and enjoy some great home-cooked food. All brought together through the Tokyo Marathon.

How would you describe your experience in one sentence? (Feel free to express it like a short message or tagline)

Haiku *Japanese short poem

– Tokyo’s streets flew by, Best time shared with all my friends, Joy at every mile.

Tokyo Marathon 2025 Interview Relay – Mr. James Wylie’s story:  here