Buddhist monks chanting "Fighto!" and waving signs of encouragement in front of a thousand-year-old temple, cheerleaders with red pom-poms screaming "Ganbatte!" ("Good Luck!") on a sun-drenched riverbank, and giant red strawberries being handed out for a quick energy boost. Last month, thanks to the sponsorship of Wacoal's sportswear brand CW-X, nine lucky Thai runners got to experience one of the most magical annual races that Japan has to offer -- the Kyoto Marathon.
Running with 16,000 other participants, the Kyoto Marathon is unlike any other in the world. In freezing mid-February temperatures, runners race 42.195km from one side of the city to the other -- dashing past the beautiful scenery and historical monuments, like the Kyoto Botanical Gardens, seven Unesco World Cultural Heritage sites and the serene Kamo Riverside.
In line with the city's "Do You Kyoto?" environmental initiative, the marathon throughout the years has turned into a citywide festival on a grand scale -- hoping to not only promote the ancient capital (especially since the devastating 2011 earthquake), but also to promote a greater sense of awareness in preserving and sustaining the environment. The Kyoto Marathon is known as one of the harder races to participate in due to its high prices and even higher registration rates.
Handpicking three seasoned runners, including ultra-marathoner Chumpol "Jung" Krootkeaw, sports scientist Chonlachai "Ton" Arnamnart and actress Rachwin "Koi" Wongviriya (Artiwara "Toon Bodyslam" Kongmalai's girlfriend, always seen by his side during his charity run across Thailand), the brand also chose six lucky runners from an open Facebook contest. Consisting of a few doctors, government officials and a businessman, all were chosen not for their skills, but for their inspiring personal stories.
Rachwin 'Koi' Wongviriya and Dr Chumpol 'Jung' Krootkeaw celebrate at the finish line. Photo: Apipar Norapoompipat
"We chose runners who are and can be an example for other people," said Kanchit Srivicha, CW-X's brand manager, who was there to cheer the runners on. "For example, Koi runs to help other people with her project Kao Khon La Kao. Dr Jung is an example of a person who never gives up. He's a long-distance runner, and it will make people feel that running is not actually that hard a feat. And there's Kittipong 'Aek' Samphao [from the contest], who only played video games -- he was overweight, and suddenly he turned his back on the computer, put on his running shoes, and started running. Now he's in shape and strong. We've chosen runners who stand out and are able to inspire others."
And inspire they did. In the week spent together before and after the race, the nine strangers with one common goal quickly became a tight family unit, sharing their life stories and giving tips and tricks (especially about pacing and dealing with cold weather) whenever they could to whoever they could.
Seed trader Chamnan Saisaard, for example, started running in his late 40s, after being bedridden in the hospital for 10 days due to a sudden blackout from overworking. He's run 42 marathons since he started five years ago, and the Kyoto Marathon would be his 43rd. Then there's orthopaedic surgeon and spine specialist Supalerk Khuntisuk, who only started running six months ago in an attempt to understand his ever increasing number of patients with running injuries. Knowing all the theories and putting them into practice, Supalerk was able to run a full marathon within the time span of only a few months.
"They've given inspiration to me," said Rachwin the night before the race. Although the actress had run across Thailand with her boyfriend Artiwara, the Kyoto Marathon was her first ever official marathon.
"I've been able to meet a lot of people who have their own stories of how they became runners to this degree and how running has helped them find something meaningful and changed their lives. Like, wow, there are so many people in this world who are so talented that I didn't know about. For example, Dr Jung. He kept setting goals for himself in his life which he's achieved. From marathons, he ran ultra-marathons. From ultra-marathons, he ran thousands of kilometres. I'm still a young kid in this, but I feel that if I'm actually determined, I'm able to do it -- then my life will have new goals. And this is a journey that I think is fun. This marathon is a new journey for me in my life."
Queuing up at the starting line the next morning at Nishikyogoku Athletic Park, the runners, with stickers of Thai flags on their cheeks, took off with the other 16,000 runners at 9am sharp in the biting cold. In an unexpected move, Chumpol and Supalerk, who were supposed to be at the start of the line (where the fastest runners are placed), decided to run beside Rachwin at the back of the line to keep her company.
"I know for a fact that marathons aren't easy, and people expect that because I've experienced many marathons in the past and have done many long-distance races, that I should be able to run well," said Chumpol. "But I never thought this -- it's actually more pressure. In reality, just because a person did a marathon before doesn't mean they'll be able to do it again. You have to practise. When I found out that Koi was running her first marathon and the organisers were thinking of partnering her up with someone, I volunteered."
Though the race provided incredible experiences for each runner (the sideline medics, the food, the cheering locals), it did prove extremely challenging. Some were shivering violently from the biting cold, some were sick from the day before and some, like Rachwin, suffered painful leg cramps from the 30km mark onward. Yet, with a single goal in mind, everyone was able to cross the finish line before the cut-off time of six hours.
Seed trader Chamnan crossed first out of the nine Thai runners, with a time of 3:55.20. Rachwin, limping and with happy tears in her eyes, crossed exactly an hour later. With everyone completing the race, the runners mused over dinner that night on the great organisation, care and amazing participation that the whole city of Kyoto seemed to take part in -- as Thailand, it seems, still has a lot to learn.
"Because I didn't set myself a time limit, I absorbed everything on the sidelines," said Chumpol. "There's a sense of community and sincerity. Because it's a race with good standards, it had good participation from all areas. Many people are impressed about the crowds cheering on the sidelines, but that's not all; there is also the great staff and the helpers apart from the audience. There were AEDs [automated external defibrillators] every 200-300m. Food and water services were perfect," he said, adding that what was most amazing for him was the manoeuvring of pedestrians across the street while the race went on uninterrupted. "These are things that I will bring back to Thailand to try to improve our races."
Rachwin, the rookie marathoner, also had a few words for her fans back home.
"Don't be scared to start running," she said. "Just come out. Exercising, in whatever shape or form, will change your life. Other than your health, you'll find new friendships along the way. And what's even more important is that if you take care of yourself, you're not only helping yourself, but the people around you. It's something that starts off small and the result is very big. If more and more people think like this, society will be happy. Everybody will be healthy, and what will result is fewer problems in the hospitals."
