On Sunday, November 26th, as part of the Premium Friday event, a running event was held with Toshiyuki Aono and Ryo Tamura from ON Japan as coaches. The location was Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, a popular oasis in the heart of the city, about a 5-minute walk from Isetan Shinjuku. On that day, participants enjoyed a 10km build-up run while admiring the beautiful autumn foliage.

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Two reassuring coaches! Right: Toshiyuki Aono, Left: Ryo Tamura, both affiliated with ON Japan.

PROFILE
Toshiyuki Aono is a graduate of Kokugakuin University and participated as a runner in the 10th leg of the 82nd Hakone Ekiden. He is currently affiliated with On Japan, where he participates in running events, coaches runners, and also competes in races himself.

Ryo Tamura holds various running-related qualifications, including a Level 1 Jogging Instructor from the Japan Lifetime Sports Association, an Intermediate Runners Meister from the R-B Sports Foundation, and a JAFT-certified Running Shoe Advisor and Sports Shoe Fitter. He is affiliated with ON JAPAN and participates in various running events, supporting runners.

Mr. Aono, who has experience competing in the Hakone Ekiden in the past, gave us a thorough lesson on stretching and warming up, and we spent about 30 minutes carefully preparing our bodies for running! We also did warm-ups that increased the range of motion of our lower bodies, which we don't usually experience, and there were moments when we struggled with the unfamiliar movements!


Next, we did the main event of the day: a build-up run.
A build-up run is a marathon training method where you start running at a slow pace to get your body used to it, gradually increase your speed, and finish at full speed. The venue, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, is approximately 3 kilometers per lap. The goal is to complete 10 kilometers by running three laps of this distance.
The first lap started at a relaxed pace of 6 minutes per kilometer, allowing participants to chat while running. The speed increased with each subsequent lap, and almost all participants completed the race.

When we asked the participants for their feedback, we received comments such as, "It was a great opportunity to learn about warm-ups and movement techniques I wasn't aware of," "It was a build-up run, but I wasn't able to warm up properly and finished at the same pace, but I still enjoyed the run," and "It's great that it's free to participate." In the end, everyone was smiling.
I hope you'll incorporate the warm-up methods and build-up runs we did at the event into your daily running routines. Thank you to everyone who participated!

With friends by your side, you can take on the challenge! Next up, it's you!

Next, we'll be holding a running event on Saturday, December 23rd!