Haisai! My name
is Takuma Sminkey. I'm an American-Japanese, who acquired Japanese
citizenship in 2010. I've been running in Okinawa since 2004 and
created this website to provide information for runners in Okinawa
and throughout Japan. The Races
in Okinawa page lists the
dates, locations, general details, cost, and home pages for every
race open to the general public. If you're looking for
Good
Places to Run in Okinawa,
check out my list of suggestions, with maps and detailed
descriptions of each route. I run at these locations regularly, so
be sure to say hello if we cross paths. The Links
and Information page has the
following headings: race information, Japanese running magazines,
bulletin boards, and various links. The links, which include a
running calculator, maps, podcast information, and an excellent
running log, are limited to my absolute favorite running resources.
Be sure to check them out! In addition, Training
Menus (in metric) are
available for various race distances. Written in MS-Word, the menus
can be downloaded and adapted for your own training. The
Japanese
for Runners page provides
helpful vocabulary for talking about running in Japanese. With
vocabulary ranging from beginner to advanced, the lists are divided
into the following categories: cheers, race day, body parts,
training, and athletes. I've added a Pronunciation Guide for those
who don't know any Japanese. To get a brief summary of my running
background, take a look at My
Running Profile. To view my
race history, which also includes short reviews of those races, go
to my My
Race History. Recently, I've
been running with the Ryukyu Natural
Runners group, a
friendly and laid-back group that meets on Sunday mornings. They've
really helped me to get back into running again!
My long-term dream is to run all races, including the
ultramarathons and triathlons, that are offered in Okinawa. After I
run a race, I'll write a commentary, which I'll add to
My
Race History. I'll add
additional web pages (with pictures and more thorough commentaries)
for marathons and longer races. These commentaries should give you
a good idea of what to expect for each race. I just completed
the Okinawa Marathon
,
which is my last race of the running season. My goal for the
off-season is to lose 10 kilos and to keep running at least 60
kilometers per week.
If you have suggestions for this site, or just want to say hello to
a fellow runner, leave a comment below, or send me an e-mail (the
e-mail link is at the bottom of this page). I'd be especially
thrilled to hear from people in Okinawa or Japan. (Feel free to
comment in either English or Japanese.) I hope you enjoy running in
Okinawa, a runner's paradise!
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