4th Annual Manko Park 6-Hour Run and
Walk
12 /24/2006 18:00
Today, I
participated in the Manko Park 6-Hour Run and Walk, which is
an informal group-run sponsored by the Manko Running Club, a
local running group. The group runs together at Manko Park on
Wednesday and Friday nights, and also participates in numerous
marathons throughout the prefecture.
Sign-up for the event was scheduled to start from 8 a.m., but no one showed up until much later, and the organizers didn’t appear until closer to 9 a.m. (Living in Okinawa, I should have expected this, but I’ll know better next year!) After paying the ¥1,000 entrance fee and listening to a short explanation emphasizing that this was not a competition, the forty or so runners lined up for a group photo and then headed off for the first 5K lap, which everyone ran together. After that, everyone split up, but I had no trouble finding others that ran at my pace. For much of the run, I enjoyed talking with other runners, some from outside Okinawa—but I also ran a bit on my own. A tent was set up which provided water and various snacks, and also served as a rest area for runners to commiserate and encourage each other. The run lasted from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. without any break for lunch. Afterwards, everyone sat down for beers, lunches, and fun discussion. All the runners stood up to introduce themselves (including me!), and I was impressed with how everyone encouraged one another to achieve their running goals. Overall, I had a great time and learned a lot about running in the process. Thanks to the encouragement of the other runners, I was able to run 50 kilometers for the first time.
I was especially thrilled to find a welcoming running group that I might be able to join. The group seems to have achieved a nice balance between having fun, while still being serious about running. In fact, one of the primary aims of the 6-hour run was to prepare for the Miyako Island 100K Ultra Marathon, which quite a few participants will be running next month. Although the group is laid back and enjoys drinking, most of the members run a great deal and participate in numerous races. I’m looking forward to running with this wonderful group again.
I heard that the event will be held again next year on the last Sunday before the New Year’s holidays. I’m guessing the date will be Sunday, December 23, 2007. So if you’re looking for a fun way to do your last long run of the year, come on out and join us! If you’re interested, come at 8:30 a.m. to the area near the tunnel in the middle of the park.
Sign-up for the event was scheduled to start from 8 a.m., but no one showed up until much later, and the organizers didn’t appear until closer to 9 a.m. (Living in Okinawa, I should have expected this, but I’ll know better next year!) After paying the ¥1,000 entrance fee and listening to a short explanation emphasizing that this was not a competition, the forty or so runners lined up for a group photo and then headed off for the first 5K lap, which everyone ran together. After that, everyone split up, but I had no trouble finding others that ran at my pace. For much of the run, I enjoyed talking with other runners, some from outside Okinawa—but I also ran a bit on my own. A tent was set up which provided water and various snacks, and also served as a rest area for runners to commiserate and encourage each other. The run lasted from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. without any break for lunch. Afterwards, everyone sat down for beers, lunches, and fun discussion. All the runners stood up to introduce themselves (including me!), and I was impressed with how everyone encouraged one another to achieve their running goals. Overall, I had a great time and learned a lot about running in the process. Thanks to the encouragement of the other runners, I was able to run 50 kilometers for the first time.
I was especially thrilled to find a welcoming running group that I might be able to join. The group seems to have achieved a nice balance between having fun, while still being serious about running. In fact, one of the primary aims of the 6-hour run was to prepare for the Miyako Island 100K Ultra Marathon, which quite a few participants will be running next month. Although the group is laid back and enjoys drinking, most of the members run a great deal and participate in numerous races. I’m looking forward to running with this wonderful group again.
I heard that the event will be held again next year on the last Sunday before the New Year’s holidays. I’m guessing the date will be Sunday, December 23, 2007. So if you’re looking for a fun way to do your last long run of the year, come on out and join us! If you’re interested, come at 8:30 a.m. to the area near the tunnel in the middle of the park.
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