Tokyo Marathon Family Run with an 8-Year-Old: Our 2024 Experience

On March 3, 2024, my eight-year-old daughter Uta and I ran through the Tokyo Marathon finish area together. She was in second grade, and our event was the Family Run, an untimed run of approximately 1km. We got to share the excitement of marathon morning without her running the full 42.195km.

I had missed out in the main marathon entry lottery, so this was another way for us to take part in the day. For Uta, the attraction was much simpler: a big start, plenty of cheering and a finish line we could cross together.

What was the Family Run?

The organizer's 2024 event information described a separate event for elementary-school children and accompanying adults, running from Marunouchi Naka-dori to the finish area on Gyoko-dori. It had no official timekeeping. In our family account, there was also no awards ceremony for finishing positions.

This matters when watching our video: Uta ran enthusiastically, but we were taking part in a fun run, not competing for an official 1km title.

A cold wait, then a quick start

Children started in different waves by school grade. Uta joined the second wave, for second- and third-graders. We lined up early, which meant less time for warming up than we would have liked. The shade between the buildings felt cold, so she kept her windbreaker on until it was time to run; I then carried it around my waist.

Once the start came, she was eager to go. By about 300m, we had clear space around us. The previous wave had started well ahead of ours, and we caught only one pair from that group. We crossed the line first in our wave according to my account of the morning, but there was no official placing or recorded winning time.

The stone paving near the finish also felt different underfoot from the roads we normally run on. It was a short outing, yet the setting made it memorable.

Our day continued after the finish

Afterwards, we took photographs and stayed to watch the main marathon. Seeing the elite runners come through, then cheering for a friend, gave Uta another view of the same sport. First she had been a runner; now she was beside the course watching others finish a much longer race.

That is what I remember most about this visit. The family event let us share the atmosphere of Tokyo Marathon day, and spectating afterwards made it more than a brief run.

If you are reading from outside Japan

This is a report of our 2024 visit, not an open invitation to enter a future edition. In 2024, the organizer required a residential address in Japan for the race packet; a hotel address was not accepted. Check the organizer's information for the year you plan to attend before arranging a trip.

For a different kind of family event, read about our 3.1km parent–child trail race. If you are curious about how we run together, our account of holding hands, pacing and encouragement explains what we have tried.

Adapted from our original Japanese family account, first published 2024-03-08. Event details and results describe that visit.