May 4th 'Tokyo: Speed: Race' Elite Race to Feature Ryota Kondo, Kyohei Hosoya, Honami Maeda, Kana Kobayashi, and Shinsaku Kudo of Waseda University Track and Field Club

Asics Japan Co., Ltd. and the Tokyo Marathon Foundation will hold the 'Tokyo: Speed: Race' event on Monday, May 4, 2026, allowing runners of various levels from top athletes to children to participate. Elite athletes such as women's marathon national record holder Honami Maeda (Tenmaya), Ryota Kondo (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), Kana Kobayashi (Otsuka Pharmaceutical), and Kyohei Hosoya (Kurosaki Harima) will participate in the elite 5km race. Waseda University Track and Field Club and Teikyo University Ekiden Club are also scheduled to participate. Additionally, Takuro Aoyama (JDAA), who competed in the '25th Summer Deaflympics Tokyo 2025', will join. The course is a flat circuit at Meiji Jingu Gaien (expected to be certified by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations), using 'WaveLight' pacing lights to visualize running pace, enhancing the race experience for both athletes and spectators. Guests including Yuko Arimori, Naoko Takahashi, and Mizuki Noguchi will attend to energize the event. Tomoki Ota (Toyota Motor Corporation), men's half marathon national record holder, will serve as the starter for the newly established U-15 race (1.3km) for elementary and junior high school students. The venue will feature various experience booths, including 'TRY! ASICS!' where visitors can try on Asics running shoes, and the 'Kids Decathlon Challenge' provided by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, offering fun basic exercises across multiple disciplines like running, jumping, and throwing. Other booths include 'Prosthetic Leg Experience' and 'Sign Language Commentary Experience', providing inclusive experiences for all ages, disabilities, and skill levels. The event will also introduce an AI facial recognition photo sales service, allowing participants to automatically extract and purchase their photos taken during the race by uploading their face photo. The event is hosted by Asics Japan Co., Ltd. and the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, and supervised by the Tokyo Athletics Association.