The Tokyo Marathon concluded successfully, with Kenyan Brigid Kosgei winning the women's race in 2:14:29.Ai Hosoda, who announced she will retire this year, finished 10th in the women's race in 2:23:39, the top Japanese finisher.
She said after the race that she chose to end her career in Tokyo because, during the World Championships in Tokyo, the streets were thronged and people who had helped her could easily come to cheer her on.
With tears in her eyes she said, "I feel that without everyone's support I might not have been able to overcome those difficult moments on my own, so I'm truly grateful to have come this far."
"Everyone at the aid stations was shouting 'Come on!' and 'Thank you' to me, so it was a very enjoyable marathon." At the pre-race press conference, Ai Hosoda revealed that she had worried about whether she could finish after injuring her right ankle and calf in December last year: "But that period was so wonderful, it felt like it passed in the blink of an eye."
Image source: Asahi Shimbun
Her pre-race goal was "at least to beat last year's World Championships (2:27:43) time." In the end, Ai Hosoda's result far exceeded expectations, and she finished perfectly with a moving finish-line moment.
Ai Hosoda announced her retirement on January 8 this year; the Tokyo Marathon was her final race. She had originally planned to make the Paris Olympics the perfectfinale, but due to injuries and other factors she only finished third in the MGC and was forced to be an alternate. Therefore, she decided to keep competing: “I strongly want to end my career after giving it my all!”
Ai Hosoda joined the EDION corporate team in 2021 and stayed there for more than four years. Looking back on her career, she said “It's been a journey of ups and downs.”
“Of course, this sport isn't easy, so I can't always post consistent results, but I think those experiences are what made me stronger, and it's because so many people have helped me that I've been able to keep going for so long.”
Ai Hosoda shared an unforgettable moment from the Tokyo Marathon: “Teammates rushed to the sidelines, cheering for her from all directions. Not only that, near the end of the race I kept hearing shouts of ‘thank you’ — I almost cried.”
She said gratefully: “I'm so happy to have run at the Tokyo Marathon with so many people cheering. I feel very fortunate, so I'm glad to have the marathon as the finale of my career.”
Her most memorable moment was last year's Empress Cup Ekiden, where she won the title for the first time. She plans to remain with the athletics club and hopes to “be involved with the team in some way.”
She told the young athletes: “You may sometimes feel pressure and nervousness, but don't put limits on yourselves, and don't forget how you felt when you first started running: 'Running is so much fun!'”
Written by:Sports Notes / Editor: Paoye
