Tokyo Marathon Costumes
This year’s Tokyo Marathon was the first that I have seen but certainly not the last. One thing I knew was coming was the costumes, the dress ups of some of the runners! I had heard about it but it was so many more than I could have imagined, and some really elaborate costumes! Unfortunately, as you can see, it was really hard to get the runners in focus, as I only had a split second to select a runner, get a focus and press the trigger. The road they ran on was so wide and it was so crowded I could barely shoot one tenth of the runners I wanted to! But I lucked out when it came to the best costume of the race, Jesus and his cross! I can think of few costumes that would be better for a marathon than this one, it was just a few degrees over freezing outside and this man ran a full marathon barefoot, in a loincloth while carrying a huge cross. That’s some real fighting spirit! Other great examples were the pink Hello Kitty Ninja lady, the men in suits with briefcases (I missed all but one, the man with the tiger mask), and any number of Mario and Luigi! Next year I’ll be better prepared and get a spot in a slight curve so that I can catch them running straight towards me. Shooting runners at an angle is pure pain. Enjoy!
It must have been hard to run a marathon on a hard road with business shoes and even barefoot. Do you know if the guy with a cross and the those with suits finished the race?
I can only imagine the pain! I don’t know if they finished, but most people do, unless there is an accident. I haven’t heard of anyone breaking off half way through. (^-^;)
Thumb up for Jesus Christ!!!! Super! (Although I also enjoyed Tiger Man very much…)
Yes, J was my fave too! And the tiger man…!
Go Jesus! Running half-naked in the cold weather with a cross must not be the easiest thing. Love the beer mug runner as well. (Would love to run a marathon someday…this one in Tokyo looks the most colorful!)
Oh yes, can you imagine the chafing on the poor guy’s back?! Unbearable! The Tokyo marathon has a very cool route. I have walked half of it but I can’t imagine running all of it!
It’s like a carnival insted of a marathon
I want to go too, I don’t like running but this seems so much fun *-*
Haha… spot on comment there Timi! (^-^;)
Shouldn’t Daruma-man have waited to cross the finish line to paint in the second eye?
That was my understanding and my though too! But recently I have heard that some people fill in the second eye when they make the wish. I thought like you, that they fill it in afterwards. We must be mistaken… (^-^;)
The Jesus costume is hilarious! I also like the beer head man
Isn’t great! He even looks like the part, skinny and bearded! (^-^)
These are just too classic! Leave it to the Japanese to have fun with a marathon and not just make it about a bunch of athletic, very focused people running around. Even the people who are concentrating look like they are having fun. =)
Haha… great comment Lissa! My though exactly! (^-^)
The Japanese never cease to amaze me….. Thanks for the adorable pictures!
Thanks Birdie! Good to see you back here! (^-^)
Us runner are such silly people! I remember my first 5K there was a guy running in a banana costume…and I lost first place to a woman that was juggling while she was running.
A banana costume would be great! I think I saw a couple of them at the race in Tokyo too. I would probably lose to you even if you ran the race pushing a pram while feeding your baby! (^-^;)
I think we’d be neck and neck right now, since I haven’ run in almost a year. I stopped running while I was pregnant.
this is soooo cool!