"Tokyo Grand Marathon Festival" Lively runner support events along the course

Along the course of the Tokyo Marathon held on February 23, the "Tokyo Grand Marathon Festival 2014" (organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government) took place. This event featured various performances such as music, dance, and folk arts to cheer on the runners and liven up the race.

Trampoline athletes Tomomura and Kamiyama (right in photo)	Members of the U18 Women's Ice Hockey Japan National Team

 

At the main venue, Ariake East Promenade in Koto Ward, food and drink booths lined the area. Stage events, athlete demonstrations (trampoline, ice hockey, gymnastics), and hands-on programs were held. The "Athlete Talk Show" featured four Olympic veterans: former gymnast Rie Tanaka, former volleyball player Kana Oyama, and trampoline athletes Tetsuya Tonomura and Nobuhiro Kamiyama. They shared unique Olympian stories and expressed their hopes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Yoshimoto comedians Hide from Penalty and Kin-ni-kun, known for their athletic prowess, joined the talk, energizing the audience with laughter. Adjacent at the Tokyo Rinkai Wide-Area Disaster Prevention Park, children and adults alike enjoyed working up a sweat. Activities included aptitude tests to help kids discover their athletic strengths, soccer clinics led by J.League veterans, and experience corners for roller sports and wheelchair basketball – activities not typically accessible.