On 2026/01/18, I ran a half marathon on Ishigaki Island. It seems it was usually rainy in past years, but this year there was only a little rain before the start, and after that it was cloudy. I think it was about 20°C, but it didn’t particularly affect my running. Since I hurt my knee and retired in the previous marathon, and recently even light running sometimes caused the same pain, I decided to aim for completion without pushing myself. Retiring due to injury can leave you feeling unfulfilled, so I went with a safety-first approach. The half marathon has a generous 4-hour time limit, so I consciously walked while running on uphill and downhill sections. I was able to enjoy it with tremendous support from the roadside, excellent aid stations, and more. I ate Yaeyama soba and a hamburger before heading back. This might be the first marathon I’ve attended that required a flight. As I always think, I want to practice more and run through more gracefully. That’s all for now.
