Searching for the "opportunity" to run from now on

"NB TEST RUN SHIBUYA" will begin in Yoyogi Park in November 2021. What is the reason for creating a course and starting the run here now? We look at it from three perspectives: the organizer of a small race, the park manager, and a running brand.

UedaFirst, I'd like to hear about the background to this event from New Balance's perspective.

HayashiOriginally, New Balance was a brand of corrective shoes, and has a history of supporting the feet of a wide variety of runners. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many of those same runners to lose the places where they used to enjoy running. That's why I felt that now was the time to discover a new running culture by changing the way we look at the towns where we used to run. On the last day of the "TAMAGAWA FKT by Riverside Micro Race" held in early summer, a woman who arrived just in time after work left with a big smile on her face after running. I could really feel the excitement she felt about that micro race, and I wanted to create more places like that in collaboration with various towns and parks.

NishimotoIt's quite significant that we're holding this event in Yoyogi. Yoyogi Park is a place where you can run just as comfortably as Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London. There are lots of people running in the latest fashions, and it's fun to run and shop... I feel that an event held in a place that represents Japan will lead to the next step.

UedaYoyogi Park is home to both locals and tourists, and visitors are active at different times. Still, the way events are organized seems to be the key to making the park a place that is loved by everyone.

SatoIn fact, in recent years, complaints about people running in Yoyogi Park have become more and more common. Many people run there regardless of the day or time, and there are days when the number of runners exceeds 100. While it is very pleasing, we sometimes see scenes where other visitors are being inconvenienced. That's why we try to warn people with the park's in-park announcements and notices, but it's not very effective... To be honest, we felt that there was a limit to what we could do to encourage people to follow the rules. However, we are looking forward to events like this one, and if they can reconsider where they are running, it might change the way they run.

UedaRather than just improving one's manners because someone told them to, I think it would be more effective if runners themselves thought about the rules they wanted to follow and acted accordingly.

NishimotoI think that overseas, the better the course, the more runners and the general public can coexist. There is a culture where runners and old ladies walking along the course greet each other. I think it would be great if an atmosphere of positive exchanges and mutual compromise could emerge in Japan, too, because both parties love the place.

HayashiI don't think the optimal solution can be found from a single event, but it would be nice if we could create an opportunity for both runners and non-runners to become more conscious of the issue. I'm sure it could also be a catalyst for building a community not just in the park, but in the entire town.

SatoYoyogi Park has an area A that is rich in nature, and an area B where you can enjoy sports, and it also has Oda Field, which is well known to anyone who does track and field. I would like to continue to foster an atmosphere that is friendly to sports, and to act as a cushion that connects runners, other visitors, and the city and the region.

UedaYoyogi Park is located next to the mecca for athletics and offers a variety of running styles. It would be wonderful if the "TEST RUN" could be a catalyst for trying out new ideas in such a place, and lead to the creation of even just one new initiative.

Runners consider how to create future races

As small races become more common, new possibilities have arisen for runners to create their own races. What will runners be like in the future? What is a race? Members of the women's serious running team 9track envision the future of racing.

KitagawaFirst of all, please tell us what you focused on when starting 9track.

MorikawaI thought that if we focused only on running strength, there would be a limit when we thought about the life events that are unique to women, so I wanted to make a team that could accept such situations and continue running while having fun. Furthermore, I thought that it was important for members to have strong bonds that allow them to support each other toward their individual goals, so we are currently operating as a closed community.

YamamotoThe team was formed in January 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many runners refrained from running due to the self-restraint mood in society, but I think that women who were eager to run and wanted to have fun within the limits of what they could control gathered together. They are a strong group of people with the same mindset.

KitagawaMany of your members belong to and are active in communities other than 9track, and there is daily interaction between communities.

MorikawaFor my own training, I sometimes run with serious male teams, and the training sessions I hold are becoming a community with the people who participate. When I was in the corporate team, I often had races with few spectators and it was a small world, but now I think that maybe there should be more opportunities for amateur runners to interact with corporate athletes and elite runners. I feel that there are many more elements in which athletes who compete solely on running and amateur runners who have social skills can influence each other.

KitagawaI imagine that the intersections for athletes and amateur runners are parks and cities, but what kind of environment would make them want to run in those places?

YamamotoA place with clean air and lots of nature. In my hometown, Hokkaido, the roads are wide and the atmosphere is different from Tokyo. I like running in clean places so much that being near a park was one of the criteria for moving.

MorikawaI think places with few traffic lights are good for practice environments. I also think it's important to be considerate to pedestrians, so places with wide roads are preferable, but if you feel like you might be causing a nuisance, you should say hello and thank them. Ideally, it's a place where you can communicate comfortably with the people who live there.

YamamotoYoyogi Park, where this TEST RUN took place, is a place where many runners, local residents, and tourists cross paths. That's why I think it would be easier for people to recognize each other if there were separate lanes for runners, pedestrians, and cyclists.

MorikawaAlthough the park is divided into a sports area where Oda Field is located and a forest area, not all runners run on the track. In parks overseas, there are runner-only courses, but runners can run side by side with people who are walking or strolling, and there is no separation between them. I hope that this will become a place where people with various hobbies and tastes can enjoy what they like, not just in the early morning or at night.

KitagawaYoyogi Park has great potential for discovering the fundamental value of physical activity, so what kind of race would be ideal to hold there?

MorikawaBecause 9track is a place of relaxation for men and women of all ages, I want to make women's life events, which is the concept of 9track, more enjoyable. For example, I have wanted to hold a buggy run competition, which is popular overseas, for a long time. When I was active, I thought that giving birth meant retirement, and there would be a gap in my ability to continue running fast. However, when I thought of running as something that involves a life as a woman, I came to the conclusion that the ideal idea would be to continue in a different form. It would be good to get rid of the fixed idea that competitions are about pursuing speed and rankings, and have competitions that aim for satisfaction and happiness.

YamamotoParticipating in the Tamagawa FKT (Tamagawa FKT by Riverside Micro Race) left a strong impression on me as a new form of race for a new era. During a time when there were no races and I couldn't travel, it gave me the opportunity to visit places I'd never been before. I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt this way; I think there were many people who ran that course for the first time because of the Tamagawa FKT. When small races are held in various parts of Japan, people visit the places, and if the runners who ran in them spread the word, more people will take on the challenge there. I think this will also lead to regional development.

MorikawaAn old friend of mine, a runner who was my rival when I was still active, saw my results at the Tamagawa FKT and challenged me to "beat Morikawa". I lost by two seconds, but it was a fascinating experience to compete against my rival in a different way. The power of attraction that ignites someone's heart is one of the attractions of micro races.

KitagawaWhen I think about different races like this, I feel like I want to use them as a base and incorporate various elements to create something even better.

YamamotoNagoya Women's Marathon is a running race for women, so I love how cute the race itself is. For example, the cones are pink and there are balloons at the finish line. What's surprising is the attention to detail, such as the hand mirrors and tissues provided at the aid stations. Everyone throws their trash in the trash cans after drinking water, so the course is kept clean during the race. It's really fun to run and watch.

MorikawaWhen I competed in the Hokuren Distance races during my active career, the spectators would come to the side of the track and cheer on the runners at the same eye level as the runners. They would bang on the banners of each team and their sponsors to cheer them on, there was uplifting music playing in the stadium, and there was live commentary, so it was a very immersive race. It would be fun if we could create that festival-like excitement in other races too.

KitagawaWhen it comes to making lace, it seems like your experiences together can give you a lot of ideas.

Yamamoto9track members all have skills other than running, so if we could take advantage of that and incorporate other content before and after the race, we could create a race like no other. For example, running clinics, yoga warm-ups, and nutrition classes. If you can combine the skills you can offer to others with running, you can gain a new sense of mission and confidence, and a positive chain reaction will occur.

MorikawaThere are many women who have never run on a track, so I would like to try a track race for women only, and a race where you can enjoy various contents like a festival from morning to night, and have an after-party where you can get drunk on alcohol and music after a hard run. I want to create a race that dispels the image that running is painful, and I want people to continue running casually, stylishly, and enjoyably. I would like to do what we can to make that happen.

KitagawaRather than just participating in the race, we want participants to think about what it means to be a runner from the perspective of race-making. We want each and every runner to become a pioneer who establishes a new position as a runner.