By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
TOKYO – Filipino runners Richard Salaño and Arlan Arbois plunge into action in the prestigious 2025 Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, March 2, as part of their preparations for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand late this year.
Not only this would be the first time that the 33-year-old Salaño would be joining the elite race, but also his first international stint since returning to national team duties last January.
Salaño said his goal is to eclipse his personal best of 2 hours and 26 minutes that he registered in a local race a couple of months ago.
“I’ve been continuously training so hopefully, I’ll get good results and time here,” said Salaño in Filipino.
His participation in the race is supported by ASICS, where he will be wearing one of its latest shoes in the Kumadori Collection Limited Series.
For athletes, particularly elite runners like Salaño, shoes can make a big difference in their performance. After all, he was coming off a plantar fasciitis injury in 2023, which is caused by the inflammation and degeneration of the tissue that connects your heel to your toes.
“A great pair of running shoes is important because it helps you prevent injuries and gives stability when running. It also maximizes the full strength of your feet,” Salaño said.
Salaño was able to test the shoes in the ASICS Shakeout Run at the Yoyogi Park on Saturday, March 1, where hundreds of marathoners from different countries also participated. They were greeted by ASICS President Yasuhito Hirota.
A total of 38,000 runners are participating in this race that also serves as a selection trial for the 2025 World Athletics Championships that Tokyo is also hosting on Sept. 13 to 21.
Aside from the 42-kilometer race, other events on tap are wheelchair marathon and the 10.7km race for the Junior and Youth, Visually Impaired, Intellectually Challenged, Organ Transplant and Wheelchair.
The marathon starts 9:10 a.m. at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and is programmed to pass Suidobashi, Ueno-hirokoji, Kanda, Nihombashi, Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate, Ryogoku, Monzen-nakacho, Ginza, Tamachi, Hibiya, and Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori Avenue.
Last year, Benson Kipruto of Kenya won the men’s race in 2:02.16, followed by compatriots Timothy Kiplagat (2:02:55) and Vincent Kipkemoi (2:04:18).
