SAGAMI GENERAL DEPOT, Japan – More than 4,000 runners were here Sunday to compete in the 7th East Japan Half Marathon and Ekiden to the cheers of hundreds of friends, family members and spectators.
U.S. Army Garrison Japan Command Sgt. Maj. David Rio, who gave opening remarks and fired the starter pistol to begin the half marathon, called the event a great way for the U.S. military community in Japan to “interact and share a great experience with the community outside our base.”
Also representing Camp Zama was the Zama Middle High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps color guard, which presented the U.S. and Japan flags for both countries’ national anthems before the race.
The East Japan Half Marathon and Ekiden has a long-standing tradition of being hosted on Sagami General Depot. Randy Benton, the special events coordinator assigned to Camp Zama’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, said the running association that works with DFMWR to coordinate the event always looks forward to continuing the tradition with the Camp Zama community.
“It is important that USAG Japan provides the citizens of Sagamihara City the opportunity to interact with us in a relaxed atmosphere while also promoting physical fitness,” Benton said.
Benton said he received a lot of positive feedback from the participants, who told him how much they appreciate the opportunity to come onto a U.S. military installation for a sporting event like the half marathon since the chance to do so for members of neighboring communities is somewhat limited.
“Having this event annually provides our neighbors, as well as the Soldiers, civilians, family members and local-national employees, a chance not only to interact with each other, but also to stay in great shape together,” Benton said.
Kanako Nishi, who placed first in the women’s general division, said this was her second time participating in the event. She enjoyed the event so much the first time that she said there was no question she would come back.
“I participate in a lot of races in a lot of other places, but I especially love running here because it’s very rare for us to be able to enter a U.S. military installation, and also it’s a wide-open space compared to other places in Japan,” Nishi said.
Nishi said she hopes USAG Japan will host more sporting events like the half marathon and provide more opportunities for the U.S. military in Japan and its host nation to interact with each other.
The event also included an ekiden, a type of long-distance relay race that is popular in Japan.
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