Man In Japan Runs Marathon With Traditional Wooden Sandals, Finishes Race in 3.5 Hours

Man In Japan Runs Marathon With Traditional Wooden Sandals

It’s no easy feat completing a marathon, let alone doing so in uncomfortable shoes.

Recently, a man in Japan finished the Osaka Marathon wearing traditional sandals that look to be the equivalent of wooden clogs with short stilts.

Despite the handicap, the seasoned runner completed the 42km race in less than three and a half hours, an accomplishment that most of us can only dream of.

Finishes marathon in 3:28:55 while wearing traditional sandals

Takanobu Minoshima was among the runners who took part in the Osaka Marathon 2023 on 26 Feb.

As if running a full marathon wasn’t tough enough, Mr Minoshima did so while wearing traditional Japanese sandals.

Known as geta, these sandals are wooden clogs balanced on either one or two ‘stilts’.

In Mr Minoshima’s case, his geta appears to have just one ‘tooth’, which requires more skill to balance.

In a video posted on Mr Minoshima’s Facebook page, the 47-year-old was seen sprinting gingerly — almost as if he were tip-toeing — as other runners around him ran with relative ease.

Despite the challenging footwear, Mr Minoshima was all smiles as he crossed the 15.5km mark, even waving to spectators.

At the 27km mark, he executed a U-turn, which was presumably more challenging for Mr Minoshima given his choice of footwear.

In the end, Mr Minoshima completed the 42km marathon in three hours, 28 minutes, and 55 seconds, with each of his 5km splits averaging just under 25 minutes.

12th time running marathon with one-tooth getas

Mr Minoshima hails from the city of Sapporo, Hokkaido and is reportedly fond of Japanese tradition as well as sports.

Hence, Mr Minoshima’s decision to run marathons while wearing traditional Japanese footwear is a marriage of both his interests.

According to a report on Sohu, this is the 12th time Mr Minoshima has run a marathon wearing a pair of one-tooth getas.

In 2019, he even ran a 100km ultra-marathon wearing getas, completing the race in 13 hours and 45 minutes.

Even though Mr Minoshima might seem very comfortable in getas, the traditional footwear still presents some form of hindrance to his athletic performance.

Running Magazine reported that Mr Minoshima’s personal best is just 40 seconds short of three hours.

This was at the 2014 Hokkaido Marathon, which he ran in regular running shoes.

A marriage of his passion for sports & Japanese traditions

For most of us, running a full marathon is something unimaginable, let alone doing so in clogs kept in balance by a thin stilt.

Mr Minoshima’s technique with the clog aside, it’s heartening to know that running with getas marries two subjects that he’s deeply passionate about.

We hope Mr Minoshima’s feat will inspire others to chase after their dreams no matter how challenging they might seem.

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Featured image adapted from Takanobu Minoshima on Facebook and The ippon blade on Facebook.