This marks the fifth year of the Kyoto Marathon.

The 1st Kyoto Marathon was held exactly one year to the day after the Great East Japan Earthquake. This event has continued since March 11th 2012 thanks to the runners, volunteers, supporters and residence of Kyoto.

Looking back, the 5th Kyoto Marathon confirmed many “bonds” that were created over the past five years. The theme of “Reach out and Connect” has had a great impact.

The Experienced Volunteer Program is a new program to make entry into the Kyoto Marathon easier for volunteers from previous Kyoto Marathons. 100 places within the Kyoto Marathon are reserved for previous volunteers. This program allows volunteers, who might not have much experience running a marathon, to consider participating in the Kyoto Marathon. This program is intended to inspire former volunteers to participate as runners and to encourage unsuccessful applicants to consider participating as volunteers. It is our hope that this program will bring everyone together, runners and volunteers.

The purpose of the 1st Kyoto Marathon was to help stimulate the recovery from the earthquake in Tohoku. Our aspiration to assist those areas hit by this devastating calamity remains unchanged. Our dream to connect the people affected by the disaster and the runners of the Kyoto Marathon led five participants to take part in the “Sendai International Half-Marathon.” Their numbers many have been small, but the importance of the connections they made cannot be understated. We would like to continue to reach out and create even more valuable connections moving forward.

Congratulations to all runners who completed the Marathon this year! Have you had a chance to take a good look at your medal? The pentagon motif marks both the fifth race in this Marathon’s history as well as the bonds that were forged during that time. Diagonal lines reaching in from the corners of a pentagon will create another, smaller pentagon. More lines from the new corners will create a new pentagon, smaller than the second. This pentagon design symbolizes an infinitely growing bond, creating something new together.

Kyoto is a city rich with tradition that enveloped the eyes of every runner like a kaleidoscope of history mixing new and old as they made their way through the course. Some things never change, others are always changing. Kyoto is a city created by citizens who treasure where they came from while valuing what the future holds.

The Kyoto Marathon strives to do the same. The bonds created today will reach out into the future, endlessly bringing people together and never forget our roots. To everyone involved in the Kyoto Marathon, we wish you great health and good fortune for the upcoming year.

Let’s meet again in 2017!

Thank you.