GO ASIA TRAIL 
The last race of 2016 was in Taiwan.I ran the Taipei Marathon on December 18, 2016.I arrived in Taipei on the night of 12/17 and enjoyed Taipei until Monday, 12/19.
In this post, along with my results, I will write down some information for those who will run the Taipei Marathon next year and beyond.
Results just barely achieved SUB4.
Result was 3 hours 59 minutes 52 seconds (net time), just barely achieved SUB4. The start time was 6:30am, and the temperature at this point was 17 degrees Celsius. And during the race, the temperature was over 20 degrees Celsius, which was hot for a marathon.
Thanks to KAATSU Training + HIIT, I was able to run at a pace of 4:40-5:00/km until the 25km mark, but at the 25km mark, my right calf cramped up and I sank... (lol) Then, at the 39km mark, I felt a cramp in my right hamstring, which caused further Sank.
I was aiming for sub-3.5, but that was not my goal. I ran in desperate patches to achieve sub-4 at any cost, and managed to finish the race.
The course was urban area in the first half, and riverbed all the way in the second half
The course starts and finishes at Taipei 101, a landmark in Taipei, from where the first half of the race can be run in Taipei City until the 19-km point. The race will take runners around tourist attractions in Taipei, such as the National Father's Memorial Hall, Zhongzheng Memorial Hall, the Governor-General's Office, and the Grand Hotel in Yuanshan, etc.
The cheering along the roadside was not as uninterrupted as in Japanese marathons because of the early morning start, but the cheering was powerful and very energizing. The cheering of the Taipei madams was especially powerful. And the Taipei beauty girls were also very nice.
And from the 19km point to about the 38km point, we were on the riverbed... (laughs) Once we entered the riverbed, there was no cheering at all. They were playing baseball, basketball, etc... It was like they were just running in the riverbed. However, around the aid stations, there was a lot of cheering, and without it, I would have been in tears. And it was hot because there were few shaded areas........
The last 4km of the race took us back into the city center, but it didn't make it easy until the end, with a steep uphill at the end and an underground tunnel. After passing through the underground tunnel, Taipei 101 came into view, and I felt like I had reached the goal.
The Taipei MRT (subway) normally departs from Taipei Station at 6:00 a.m., but only during the Taipei Marathon, it departs from Taipei Station at 5:20 a.m. When I boarded the 5:20 a.m. train, it was full of runners (laugh).
Aid station
In case you are wondering, this is what they were serving (my memory is a little fuzzy, so this is just for reference...).
- Water
- Sports drink
- Fruits such as bananas, oranges, etc.
- Dried pickled plums
- Sweets such as wafers
- Chicken spirit
Chicken spirit is said to be a health food in Taiwan. It is effective in relieving fatigue, etc. My friend who ran the half last year said it was not tasty, but when I tried it, it was not so good... It tasted strange, like it had no taste and a little bitterness. But if you drink it in the second half of the race, it might be a nice change of pace (laugh).
Spoils of War (participation/finish prizes, etc.)
You will receive a lot of prizes. The participation prize is a tank top (made by Adidas). As finisher's prizes, you will receive a finisher's bath towel, a finisher's T-shirt (made by adidas), and a finisher's medal.
In addition, after the finish line, there will be fruit (bananas, oranges), snacks (cookies, Snickers), and a lunch box containing Taiwanese specialty "Paikohan" (rice with bones), etc. The entry fee was about 4,000 Japanese yen, so it was a very reasonable race.
The T-shirts and tank tops are made of Adidas' high quality material, so they are comfortable to wear. The designs are cool and cool looking. The women's tank top is light pink.
Luggage Deposit
On race day, if you want to leave your change of clothes and other items at the event, you will need to buy a bag like the one above. They are sold at the registration area on the day before the race for 100 Taiwan dollars (about 360 yen). It can hold a lot. It probably holds about 30 liters. It seems to be a rule to leave your luggage in this bag at the races organized by the Chinese Taipei Road Running Associate.
Race registration area on the day before the race
The registration desk for the Taipei Marathon is located at the World Trade Center Building No. 3 near Taipei 101. Similar to Japanese marathons, booths of various manufacturers, companies, and local governments will be on display.
Local Taiwanese manufacturers were the main exhibitors, but several Japanese companies were also present, including C3fit, Ajinomoto, Mizuno, and All Sports Community. There were also Japanese staff members there, so I had a nice chat with them and they cheered me on to do my best tomorrow.
Also, I enjoyed taking commemorative photos here and there.
It was hot, but the event was full of hospitality. Perfect for my first overseas race!
The Taipei Marathon was a marathon that made me want to run it again next year.
The temperature was high for December, so it might be a little tough to aim for a record, but as a fun run, it is really a perfect race. The time limit is 5 hours and 30 minutes, so it may not be suitable for a first full marathon.
However, I really liked the hospitality from the day before the race, the transportation access, and the powerful cheering along the way. I felt that I would definitely come back to Taipei next year to run and enjoy Taiwan again.