The Chiba Aqualine Marathon Planning Committee decided on guidelines for organizing the Chiba Aqualine Marathon 2018 when it held its 10th general meeting on October 25.

The Chiba Aqualine Marathon, designed to “run along the sea” through the bridge section of the Tokyo Bay Aqualine Expressway, will be staged in autumn next year for the first time in two years.

Photos from 2016 Marathon

(1: https://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M102229/201710257177/_prw_PI1fl_9fOWY3qV.jpg)

(2: https://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M102229/201710257177/_prw_PI2fl_NX4MWQcD.jpg)

1. Competition outline

(1) Date/time: Sunday, October 21, 2018

Wheelchair half-marathon to start at 9:55 a.m.

Marathon, half-marathon to start at 10:00 a.m.

(2) Type of event/number of participants/time limit/entry fee

Type of event                    Number of participants   Time limit                 Fee

Marathon                          12,000                          6 hours                    JPY12,500

Half-marathon                   5,000 total*                  3 hours 10 minutes   JPY9,500

Wheelchair half-marathon   about 10 people*          1 hour 5 minutes      JPY9,500

*The combined capacity for the two half-marathon events is 5,000 (including about 10 in the wheelchair half-marathon).

(3) How to apply

Apply online in the period starting at noon on Friday, April 13, 2018, and closing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

2. New initiatives

(1) Introducing “team race”

The 2018 Marathon will incorporate a “team race” to help family and friends participate casually as teams. Group entries, each comprising a number of names, will be accepted and the teams will compete with one another for time. (Conducted in the marathon event only)

(2) Developing “CHI-BA+KUN Intensive Marathon Training App” (provisional name)

A smartphone-specific app will be developed by featuring Chiba Prefecture mascot character “CHI-BA+KUN.” In addition to a menu that enables runners to continue marathon training in a fun way, the app is scheduled to be equipped with another menu that provides them with useful information during actual trial runs on the course (e.g. water and food points, and the covered distance in kilometers) via augmented reality (AR) technology and voice.

3. Marathon’s official website/SNS

Official website: http://chiba-aqualine-marathon.com/2018/en

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chibaaquarun/

Official LINE@: https://line.me/R/ti/p/%40chibaaquarun

Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/chibaaquarun/