19 May 850,000 JPY raised for initiatives supporting breast cancer awareness
Nagano Marathon Summary 20th April 2025
I took on this marathon challenge in honour of my family and all those fighting breast cancer. As someone who isn’t undergoing the exhausting treatments themselves, I felt it was my duty to do something to show support, to raise awareness, and to contribute to the cause in a meaningful way.
For more about my story, please visit the campaign page linked with this challenge.
When choosing the Nagano Marathon, I was looking for a springtime race that would give me enough time to train as well as picturesque scenery to push me along the way. Nagano delivered on both fronts, with cool, cloudy weather around 18°C and sakura still in bloom, the atmosphere was incredible.
The start was electric. I got carried away with the buzz. I went out much faster than planned, ignoring my heart rate warnings. It felt great at first, until it didn’t. Seeing all of the amazing crowds lining the streets, cheering the runners really gave me a big boost to keep going.
Now, I’m not a seasoned runner—football is usually more my thing—so my prep wasn’t exactly textbook. I couldn’t resist trying the local soba and tempura the night before. Delicious? Absolutely. Marathon fuel? Probably not. I ended up feeling too sick to stomach more than two gels, and had to rely on just water for most of the race.
By the 30 km mark, the crash came. My pace dropped off sharply, and with low energy reserves, the remaining kilometers became punishing. From 30 to 40 km, as you can see from my pace chart below, I mostly walked, pushing through on sheer will. Somehow, I found the energy to jog through the last few hundred meters of the final stretch.
Some memorable moments: I saw Naoko Takahashi, the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medalist, twice on the course. At around the 30 km point, I called out to her and she smiled, gave me a high five, and shouted “Good job!”, which helped me to start back to a jog since I didn’t want to get caught walking past the olympic champion.
A Heartfelt Thank You
To everyone who donated and supported me and my family—thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are incredibly honored and humbled to have raised over ¥850,000—far beyond what we ever imagined.
¥619,688 will go towards supporting:
Hana-me — Which provides seminars and education sessions promoting early detection through self-exams and hospital screenings and & Japan Team Oncology Program — Which offers doctor education initiatives, sending Japanese physicians to train at MD Anderson—one of the top oncology centers in the world.
¥232,501 will go towards supporting:
Maggie’s Tokyo Center — Which offers free counseling, mental health, and wellness support for people affected by cancer.
A special thank you to Run for the Cure Foundation (RFTC Japan) for supporting and sponsoring this initiative, and to my company, Publicis Groupe Japan, for generously matching employee donations and helping spread the word to our network.
I hope this campaign could inspire others to run, share, or give in their own way. Every step counts.
Finally, I think it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to repeat the words of a huge inspiration to me, Kris Hallenga:
“Check your boobs”
And if you notice any symptoms of breast cancer—lumps, discomfort, skin changes, or anything unusual—please see a doctor. Early detection saves lives.
Thank you,
Andrew McFarlan
