By Paulina Albarracin
七転び八起き
“Fall seven times, stand up eight”
This Japanese proverb relates to the resiliency seen in their famously passionate running culture. There is no shortage of devoted runners dashing down the streets of Tokyo with fervent spectators cheering them on. The sport is revered in the country because it appeals to the core tenets of Japanese society—valuing the community, maintaining consistency, and developing a non-quitting spirit. A native of Nagoya, Kasumi Kondo embodies makenki, or “the spirit not to lose,” in her running tenure.
With a sub three-hour marathon debut under her watch, Kondo first met Queens Distance Runners (“QDR”) Co-Founder Maria Wong at the Ishigaki Marathon 10K in 2021. This year, QDR Founder Kevin Montalvo recruited her to run the NYC Marathon as a team member. Her time of 3:14:04 denoted her as a powerhouse of the QDR Women’s Team at the NYC Marathon. Kondo’s steadfast optimism carries her through the rigors of marathon training, and she is only getting started.
First, I want to congratulate you for embarking on your first trip to NYC from Nagoya, Japan! What have your first few days here been like?
Thank you. I came to New York from Aichi Prefecture. First of all, I was surprised at the size of people. I realized how small Japanese people are. Everyone was big and cool, wearing the clothes of their choice. I felt free and open on the train. It was cool to feel that everyone was living as they wished. Everything was huge! The buildings, the exhibits, the art on the walls, and the food were all about 1.5 times larger than in Japan. I was overwhelmed by the scale of the place!
(Selfie of Kasumi and Kevin in Times Square)
How does the running culture in Japan compare to ours in NYC?
I felt that the difference in running culture is that in Japan, there are many small club teams, while in New York each club team is large. Tokyo has a lot of runners, but I felt that the number of people who run is incomparably larger than in my hometown. I was amazed to see that in the U.S., people of all shapes and sizes embrace running with such enthusiasm. It’s inspiring, especially since it’s less common to see such diversity among runners in Japan. Many people say that running is a hard sport in Japan, but I was very moved by the fact that so many people in the U.S. were enjoying running and cheering again! I thought they were enjoying themselves from the bottom of their hearts.
How have you prepared to take on your first NYC Marathon? What were your goals for this marathon?
I ran almost every day at a shorter but faster pace for five out of seven days. I’ve heard it was a hard course, so I practiced on the hills. My training plan consists of 7 km, 8 km. Sometimes 21K for long runs. My goal was under 3:30, but I took the hills into account. I set it to 3:30. I also wanted to run it for fun. After actually running the course, I was surprised that the course was tougher than I expected. I was so happy to run with so much cheering! I was having so much fun that I ran too fast at the beginning and lost speed in the second half. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a race! My legs got tired at the bridge in Queens [Queensboro Bridge], I was completely out of practice. I need to practice again and get my revenge on the bridge in Queens.
You met Kevin and Maria at one of their past getaways to Osaka, Japan. How did you all meet?
I first met them [Kevin and Maria] three years ago. I lived in a small island called Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. Kevin and Maria came to Ishigaki Island to run the Ishigaki Island Marathon 10K. That is the race where we met! At the time, Maria finished in first place, and I finished second. Sometime later, Kevin and Maria came to Japan again. We made contact then and met again in Hakone. They wanted to me visit New York. I was so happy! [Laughs] I replied that I would go [to New York] right away. I knew that I wouldn’t have many opportunities in my life to go to the United States. Thank you, Kevin and Maria, for giving me a very good opportunity!
How did it feel when Kevin asked you to join the QDR Women’s Team and score points at the NYC Marathon?
After the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in March, I wasn’t running and I was a little nervous. They [Kevin and Maria] gave me this opportunity and from there I practiced hard for three months. I did my best. I enjoyed the ride! [Laughs]
Kasumi Kondo completed the 2024 NYC Marathon in 3:14:04 and returned to Japan the following morning.
(Statue of Liberty Photo)
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited from two conversations.