TOKIO's Taichi Kokubun to run Tokyo Marathon
TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (36) has declared that he will be taking on the challenge of running his first full marathon. On February 27, he plans to participate in the annual Tokyo Marathon, and he stated that he will aim to complete it in under four hours.
Kokubun currently appears as the main caster (called the "chief editor") on the Saturday broadcasts of the Fuji TV show "Sport!" The program's production team asked Kokubun at the end of November about the possibility of running the marathon. Since he is already a sports enthusiast who enjoys activities such as futsal and jogging on his own time, he agreed to the proposal, saying that he has no reason to refuse. He also said that it his responsibility as the "chief editor" on the show.
Kokubun quickly began training three times a week under the guidance of a specialist. He reportedly tries to squeeze in training at every opportunity, despite his hectic schedule. He is a regular on 10 different radio and television shows, and TOKIO is preparing for a nationwide tour that begins in March. He was quoted as saying, "Using 'I'm busy' as an excuse is the most uncool."
The Tokyo Marathon has been held in its current form since 2007. Many celebrities have participated in the marathon in past years, including Fuji TV announcer Rio Hirai (28), actor Masato Wada (31), and talento Erika Okushi (30).
source: TOKYOGRAPH