As one of the events leading up to the Tokyo Marathon 2018 on Sunday, the Tokyo Marathon Friendship Run 2018 was held on Saturday morning February 24 at 11:00 am in the Tokyo Water Front City Symbol Promenade Park. The event featured around 2,000 runners from more than 40 countries and they run a 4km course, which is longer than the 1.5km course for the Family Run.

The opening ceremony started at 10:45 am, and after a short speech, Mr. Tadaaki Hayano, Tokyo Marathon race director, introduced the race directors and other staff members of the Abbott World Marathon Majors races (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City).

Mr. Ciacia of the New York City Marathon included several phrases in Japanese in his short speech, while the Berlin Marathon Race Director Mr. Milde spoke to the German runners participating in the Tokyo Marathon.

In the spectators' area of the Pre-Race Festa, the runners from all over the world mingled with other runners and they posed for photos together. After warming up their bodies with the popular Japanese "Radio" exercises, the organizer took a few photos of the runners in the spectators' area from the stage. Then starting at 11:00 am, in five separate groups, the runners started the "Run" in waves. (The Friendship Run is not meant to be a race, and thus they must obey a traffic rules as well as the instructions from traffic officers. However,) they seemed to have enjoyed the run.