The Tokyo Marathon 2025 Plogging Event was held on Saturday, March 1, the day before the race. The event was held in the Asakusa area, which is also part of the marathon course. "Plogging" is a new SDGs experience sport that originated in Sweden, combining the words for trash picking ("Plocka Upp") and "jogging." The Tokyo Marathon is supported by the understanding and cooperation of many people, including those who live around the course. With gratitude to the city of Tokyo, the event was held again this year, with the theme "A Day Tokyo Blossoms in."

Approximately 160 Japanese and overseas runners participated in the plogging event. The runners put on work gloves, carried garbage bags, and split into four groups to jog through the early morning streets.

The shopping streets and public sidewalks in Asakusa are usually kept clean, but if you look closely, you can see small pieces of trash and empty cans scattered here and there. The runners who found these stopped and picked them up one by one, making the streets of Asakusa even cleaner.

Also, when the owner of a restaurant saw the runners diligently picking up trash, he gave them drinks, saying, "You're doing a great job. Take this!" He was the owner of a famous restaurant in Asakusa that is frequented by comedians, so in addition to picking up trash, the runners were also able to deepen their relationships with the warm-hearted local shopkeepers.

Sarah, who came with a friend from Thailand, said with a smile, "I participated because I love Tokyo. Of course I'll also be taking on the Tokyo Marathon. I'm very lucky to have finally won the chance to participate through the race lottery. I think I'll pick up trash while running tomorrow too! (laughs)"

This time, members of several running communities also participated as a team. Mika, who participated with her running friends, said, "I've always been interested in plogging, so I decided to participate. Over 30,000 runners will participate on the day of the race, so I enjoyed plogging in the hope that everyone would run through the beautiful streets of Tokyo." Unfortunately, Mika didn't win the race lottery this year, so she will focus on cheering-on the runners who did, but she said, "I definitely want to take part in plogging and the Tokyo Marathon next year. That would be fantastic!"

On the other hand, what makes the Tokyo Marathon's plogging event a little different is that rickshaw drivers who guide tourists in rickshaws also participated as guides for the runners. Along the way, the rickshaw drivers introduce Tokyo's most famous tourist spots, such as Kaminarimon, Nakamise-dori, and Asakusa Engei Hall, as well as restaurants where you can eat delicious food. For the runners who participated, the event added another special experience to picking up trash and jogging. One of the rickshaw drivers, Jimmy, said, "I thought it was a wonderful event because we cleaned up the city together with the runners and it felt like we were all united. I'll cheer on the runners with all my might tomorrow!" It seems that the event was special for the rickshaw drivers as well.

Paralympian Mei Ichinose, who serves as an ASICS brand ambassador, also participated in the plogging event. She enjoyed chatting and jogging with the other runners in her group, picking up each piece of trash she found.

This time, volunteers from Mizuho Bank, Ltd., an official partner, also participated and provided garbage bags.

The plogging event was held as an opportunity to convey gratitude to the streets of Tokyo. The actions of each and every runner who participated brought us one step closer to realizing "A Day Tokyo Blossoms in." There are plans to continue engaging in various activities in the future so that the city of Tokyo will continue to develop and bring even more shining moments.

Thank you to all the runners who participated.