The 1st interview: Willien Nicholas from Indonesia

On March 3rd, 36,965 participants fulfilled their dreams of running through Tokyo during the Tokyo Marathon 2024. Benson Kipruto clinched victory in the men’s race, while Sutume Asefa Kabede emerged victorious in the women’s category, both breaking records in the process. Kipruto completed the course in an impressive time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds, while Kabede secured her win with a remarkable time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 55 seconds.

ADRA Japan made its debut as a charitable organization in the Tokyo Marathon 2024. Our participation was fueled by the belief that while many revel in the joy of running along the race route, there are individuals worldwide whose lives lack the security of even a tomorrow. Through this event, we aimed to raise funds for those in need.

At the heart of ADRA’s mission lies the aspiration to “connect the joy of running with the happiness of others.” To this end, we established four donation programs, fostering opportunities for anyone to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

As a result, we were thrilled to have 30 runners from across the globe join us in our endeavor. We hope that through our collective efforts, we can pave the way towards a more prosperous and compassionate society.

Willien Nicholas, aged 29, is embarking on his third visit to Tokyo and his first attempt at conquering the 42.195 km distance of the marathon. His journey into running began six months ago in Indonesia with the goal of losing excess weight.

On the eve of the Tokyo Marathon 2024, Nicholas shared his admiration for the warmth of the Japanese people, a sentiment he has felt during each of his visits to Japan. He expressed his motivation for taking up running to cultivate a resilient mindset and a healthy body. Despite typically running about 17 km per week, Nicholas harbored uncertainties about completing the full marathon distance. However, driven by a desire to challenge himself and inspired by his Christian faith, he felt compelled to contribute to charitable causes, despite not being affiliated with ADRA.

Nicholas’s journey through the marathon route was accompanied by the enthusiastic cheers of the Japanese spectators lining the streets. Their support served as a poignant reminder of the universal bonds fostered through sports, transcending national borders.

read in Japanese　https://www.adrajpn.org/tokyo-marathon/7537/