Tokyo test for Warren Stark of Grantham Running Club

Grantham Running Club member Warren Stark has completed leg four of his 50th birthday bucket list trip of the original marathon majors.

He travelled over to Japan to take part in the Tokyo Marathon.

On arrival in East Asia 10 days prior, it was freezing and snowy and Stark was fully prepared to wrap up warm to run around the streets of the Japanese capital.

However, the weather gods had different ideas and they decided to send an unseasonable heatwave in the direction of Tokyo which sadly put paid to his sub-four hour aspirations in dramatic fashion.

During the race, Stark was comfortable to around 15 miles, then the heat reflected off the tall buildings and the road surface really knocked him off his stride.

He wasn't the only one to suffer, with many casualties receiving treatment at the side of the road.

Stark staggered over the line in 4hrs 29mins which was much slower time than his training suggested he should have achieved but he was really pleased to make it home.

The marathon route itself was confined to the city and runners were flanked by huge buildings for the entire route, like running around Docklands in London for 26 miles.

With six U-turns on the course, there was a fair amount of going up and down the same streets.

The Japanese crowd was very reserved and Stark had never experienced people clapping without making a sound.

As expected, the organisation was superb and everything worked really well with the volunteers being polite and friendly.

Stark's next stop is the Manchester Marathon before travelling to Chicago in October.

If all goes to plan, he is aiming to get his six-star medal in Boston next year.

The original World Marathon Majors were the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City races. The Tokyo Marathon was added in 2013.