Actress Runs 100km Marathon in Sweltering Heat for Daughter With Rare Disease... TV Show Faces Criticism for "Enforced Emotion" [Sunday Culture]

Nippon TV's "Charity Marathon"
Every August, celebrities run 100km with a story to tell
Fundraising donations collected after the grueling run

Despite criticisms over extreme heat and "forced emotion,"
the annual event has become a

Summer is truly a grueling season for runners. They say your records improve if you train hard during this time, but even running after sunset means you come home drenched in sweat. Watching runners in Tokyo braving the scorching midday sun—so intense it’s hard to keep your eyes open—goes beyond impressive. It’s something I genuinely respect.

The flagship segment of Japan's "24-Hour Television," the "Charity Marathon," is currently being run this year by actor Mari Hoshino. "24-Hour Television"

You might be wondering why I’m suddenly talking about running. In Japan, one of the events that signals the arrival of summer is a marathon. Every year around this time, there’s a special broadcast featuring celebrities running 100 kilometers. This is the “Charity Marathon” (also called the “Charity Run”), the main segment of Nippon TV’s annual “24-Hour Television” special, which takes place at the end of August each year. The tradition began in 1992 and has been going strong for an impressive 35 years.

The rules are simple: a celebrity must complete a long-distance marathon of about 100 kilometers. Each runner takes on the challenge with their own goals and backstory. Inspired by their efforts, viewers donate money, which is then delivered to charitable organizations and similar causes. This year, the runner is the actress Mari Hoshino. She is running for her daughter, who suffers from an incurable disease. Her 11-year-old daughter has a congenital muscle disorder and relies on a power wheelchair and a ventilator in her daily life.

Hoshino expressed her hopes, saying, “I wish for a world where every child can choose their place in it.” She added, “Through my running, I hope people are prompted to consider how the world can become a bit warmer and kinder.” This year’s donations are also set to support children in line with this message.

Yuu Yokoyama (right) of the Japanese male group SUPER EIGHT, who was a marathon runner for last year's Nippon Television special broadcast "24-Hour TV," is posing with this year's runner, actor Mari Hoshino. 24-Hour TV.

So how did this event begin? The very first runner was the comedian Kanpei Hazama. In the inaugural year, he attempted a staggering 200 kilometers. However, the public course attracted such large crowds that safety concerns arose, forcing the organizers to halt the event at the 153-kilometer mark. Since then, the program has chosen not to announce the detailed marathon course ahead of time. The following year, Hazama tried again and successfully completed the 200 kilometers, and in 1995, he ran 600 kilometers from Kobe, an area devastated by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, to Tokyo over the span of a week.

Since then, the format of a celebrity running a 100-kilometer-plus marathon each year has become a fixture. Idol group members, actors, and comedians all take part, each inspired by their individual stories. Some entertainers raised in child welfare facilities have run to appeal for donations to help youth, drawing from their own experiences. Surprisingly, the show has built up a sizable fan base. Usually, the celebrity departs on the first evening. While many actors start the run confidently, saying they’re ready for the challenge, viewers see them become increasingly exhausted the next day, and ultimately struggling step by step to finish the race—broadcast for all to witness.

Yuga Yokoyama of SUPER EIGHT, who was a charity marathon runner for the 24-Hour Television last year, completed a 100km marathon and is posing at the finish line. 24-Hour Television.

Regular people can also participate as support runners. This year, 1,000 people are being recruited to run together with the main marathoner, with each group running a 3-5 kilometer section at a 7-8 minute per kilometer pace.

However, every year around this time, there are repeated criticisms along the lines of, “Isn’t it time to stop?” The biggest issue is the extreme heat. Although participants set off after sunset to escape the worst of the heat, the average temperature near the event site at 8 p.m. is still about 27 degrees Celsius. To complete 100 kilometers, the runners have to keep going well into the next day’s searing midday sun. This has led to questions about whether it’s appropriate to have celebrities run a 100-kilometer marathon in such conditions for a charity broadcast that’s meant to help people. Nippon TV, conscious of these criticisms, has made a point of providing watering stations and medical staff, and they now have a rule that if heatwaves or tropical nights continue, the race will be stopped.

There are also voices accusing the show of “forced inspiration.” Some criticize the format of combining disability, illness, or poverty with a celebrity’s grueling challenge to provoke emotional reactions—questioning whether this is truly appropriate or just staged to boost ratings. To make matters worse, in 2023, an executive from a Nippon TV affiliate was found to have embezzled donation funds raised by the program, further damaging its credibility.

Despite these criticisms, the marathon is set to take place again this year. It’s remarkable how, every year at the end of August, this single run sparks so many conversations in Japanese society. In fact, when this show airs, many people in Japan say they recognize it as a sign that August is coming to an end. It seems that, both in Korea and Japan, the long, hot summer is finally drawing to a close.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.